Executive Magazine

Real estate 2015: All puffed up

Less bang for less buck

by Executive Editors July 12, 2015

written by Executive Editors

The Research Department at RAMCO sarl has been compiling data on the residential market in Beirut for several consecutive years: the number of residential projects being built, their total size (referred to as built-up area), their prices, their sales ratios, etc.

The evolution of this data over the last three years (2012 to 2014) reveals a sluggish demand, a decrease in the average apartment size and an increase in the unit price of unsold apartments.

The data collected is for residential buildings in Municipal Beirut completed at the end of each year between 2012 and 2014. Data was collected for projects that posted an asking price of around $3,000 per square meter (SQM) or above on the first floor, as projects within lower budgets tended to sell out off plan or relatively early in the construction process, and rarely offered reliable information on sales ratios.

Shrinking apartment sizes

The most striking finding is the drop in the average size of apartments completed between 2012 and 2014, with apartment sizes shrinking by 18 percent during this time. Apartments went from measuring 343 SQM on average in 2012 to just 283 SQM for projects completed in 2014. This is clearly reflected in an overall supply of built-up area (BUA) shrinking at a much faster pace than the total number of projects or apartments.

In parallel, the average size of apartments that were not sold in projects completed at the end of 2014 remains high. This means that larger apartments have the most difficulty in finding buyers.

In 2012 and 2013, the average size of apartments that remained unsold at the end of the year was smaller than the overall average size of apartments completed in those two years. In 2014, however, the average size of unsold apartments was about 10 percent larger than the overall average size of the total number of apartments completed during the same year.

The trend clearly points towards higher demand for smaller apartments in 2014. Smaller apartments sell faster than larger ones, which then remain on the market, dragging the curve of average sizes of unsold apartments up.

July 12, 2015 0 comments

Less bang for less buck

by Karim Makarem July 12, 2015

written by Karim Makarem

The evolution of this data over the last three years (2012 to 2014) reveals a sluggish demand, a decrease in the average apartment size and an increase in the unit price of unsold apartments.

Shrinking apartment sizes

In parallel, the average size of apartments that were not sold in projects completed at the end of 2014 remains high. This means that larger apartments have the most difficulty in finding buyers.

Shrinking Budgets

The average unit price of apartments that remained unsold in completed projects at the end of each year has also been rising slightly. Thus, in 2012, the average unit price of unsold apartments stood at $5,575 per SQM. It dropped to $5,351 per SQM in 2013. In 2014, the unit price went up again to $5,682 per SQM.

This information reinforces the trends found in the statistics on apartment sizes — data clearly shows that the more expensive apartments are those that are the most difficult to sell. Apartments that remained unsold after the projects were completed lie within a similar overall average budget, varying between $1.5 and $1.8 million per apartment across the three years.

Sluggish Demand

Overall sales ratios have dropped from 82 percent in 2012 to just 75 percent in 2014, indicating a clear slowdown in the market. The ratio of unsold apartments over the overall number of apartments has increased from 18 percent in 2012 to 22 percent in both 2013 and 2014. A higher portion of apartments completed in any given year thus remained unsold.

Demand is obviously low and the data confirms this trend. The information gathered is for apartments in projects completed within a single year. Apartments that were completed in previous years and still not sold are not accounted for in the table featured. However, these units were also on the market and thus the effective number of apartments that were offered for sale was in fact larger than the figures shown in the table.

Selective Demand

The figures do indeed tell a rather gloomy story. However, when put into proper perspective, they may not seem so worrisome. The political and security situations have been highly volatile — a vacant presidential seat, a divided government, a Parliament that meets only occasionally, violent militia fighting each other a stone’s throw away from the country’s borders and sometimes even within them. Within such a context, the performance of the residential real estate market is actually reassuring.

It should also be pointed out that these figures concern neighborhoods within the city limits of Municipal Beirut, where price increases over several consecutive years have forced a large chunk of the local clientele out of the market. Many buyers have been looking to other, more affordable suburban areas a few kilometers north or south of Beirut which continue to thrive.

