The Iraqi-British architect Dame Zaha Hadid, passed away early Thursday morning at the age of 65 was one of the most powerful women in her field. Only recently she was the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) gold medal
Hadid was known for the massive and hyper-futuristic spaces she created in locales like Baku, London, Guangzhou, and Cincinnati. And despite leading so many high-profile projects, her work extended well beyond architecture. Her buildings have been commissioned around the world one of them being London Olympic Aquatic Centre. Other notable projects included the Italian National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome (2009),the Heydar Aliyev centre in Baku (2013) and a stadium for the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar.
In fashion, Hadid’s work ranged from über-luxury, as when she designed a movable pavilion for Chanel that globe-hopped to Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York, and Paris. Just last year, the architect created a pair of Adidas sneakers with Pharrell. Hadid crafted sculptural jewelry for the Danish label Georg Jensen, and more jewelry, a mix of organic curves and bling this time, with the Lebanese brand Aziz and Walid Mouzannar.
Last week, showgoers at Seoul Fashion Week took in the latest collections at the Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The architect herself was a frequent flyer at fashion events, like Natalia Vodianova’s Fabulous Fund Fair and Christopher Kane’s runway presentations. She thought critically about the medium, and designed an exhibition called “Women Fashion Power,” at London’s Design Museum.
