Fisk Celebrates the Upcoming Iranian New Year With the Nowruz 1401 Collection
HYPEBEAST caught up with founder Bijan Berahimi to discuss the capsule further.
FISK is a Portland-based creative studio that crafts thoughtful experiences across print, digital and physical spaces. In the past, the group has provided packaging design for Alicia Keys and created a bespoke typeface to celebrate Nike’s release of the Lebron 17.
Every March, however, founder Bijan Berahimi creates a unique project that celebrates his ethnic roots during the Iranian New Year celebrations. For those unfamiliar, Iranian New Year or Nowruz (which translates to ‘New Day’ in Farsi) is celebrated on March 20 — the first day of spring.
The Nowruz 1401 collection features a vibrant set of apparel goods, including tees, shorts and hoodies, alongside tastefully curated accessories, such as blankets, tea mugs and hats. Each is artistically crafted to represent the various symbols tied to Iran’s ancient celebration.
HYPEBEAST caught up with Berahimi to discuss the capsule, along with the aim behind it. Please visit FISK to shop the full collection.
Can you recall your earliest memories of Nowruz?
Each year my parents would tell me stories of what Nowruz was like in Iran. It was the only time of the year they would receive new clothes and shoes. One of my most fond memories was going to the beach every year to jump over fires for Chaharshanbe Suri. My cousins and I would try to find the biggest fires to try to jump over. This ritual is a moment of cleansing and embracing new health and energy.
Nowruz was always an interesting time of the year for me growing up. It contributed to the duality I felt growing up as a first-generation Iranian-American, celebrating Iranian traditions was a kind of second life. I generally felt embarrassed about the celebrations around Nowruz with my non-Iranian friends. The aspects I could grasp easier as a young kid were the new clothes; which in my world was going to TJ Max and Payless. Cleaning our house and wearing all new clothes is one of many ritualistic aspects of the holiday.
Can you share some interesting tidbits you‘ve learned?
As an adult, I’ve learned so much about the holiday. I didn’t realize that it was based on an entirely different calendar than what we use in the states. This year actually marks the year 1401 on the Zoroastrian Calendar, which is quite a trip, understanding that other countries use totally different calendar systems than us. Nowruz is a multicultural holiday that is 3,000 years old and celebrated beyond Iran in Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq, China and India.
I can see the various symbolic elements of the haft-seen present in your latest collection — from the apple and goldfish, to the egg and flowers. What would you like the non-Iranian community to learn from this collection?
The world knows so much about Western holidays and traditions whether it’s through government-sanctioned holidays or advertising campaigns. A core aspect of this collection is to share Middle Eastern culture with our larger community, not only to educate people but also to create representation for other creative people from these regions.
It’s been a way for me to connect with my culture, larger family and other designers who have shared backgrounds. This kind of entry point to Nowruz didnst exist for me as a kid, and I hope that young creatives who see it realize how beautiful and rich their heritage is.
Elsewhere, Adsum’s Classics Collection is nothing but bonafide essentials.