Demand may thus have slowed down but it has not ceased to exist. Within Beirut, demand has shifted towards smaller budget spaces — well designed, clean, small apartments at more affordable prices, leading buyers outside the capital city in search of more affordable housing.

July 12, 2015 0 comments

Design Fashion

John Lobb’s Bespoke shoes

by Sara Ghorra July 2, 2015

written by Sara Ghorra

In today’s fast paced, consumption-driven world, where the dominant trend is to constantly acquire more belongings, some people find themselves longing for stillness, visible authenticity, uniqueness and timelessness in their closet.

Luckily for the gentlemen who have climbed the ladder of success and have reached far beyond the stages of physiological, security and social needs, as per Maslow’s Hierarchy, there exist some (very) expensive yet ageless products on the market that will allow them to feel pampered subtly while simultaneously offering them a trip down memory lane and a return to some fading traditions of grandeur.

Indeed, only a few decades ago a trip to the tailor’s was one of the modern European man’s necessary diversions. He would spend hours with his tailor as if he were an old friend, enjoying this moment of relaxation with a cup of tea and some conversation, anticipating the joy of a beautifully fitted suit while having his measurements taken by a skilled craftsman. This tradition has regrettably fallen by the wayside as the continuing globalization has made mass-produced fashion more widely and readily accessible, resulting in a dramatic increase in production speed and consequently a major loss in the art of personalization.

Fortunately, some well-established enterprises offering original made-to-order garments have survived. One of them is John Lobb Bootmaker. Some 150 years ago, the founder of the company with the same name was appointed official shoemaker to the Prince of Wales due to the high quality craftsmanship of his stylish, durable and comfortable handmade shoes and boots for men.

In 1976, John Lobb & Co. became part of the Hermès Paris Group and has since been increasingly able to offer a wider audience some of this vanishing heritage: bespoke shoes. Although John Lobb Beirut boutique, found in downtown Beirut, first opened its doors back in June 2013, it wasn’t until last month that the bespoke section was introduced during one of the master bootmaker’s visits from the company’s workshop in Paris.

Despite the fact that John Lobb offers ready to wear collections as well as a “by request” service for customized shoes, it is the bespoke offering that is the most unique. These shoes are designed and manufactured according to the exact shape of an individual’s feet, his lifestyle needs and according to his own sense of panache. The service gives any man willing to pay for a premium quality, durable, personalized shoe — average starting price is $6,000 — the opportunity to acquire what is essentially a practical piece of art.

Since every element of the shoe can be made as per request in terms of outer and inner colors, type of leather, sole, etc., it is up to the client to get creative. After all, a bespoke shoe is a reflection of the personality of the wearer.

So dear affluent men, now is your chance to invest in a long term relationship with a symbol of classic elegance and individuality while also making a daring statement. It can always be just a shoe, but it could also become a tangible reminder to yourself and others of your success!

Photographs By: Greg Demarque

July 2, 2015 0 comments

Art & Culture Museums & Galleries

Beirut’s Opera Gallery

by Sara Ghorra July 2, 2015

written by Sara Ghorra

A visit to an art gallery can be a fascinating journey where one gets to discover and explore through each piece of work an intriguing array of nuanced feelings and complex thoughts embodied in paintings, photographs, sculptures or other media, all offering a subtle glimpse into the unique creative minds of the artists.

And that is why it is such a delight to visit the Opera Gallery. Part of a network of contemporary galleries with a worldwide presence, it recently opened its 12th space in Downtown Beirut’s Foch Street.

From the moment you step into the gallery you sense that you are in for a treat, exposed to an impressive collection of singular large pieces, each distinctly different from the other in terms of medium, genre, style and character, yet all equally imposing. And no matter your taste, preferences and affinities, they all seek your attention.

