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Saida Mouradova didn’t start out wearing glamorous accessories in her everyday life. Born in Azerbaijan, she lived in refugee camps as a teenager before moving to Sweden and Paris to study art and eventually making it to New York City. Her outlook now is global — and the wildly creative headpieces she creates under the label Object & Dawn reflect that embrace of diversity.

“The goal is to works with artisans in places that still honor the heritage [of their craft],” she says. “I honor the techniques they use.” She designs the bases of the headpieces, then works in partnership with makers across seven countries to incorporate specific techniques, such as beading by artisans in a Masai tribe who’ve been crafting that way for centuries.

“Modern fashion doesn’t honor that anymore,” says Mouradova. But by working with makers around the world, plus applying the latest design technology like laser-cutting or 3D-printing, she’s able to bring age-old techniques to life in a whole new way.

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