The SHIR SEPEHR brand of carpets and handicrafts traces its origins to the first Pahlavi era, emerging in Tehran through the expertise of an Isfahani family specializing in wooden arts, such as latticework and marquetry, alongside interior decoration. From its inception, the brand emphasized authenticity and aristocratic quality, crafting works for the most prestigious newly constructed buildings and palaces in the capital. Subsequently, a branch of this family returned to Isfahan, adopting the surname "Shir Sepehr," where the 14-year-old Ali Asghar spearheaded the brand’s continued focus on wooden latticework for residential spaces. Exhibiting a profound passion for design from an early age, he swiftly began producing wooden pieces based on his exclusive patterns, soon expanding his personal workshop and employing multiple apprentices to meet the market’s demand for his innovative creations. Over time, as Iranian interior design shifted away from wooden lattice showcases and doorframes, the market for wooden handicrafts waned. Ali Asghar, whose creative ingenuity was deeply rooted in Iranian aesthetics, recognized an opportunity in the handwoven carpet sector. After training under eminent masters of the era—such as Haj Agha Reza Shakerin, Ghodratollah Minaian, Ahmad Shekrani, and others—he founded his carpet design workshop. Now a young adult, equipped with extensive experience in designing geometric patterns, arabesques, and floral motifs on wood, he transitioned to experimenting with carpet design grids. He soon discerned that mastery of carpet weaving techniques was essential to becoming a comprehensive designer, necessitating hands-on expertise in Iranian carpet production to evaluate his designs’ imperfections through the woven outcomes. Consequently, he ventured into producing Isfahan carpets, though he consistently prioritized carpet design as his core pursuit. By this stage, he had a daughter, Fatemeh, who matured amidst his workshop, playing with her dolls among the carpet blossoms and constructing miniature homes with her father’s dye bowls. Over time, young Fatemeh revealed her own flair for design to her teachers, friends, and peers, sketching imaginative patterns on any available blank space in her books and notebooks. Though her academic journey initially led her to study Applied Mathematics at the University of Isfahan, her artistic disposition proved irrepressible, prompting her to pivot to art for her graduate studies. She earned a Master’s degree in Painting from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran and later pursued a PhD in Art Research at the University of Tehran.