While you won’t necessarily be moved by every single piece you examine, you cannot but appreciate the richness of the gallery’s offering. From the recognizable styles of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Jean Dubuffet, Fernando Botero and other master artists, to established artists that Lebanese connoisseurs are sure to appreciate such as Lita Cabellut, Mauro Corda, Andy Warhol, Gerard Rancinan, Reza Derakshani and Jean-François Larrieu, to emerging talents that local audiences have yet to experience such as Richard Mirando, known as SEEN, and Young-Deok Seo, each one caters to a different sensibility.
Indeed, the Opera Gallery, which was founded by Gilles Dyan in Paris in 1994, has become one of the leading dealers in modern and contemporary American, European and Asian art, and it prides itself on its collection’s diversity at all levels as well as its dynamic personality.

One of the gallery’s interesting traits is that the artworks are intended to travel the world in order to find the most deserving fans and desirous clients. The pieces circulate among the gallery’s established spaces in Singapore, London, Geneva, Monaco, New York, Miami, Hong Kong, Seoul, Dubai and now Beirut. This structure, which allows the Opera Gallery in Beirut to change the works on display every week as new pieces are received and others sent away, is undoubtedly one of the many reasons that visiting it will appeal to any art enthusiast.

Eugène Ionesco once stated: “A work of art really is above all an adventure of the mind.” Therefore, one can only imagine just how many adventures they could embark on when encountering this eclectic mix of artwork masterfully displayed in such an inspiring space.

Photographs by: Greg Demarque

July 2, 2015 0 comments

Architecture Design

The renovated Crêperie

by Sara Ghorra July 2, 2015

written by Sara Ghorra

Originally opened in 1968, Jounieh’s La Crêperie was once considered more of a historic institution than a mere restaurant, as it had remained open for 45 years. It was a landmark, part of the war generation’s heritage and was celebrated in international publications during its heyday.

La Crêperie was seen by many to represent the romance of Lebanon’s golden years and was once one of the preferred spots for a young man attempting to court a lady or looking for the perfect place to propose as well as for groups eager to celebrate an important event or simply desirous of a cozy gathering with a splendid view.
La Crêperie closed its doors in 2012 to undergo massive renovations that went on for more than two years. This reconstruction was led by its new owner, Sky Management’s CEO Chafic El Khazen, and initiated by his brother, Sari El Khazen, the architect behind the world famous party venue Skybar.

The old house turned restaurant actually belonged to the brothers’ grandparents, and they wished to rehabilitate its faded glory after revamping the place completely. And finally in April 2015, La Crêperie opened its doors to the public once more, but this time with a new look and management.

The most nuanced task was undeniably that of giving a new life to the place while preserving its essential traits. And the challenge was successful under the scope of Sari El Khazen Architects who made sure that the architecture, interior architecture, interior design, decoration and landscaping, all contributed in the creation of a harmonious and enchanting venue.

Maggy Monsef, a gifted interior decorator freelancer, was the addition to the team who was appointed to intervene on the project along side Sirine Shaker and other members working on the project. All were passionate about their goal to create a relaxed yet dynamic environment that would appeal to all generations, suit all four seasons, and please diverse tastes. And it was in this capacity that they expanded on the main design direction of the firm and on its client’s desire to embody the ‘French Provence’ feel for the whole space.

Yet, what was crucial was for the restaurant to have a soul: a feeling of authenticity rather than novelty that was accomplished by incorporating antique decorations and furnishings. That is why most of the items embellishing the ceilings, the walls, the tables and the bar were specially imported from vintage boutiques in the south of France.

To reach the restaurant, one has to walk through a small alley, fully covered on one side by star jasmine under wrought iron arcades. This pleasant, natural greeting leads to the entrance of the venue.

