Honouring the bold looks and creative inspiration behind H&M’s Holiday Collection, Berlin-based goldsmith Kiala Kanzi curates a compilation of music to bend metal by.
The Book of Symbols, worn and well-thumbed, is a permanent fixture of Kiala Kanzi’s studio. For the Berlin-based jeweller, symbols are a central part of her creative process, and in both art and life, the spiral is the start of everything. “It is the inspiration behind all my doing,” she explains. “It stands for everything in this universe, and the universe itself.”
The spiral is one of the oldest motifs in human history—etched into cave walls, carved into ancient stone, appearing in galaxies, seashells and hurricanes. It’s an ancient symbol fit for an ancient craft—never still, always imbued in the interplay of chaos and order, much like the goldsmith’s own practice.
Dress and boots H&M STUDIO, jewellery ARTIST’S OWN
Kanzi’s hand-crafted jewellery embraces imperfection—where mistakes become textures and roughness becomes beauty—and her workspace is a blend of both meditative and manic energy. The mornings are spent lighting incense, leaning into the sounds of Chantress Seba, and flipping through the pages of the books scattered around the studio—like The Little Prince or Dali’s Jewels—but the day can always descend into disarray. “I’m very bad with time management,” Kanzi admits. “I work best when the deadline was yesterday.”
But unpredictability is what excites her—like the softness of metal masked by its apparent sturdiness, or the unexpected re-acquaintance with a forgotten song on shuffle. Sound is a must-have source of stimulation for Kanzi—from the music of Jimi Hendrix or her partner Selassie, to the audiobooks that narrate her daily doings (currently Elif Shafak’s 40 rules of love and Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone). Her remedy to a creative block is to “dance, talk, sleep, dream.” Her studio, shared with fellow jeweller and mother Alexia, is more than just a place to work—it’s a communal space that nurtures both creativity and connection.
Dress and shirt H&M STUDIO, jewellery ARTIST’S OWN
This is the studio soundtrack of goldsmith Kiala Kanzi: Tracks to bend metal by, selected for the twists and turns they inspire.
Full look H&M STUDIO
Talent Kiala Kanzi
Photographer Thomas Valtin
First Lighting Assistant Leo Stoeckert
Videographer Miriam Woodburn
Stylist Rachael Rodgers
Styling Assistant Alena Wiegmann
Hair & Make Up Ischrak Nitschke
Editor in Chief Kira Stachowitsch
Producer Rachael Bigelow
Paid partnership with H&M.
