{"id":12492,"date":"2025-12-03T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/?p=12492"},"modified":"2026-01-12T15:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T07:02:11","slug":"uniting-form-function-and-feeling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/2025\/12\/03\/uniting-form-function-and-feeling\/","title":{"rendered":"Uniting Form, Function and Feeling"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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WHO HE IS:<\/strong> Mr Afzal Imram, co-founder of State Property \u2014 a Singaporean jewellery label that blends architectural minimalism with emotional storytelling \u2014 is an industrial designer trained at the National University of Singapore. Under his leadership, the brand has broken ground globally, embraced by a number of trendsetters and fashion icons.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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When Mr Afzal Imram (Design and Environment ’14) first enrolled in Industrial Design at NUS, jewellery was far from his radar. \u201cMy passion for it was both a surprise and evolution,\u201d he said. \u201cIndustrial Design trained me to think about form and function \u2014 but what really struck a chord was understanding how people relate to objects. Jewellery, in that sense, felt like a natural extension of that learning. It lives on the body. It carries meaning.\u201d<\/p>

That understanding has become the foundation of State Property<\/a>, the fine jewellery label he co-founded with his wife and business partner, Ms Lin Ruiyin, in 2015. Their pieces \u2014 sleek, sculptural and often architectural \u2014 have made their way to international showcases in Milan and Paris, and even into the collections of Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Nicole Kidman and Rihanna. Prices start from S$850 for a sapphire bracelet and can go up to an eye-watering S$32,000 for a pearl necklace. \u201cConvincing people that a Singaporean fine jewellery brand could be \u2018serious\u2019 and global was tough in the beginning,\u201d recalled Mr Afzal, 35. \u201cEvery small win meant the world \u2014 our first international sale, or spotting someone on the street wearing something we made.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mr Afzal (right) with his wife and business partner Ms Lin Ruiyin<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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He described their early years as \u201cbuilding while learning\u201d. \u201cWe started State Property when the opportunity cost was still low \u2014 before life got too serious,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what kind of business we wanted to do initially, but we both knew we wanted to make a product that would endure. Fine jewellery had that permanence \u2014\u00a0a quiet strength.\u201d The pair met through mutual friends, when Ms Lin was studying Contemporary Jewellery at Central Saint Martins in London. They began helping each other with coursework and realised their approaches to design were complementary \u2014 his training honed his focus on structure and usability, while she had a natural flair for ornamentation.<\/p>

Running a business with one\u2019s partner, he admitted, is equal parts chaos and clarity. \u201cThe lines between work and life blur, but that\u2019s not always a bad thing,\u201d he shared. \u201cOf course, when we\u2019re off work, we try to switch off and just be husband and wife, and parents to our four-year-old.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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GUIDING LESSONS
<\/strong><\/p>

Although it has been more than a decade since he graduated, Mr Afzal still looks back fondly at his time in the University, especially the late nights spent in the studio. \u201cSome professors taught me the value of restraint \u2014 that design isn\u2019t about adding, but about knowing what to leave out,\u201d he recounted. \u201cThat lesson is still with me.\u201d<\/p>

His approach to jewellery echoes that discipline. \u201cWe see jewellery as vessels,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe design in layers \u2014 for others to see, for the wearer to appreciate, and for the owner to discover. The way we name pieces, the stories and images we build around them \u2014 all these are ways for people to start their own relationship with a piece.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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That philosophy came alive in one of State Property\u2019s earliest designs, the Holmes Earrings, which reimagines the space around the ear. \u201cIt\u2019s essentially a frame that highlights where earrings usually sit,\u201d he says. \u201cThat whole collection, Substate<\/em>, was about framing the body \u2014 and celebrating the wearer as the gem.\u201d<\/p>

When asked where inspiration strikes, Mr Afzal points to literature, architecture and even conversations. \u201cI know an idea is worth chasing when it lingers \u2014 when I keep returning to it days or weeks later, and it still excites me.\u201d But he stresses that research is still a must. \u201cThe idea has to have enough meat to carry a whole collection.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"State
State Property Substate Holmes Earrings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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State Property Arcane Nemara Pearl Necklace<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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State Property Voyager Battuta Enchantress Ring<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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State Property Voyager Akita Ring<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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A BALANCING ACT
<\/strong><\/p>

Mr Afzal is also quick to point out that creativity and commerce are not opposing forces. \u201cRunning a label means having a need for constant dialogue between business and design,\u201d he said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know how to run one when we started, which gave us freedom to shape it our way.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"R0013184\"<\/figure><\/div>
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\"State<\/figure><\/div>
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The label\u2019s name, State Property, captures that same tension. \u201cWe wanted something permanent, something that observed a changing world,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s irony in calling something so intimate \u2018State Property\u2019 \u2014 it balances permanence and change, history and modernity. That duality mirrors our design philosophy.\u201d<\/p>

Looking ahead, Mr Afzal is optimistic about what\u2019s next \u2014 both for his label and for contemporary jewellery as a whole. \u201cI\u2019m excited about warming people up to independent designer fine jewellery and looking beyond the big houses or their family jeweller,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s so much exceptional design out there \u2014 and I\u2019m glad that we can show that Singapore\u2019s design perspective belongs in the global conversation.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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THINGS TO CONSIDER<\/strong><\/h5>

Looking to treat yourself to a piece of fine jewellery? Here are Mr Afzal\u2019s tips for novice buyers:<\/p>

  • \u201cStart with how it makes you feel rather than what it\u2019s worth.\u201d<\/li>
  • \u201cLater, look at details like the weight, the finish and how it sits on your body.\u201d<\/li>
  • \u201cSee if it’s something that you think you’ll reach for often. Jewellery should be worn.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Celebrated jewellery designer Mr Afzal Imram (Design and Environment \u201914) reflects on success and the work ethic that has guided his rise to the top.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":12493,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership","category-life"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12492"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13017,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12492\/revisions\/13017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}