Once inside, it isn’t what one sees, but rather how one feels that is most striking. A soothing sensation of pure calmness is brought on by the sweeping view of Jounieh Bay from the large windows, which is echoed throughout the crafted interior that seems careful to not attenuate this dreamy feel but instead subtly underlines it.
The restaurant is spacious and luminous thanks to the large windows that make up a substantial portion of the walls and invite in lots of natural light. The remaining walls are painted various colors, some solidly baby blue or a creamy beige, others ornamented with small butterflies fluttering from one flower to the next, swans drifting on a lake or birds posing next to their cages. The overall feel is one of freshness, which is accented by a harmonious marriage of all the space’s diverse elements.

The floor of the restaurant is constructed using mostly vintage slates recuperated from old traditional houses, while some parts feature Blatt Chaya’s handmade tiles. The wood enclosing the crepe-making area is a light shade of greige, a modern version of subtle beige with a splash of grey, which combines with the white and grey Carrara marble covering the top of the bar to bring a ‘zen’ element to the space.

As for the tables and chairs, they are an artful but also playful assortment of made-to-order pieces, with unique combinations of material and finishes for each. Dissimilar chairs upholstered in unicolor cloth or patterned fabric complement them, all scattered in a harmonious way throughout the space.

From the choice of the largest piece of furniture to that of the tiniest decorative item, each component of La Crêperie’s interior seems to have been wisely manufactured or hand-picked and put in its rightful place.
“It’s all in the details” is a commonly used adage, but the unique outcome that is La Crêperie truly does the phrase justice.

While previous generations won’t feel betrayed by this reiteration of their beloved restaurant, new generations will inevitably also find themselves cherishing this fresh version of the historic institution.

Photographs By: Greg Demarque

July 2, 2015 0 comments

Theatre

“Venus”

by Sara Ghorra July 1, 2015

written by Sara Ghorra

After 65 shows in two theaters in front of a total of 14,500 audience members, the adaptation of David Ives’ play “Venus in Fur” by Lina Khoury and Gabriel Yammine, directed by Jacques Maroun, has proven to be simply flawless.

The play brought out a wide range of responses from the spectators; from laughter to shock back to laughter and then confusion. But the greatest emotion of all was simply enjoyment at its best. During the hour and a half treat, the audience had the pleasure of witnessing two very powerful performances. In “Venus,” Badih Abou Chakra portrays the writer and first-time director of the same name in a play based on the 1870’s novel by German writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch “Venus in Furs” (the novel that inspired the term ‘sadomasochism’). As the viewers are first introduced to him, they sense how exasperated and desperate he is because his hunt for the ideal actress is proving fruitless. Rita Hayek embodies the actress Vanda El Hawa who comes to audition for the play’s female lead role “Vanda von Dunayev.”

Not only are the actors’ performances flawless, but the complex story that offers a close-up look at the earliest forms of sadomasochism is also intriguing and rich, with various elements that keep the spectator captivated the whole time. The strength of this play lies mainly in the mysterious intermingling of reality and fiction within the work and the confusing yet fascinating power shifts as the plot progresses.

Abou Chakra (the character in “Venus”) witnesses before his eyes the jaw-dropping transformation of this apparently vulgar woman into the perfect embodiment of the novel’s main character, the classy von Dunayev. He is absolutely amazed and finds himself transported to the universe of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch while reading the part of the male lead Severin Von Kusiemski. He becomes so immersed in the role that the audience wonders whether Abou Chakra sees some of himself in the fictional male character in von Sacher-Masoch’s story, as we notice him subconsciously adopting some of Severin’s attitudes and actions as his own. Blurred becomes the line separating the narrative and reality … which is at the essence of this play’s uniqueness.

Vanda, on the other hand, has more self-control and seems to know perfectly well how to get in and out of character in mere seconds. She has an incredible ability to detach herself completely from the role and then reinsert herself in it to deliver a performance that is beyond all expectations, almost surreal. She is a woman who came out of nowhere, who turned out to know more than she first claimed, who was beyond prepared for the role, and who was subtly yet surely able to turn the tables on Abou Chakra.

Both actors were simply exquisite in their respective roles.

Hayek delivered a groundbreaking performance. Her character was so skillfully nuanced that she kept the audience wondering whether she was merely a vision, a symbol of feminine domination, a Goddess even, who wore the disguise of a young woman and comes into Abou Chakra’s life one night especially to poke him, provoke him, subtly test him, and finally free him from his inner demons, inhibitions and lies.

But as the saying goes “it takes two to tango,” and even if the play does revolve around Venus and her power, Hayek’s partner Abou Chakra was also truly impeccable. One could witness a crescendo in which not only Abou Chakra (the character) and von Kusiemski seem to merge, but where something much more mesmerizing sees the light, which ends the play on an incredible high note.

“Venus” is a masterpiece that no fan of theater should have missed.

Photographs By: Charbel Saade

July 1, 2015 0 comments

Festivals

This year’s summer Misk Festival

by Sara Ghorra July 1, 2015

written by Sara Ghorra

Who said you can’t build a real community out of a residential project? Well, it turns out you can. And that is exactly what the team behind Beit Misk has been trying to achieve, one successful step at a time.
For the second year in a row, Beit Misk held its “Summer Misk Festival,” an eventful and artful four day long celebration that is sure to become a tradition among its residents and their friends from other parts of Lebanon.

The community spirit engendered by the festivities this past June has proved alluring to many newcomers, leading the festival to grow organically, both in terms of space and length. Not only did the anticipated turnout result in the widening of the audience space, but it also inspired the much celebrated addition of another night of musical delight.
When an event is so well-crafted, set in a beautiful location among charming buildings only a few minutes drive from Beirut, where one can enjoy fresh air and splendid views, how can the experience not be tempting? And the concerts weren’t the only thing that clearly pleased the crowds.

Summer Misk’s doors opened at 7 p.m., which allowed people to enjoy the breathtaking sunset over the Mediterranean Sea and begin their evening with a drink or bite to eat while listening to an array of summer tunes to set the mood.

The artists chosen to perform were purposely eclectic and attracted audiences of different generations. The first night catered to a rather young crowd thrilled by the Haitian rapper and musician Wyclef Jean’s enthusiastic performance. Yet, the co-founder of the American hip hop group Fugees didn’t simply settle for a solo performance. To the audience’s surprise, he challenged his friend, Lebanon’s very own Guy Manoukian, to join him on stage. That move of musical sportsmanship added spice to the already tingling atmosphere and left the crowd dazzled, as Manoukian performed an unexpectedly superb improvised piece.

And that was only Manoukian’s warm up. On the second night of the festival, he enchanted a full house with a collection of his favorite pieces that got absolutely everybody moving. From being transported by the composer’s skillfully reinterpreted “Helwa ya Baladi,” to feeling the desire to dance to his “Alexandria,” to a flow of sweet nostalgia brought on by his touching “To My Son,” the musical night was an emotional roller coaster for the audience. Then again, a talent such as Manoukian, fueled by a palpable passion for life and a heartfelt love for his origins and country, could never disappoint.

The festival’s third night took on a lighter tone, as comedy took center stage. Several international stand-up comedians from Australia (Nick Cody), the UK (Anil Desai), Mexico (El Jaguar) and the US (Tony Woods) were featured. Finally, the closing night saw ‘90s icon Natalie Imbruglia take the stage. The Australian singer performed a mix of her hits from the ‘90s as well as other more recent songs.

The Summer Misk Festival was no doubt a success, in more ways than one. It proved to be more than just a number of concerts for a few pleasurable nights. Indeed, it unveiled the true essence of Beit Misk’s ethos: the growth of a community.

July 1, 2015 0 comments

Design Objects

Johannes Torpe for Bang & Olufsen

by Sara Ghorra July 1, 2015

written by Sara Ghorra

The late Carl W. Buehner once stated: “They may forget what you said — but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Indeed, there is one thing that will always stand out in a person’s memory, and that is a strong feeling. Bang & Olufsen (B&O), the famed manufacturer of luxury electronics, knows this, which is why it has been trying to sell its customers magic rather than mere products. Their magician? Johannes Torpe, the first ever creative director of the company, appointed back in 2013.

On the occasion of B&O’s 90th anniversary, the Danish designer and creator of unique spaces (who has been on a mission to revamp all of B&O’s shops in accordance with the company’s brand identity and with his praised holistic approach) came to Beirut to take part in 2015’s Beirut Design Week (BDW), which ran from June 1 to June 7. A few days prior to the event, he gave a talk at the Académie Libanaise Des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) where he addressed a crowd of structural and interior architects, before leading a two-day conference for BDW at the Beirut Souks with a presentation for designers from all fields.

It doesn’t take more than a few minutes of Torpe’s lively talk for the audience to become captivated by his unique aura and moved by his high energy and positively contagious enthusiasm. Torpe is a refreshingly unconventional man whose childhood was spent in a camp among bohemians, surrounded by nature, and nurtured on principles of freedom up until the age of 12 when he made the decision to move to Copenhagen. One would never imagine that this multi-talented man who did not attend school, let alone university, has managed to reach the level of success that he has so far. But Johannes Torpe is one of those passionate people who operate on a different level. He likes to think of himself as ‘a skipping stone’ and has always allowed his intuition to be the chief compass leading him from one remarkable adventure to another. When he describes his personal journey from drumming professionally in front of hundreds of people, to designing concert light installations, to creating and owning the world-renown NASA nightclub in Copenhagen, to founding a multi-disciplinary design studio, one is stirred by his philosophy.

Yet the most striking thing about this brand ambassador would be his attentiveness and closeness to people. Although flying 200 days a year between Copenhagen, Padova, Beijing (where the Johannes Torpe Studio offices are) and much of the rest of the world, he has managed nonetheless to keep his feet firmly on the ground and stay true to what he claims to be the most important thing: relationships. It is mainly his natural approach and genuine desire to understand people, their mindset and emotions that allows him to engage with them on a deeper level and design holistic spaces that touch them.

“I want to spark people’s imagination,” he says. But anyone who meets him would agree that ultimately he does more than that: he breathes air into the desire to go beyond what’s expected and simply aims for magic.

Photographs By: Shelby Duncan

July 1, 2015 0 comments

Design Furniture

Karim Chaya on spockdesign

by Ieva Saudargaite June 29, 2015

written by Ieva Saudargaite

I get really overwhelmed when I walk into a big supermarket,” admits Karim Chaya. “A few days ago, I went looking for paper lanterns and ended up somewhere in the northeastern suburbs of Beirut. The amount of junk there was just unbelievable, so much that the shelves were sagging. Everything on display was absolutely useless, but took forever to be produced. My mind started extracting oil from an oil field in the Gulf, refining it and shipping it all the way to China, where this trinket is produced and photographed and placed in a catalogue that’s distributed worldwide. Some guy decides to place an order, so batches of these trinkets have boxes made for them, they’re stacked into a container, and then shipped all the way to Lebanon to land in a pile of junk, which is bought, unboxed and used for 30 minutes and then thrown into the trash. It makes me want to jump ship!”

Situated on the upper floor overlooking the ACID factory on one side and the coastal highway on the other, Chaya’s office is populated with objects that invite the eyes to wander over their lines, curves and junctions. As the cofounder of ACID, a design and production firm that now has 170 craftsmen, architects and administrators, and global projects, Chaya, an industrial designer at heart, was gradually swept away from the drawing board and into board meetings as the company grew from a small studio into a big firm.

Besides his passion for restoring old cars and fixing broken things, Chaya has a great love for designing objects, due to their longevity, functionality or the delight they impart in other people’s lives. And he always knew this, deciding to study industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design, before he established ACID.

From reassembling toys, to fashioning bespoke cooking pot handles for his grandmother, Chaya has always possessed a kind of creative restlessness. Coupled with his knack for problem solving, he found himself consulting and creating for his friends and family while producing, every now and then, a sketch that was ready to leave the page.

“I have been tinkering with objects from a very young age. It is as much a pleasure as it is a need. Learning from ACID, I did not want to create another commercial entity that would require me to concede [to traditional business models]. In order to make my activity legitimate, I named my design playground after my dog Spock.”

Spockdesign has been Chaya’s alias in the design world ever since his dog passed. The studio produces a wide variety of objects and furniture and perhaps one of its most distinguishing factors is its multifarious approach. “Very often people ask me about what I enjoy designing more: furniture or products? To me, it doesn’t matter because what thrills me is the zeroing in on a problem. Before the product is finalized, I often like to see it from a different perspective and resort to asking children for their opinion or wondering how a designer from the Industrial Age would have done it,” he says with a cheeky smile.

Chaya’s playfulness can often be gleaned in his designs. “I don’t like to inject seriousness into things. Design makes me very happy and through it, I hope to make others feel happy too.” For example, in the supporting text for his tilted brass candleholders, he wrote: “You can’t make a soft flame point in any direction but up. Oblique Still puts the candle at an angle (cool rhyme, no?) and lets the flame do its thing while catching the dripping wax in a spoon, or petal for the poets out there.”

“I like to leave the deeper reflection to others,” he adds, “and Victor is a very good example of that.”

Victor

Victor is the name of the brass life size skeleton holding up a large mirror whilst sneaking a peek at its user. Titled ‘Look Back’ and designed for the 2015 House of Today collective exhibition, it was one of the most photographed exhibits. Keeping his own motivations to himself, Chaya enjoys getting other people’s interpretations. One of his favorites was from an older couple browsing for objects to purchase. Upon noticing the skeleton, the lady remarked on how horrible and macabre it was, while her husband retorted, “Why? That way when you look at yourself in the mirror you can always say that he’s worse off than you are!”

“When I sit down to design, there is so much that wants to come out. The first actions feel explosive, as pent up ideas fly in from every direction. I’m definitely an advocate of ‘designing from the hip.’ I don’t like to weigh spontaneity down with too much control. Returning to a problem too often tends to dull the beauty of a spontaneous line.”

This kind of approach is quite evident in the Slingshots series, which attempts to design an object most often associated with DIY, because essentially, it is an object devised by children in the playground and requiring nothing more than a Y shaped branch and a rubber band. Spockdesign’s slings come in six different forms, each exploiting the material from which it is created: the sleek stainless steel with a translucent tubular yellow rubber band, the elegant plywood Y with a bright red rubber band, or the mirror polished aluminum made to look like a freshly pruned twig with a flat, black band. They appear quintessential, their function intuitive and their look natural, and yet they are unlike anything one has ever seen.

Spockdesign’s streak of originality may be due in part to Chaya’s focus on a particular fictional character or familiar individual when designing. “I like to imagine what would make that specific person happy, better their life or solve a problem they might have.”

As a child, Chaya watched his own father go to great lengths to fix anything and everything that was broken. “He never threw anything away. He was Mr. Fix-It-Extraordinaire, very creative, and would spend hours on his boat mending this and that, and if nothing was wrong, he would come close to breaking something just so he could fix it.”

Chaya appears to be content with the way things are going and has no plans to make Spockdesign anything beyond a playground for experimentation, a place where he can design food installations as well as car parts, variations on rocking chairs or knives, “I’ve been encouraged to take it a step further, to turn it into a solid brand, but it feels forced and I’d much rather let it grow naturally. There was a moment during my visit to Tokyo, which I really enjoyed as it struck a familiar chord. I had bumped into a friend there who was wearing a really interesting jacket and upon asking him how I could get in touch with the tailors, he gave me an address. There was no website, no phone number. It was the hardest place to find, but I loved that! So yes, I just want to do my thing because I enjoy it and if anybody sees something they like, here I am.”

Photographs By: Geraldine Bruneel & Dina Debbas, Marco Pinarelli & Alexandre Medawar

June 29, 2015 0 comments

Design Jewelery and watches

Ralph Masri

by Executive Staff June 28, 2015

written by Executive Staff

For a jeweler, walking the line between fine jewelry and fashion jewelry requires a delicate balancing act, but it’s one that Ralph Masri is managing to pull off with startling finesse. It’s no surprise then that Masri, who studied at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, has been named one of 2015’s Rising Stars by JCK, a Las Vegas based showcase and one of the biggest jewelry events on the annual calendar. This is off the back of his debut collection, ‘Arabesque Deco’, a range of rings, cuffs, earrings and bracelets that might have taken inspiration from ancient Islamic architecture, but his execution sets him apart as a thoroughly contemporary jewelry designer.

Arabesque Deco Collection

If the name sounds familiar, but you can’t quite place it, then there’s every chance you’ve ambled past his storefront in Mar Mikhael, set behind a pair of dark doors on an unassuming road off Armenia Street. When we meet there, I can’t help but notice what a distinctive space it is. For the interiors of his showroom — which opened up last year — Masri reveals he was inspired by the jewelry room in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which he describes as “the most beautiful jewelry space I’ve ever seen. It’s really, really dark, with jewelry displayed in the walls with spotlights on them.” Low-lit, raw-looking, and with concrete floors, the space certainly has the feel of a gallery, immediately differentiating it from the more staid, established jewelry brands here in Lebanon with their glossy downtown storefronts and clichéd ad campaigns. The slim line space is spread across two floors, with the studio occupying the top floor, where everything is made. Mar Mikhael was a natural home for the brand — not just because it’s where Masri himself lives, but because, as he puts it, “the spirit of it really works in terms of the spirit of my brand. I saw what direction Mar Mikhael was going in, and I really wanted to be part of that wave.”

I comment that launching a new business in Beirut at this moment in time seems suicidal — and while it might have spirit to spare, Mar Mikhael is also a neighborhood where bars and restaurants open and shutter quicker than you can say the words ‘pop up shop’. But while the store came into being to provide him with a professional point of sale for his expanding client base in the city, he reveals that Beirut isn’t his complete focus. “This is my base, and where I produce,” he explains. “If you really want to make it as a business, you have to look elsewhere, which is why I focus on a European market, and why I’ve started going into the Gulf market. You need that backup from abroad.” While he is already stocked at concept space Wolf and Badger in London, Masri has recently landed his first point of sale in Kuwait, and over the next couple of years will be concentrating on the US too. Beyond that, he’s even considering looking further afield to Asia.

Ralph Masri

After our interview, Masri was due to fly to London to present his collection to press and buyers there for the first time, so we were granted a bit of a Beirut preview. It’s entitled ‘Sacred Windows’, and continues his love affair with architecture — this time with the windows and stained glass artwork of churches and cathedrals. As you’d expect from such an inspiration, there’s a focus on color, as well as a departure from the complex forms and geometric structures of his previous work to more simple silhouettes, but again solely working with precious metals and lots of different types of stones. The collection is a testament to Masri’s talent for creating desirable luxury, but with an edge.

Sacred Windows Collection

Sacred Windows Collection

Masri seems happy to lead the charge for a new generation of jewelry designers who are wrestling the mantle from the rigid grasp of some of Lebanon’s heritage brands, adding that, “when you look at fashion, it’s really evolving, even film and music. But jewelry’s taken some time to catch up.” While only two collections in, it’s clear that he has a strong sense of self, as a creator, and a sense of where he is going. “There are many brands out there who just do random, beautiful things, but nobody knows who they are or what they’re about,” he says. “My identity is my top priority in my work, so that when people look at it, they know it’s me.”

June 28, 2015 0 comments