Lebanese Designer Honours Grandmother with Accessories Brand
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THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH TODAY IN QUOTE IMMORTALITY IS THAT IT TENDS TO 1773 1912 1946 1991 HISTORY OF THE GO ON FOREVER. Captain James Cook Captain Robert Scott’s expedi - United Nations Securi- Operation Desert Storm be- DAY becomes 1st to cross tion arrives at the South Pole, one ty Council holds its 1st gins, with US-led coalition HERB CAEN Antarctic Circle (66° month after Roald Amundsen meeting forces bombing Iraq, during FRIDAY JANUARY 17, 2020 33’ S) the Gulf War seums and government buildings a personal touch: “A lot of people PIECE OF ART Highly productive during the in Lebanon, and private collections told me to do another logo. But I 1970s and 1980s, Celia El-Hadi across the world. After her passing, told them that there’s nothing that created around 4,000 works Celia’s home in Bzebdine was turned can top her own signature — it’s as of art. She tried her hand with into a museum, inviting visitors into if she actually touched each bag,” the classical themes of portrai- Celia’s private world. Youssef said. Ethics lie at the heart of What makes Celia Creations the brand — all of the handbags are ture, still-life and landscape unique is the thoughtfulness of the vegan, meaning leather, fur, and an- painting, often portraying overall design of each and every imal skin are not used — something people and places that meant crafted handbag. Elements of Celia’s Youssef feels is crucial. the most to her life and spirit permeate through the Although Celia Creations is in its Youssef El-Hadi, smallest of details. For instance, a infancy, there is significant potential vintage handbag that Celia former- for growth. Youssef plans to expand the founder of ly owned inspired the shape of the the brand, but said he is wary of it current handbag design. In addition, becoming too commercial. “Anyone some of the brand’s bags are embel- who wants to buy our bag needs Celia Creations, is lished with beading stitched by an to know the value of the painting,” artisan in Bzebdine who was Celia’s he explained. “You’re not buying a friend. handbag, you’re buying a piece of the grandson of the Most significantly, the clutch’s art and you’re buying the spirit and copper clasp is beautifully engraved ideology of Celia, a woman who was Lebanese painter with Celia’s own signature, adding fearless and always took risks.” Celia El-Hadi A model pose with a hand bag printed with a painting of Celia Celia El-Hadi Arab News | Beirut woman like Celia — someone so giv- tablished soap factories), she was herself, teaching ing and thoughtful — should have the educated in Egypt, and travelled to at Beirut’s Rus- hen Beirut-based archi- recognition that she didn’t get when Europe — all of which were quite sian Cultural Anyone who wants to buy our tecture student Youssef she was alive. That’s why I started unheard of for a woman whose fam- Center and the bag needs to know the value of WEl-Hadi was 20, he de - the brand.” ily came from the Lebanese village Soeurs des the painting. You’re not buying cided to launch a passion project A bold beauty with bouffant hair of Bzebdine. As an artist, Celia was Saints Coeurs a handbag, you’re buying a that affectionately honours his late and arching eyebrows, Celia led a mentored by respected Lebanese art- schools in piece of art and you’re buying grandmother, the little-known Leb- fascinating, cosmopolitan life: born ists Aref El-Rayess and Rafic Sharaf, Hadath and the spirit and ideology of Celia, anese painter Celia El-Hadi, who in Mexico (where her family es - and became a dedicated art instructor Ghazir. died in 2009. Highly pro- a woman who was fearless and Founded in 2018, Celia Creations is ductive during always took risks A model pose with a hand bag printed with a painting of Celia a small but meaningful, all-Lebanese the 1970s and YOUSSEF EL-HADI brand — from concept to production 1980s, Celia created — that ingeniously incorporates a se- around 4,000 works of lection of Celia’s vivid paintings onto art. She tried her hand with small clutches and handbags, metic- the classical themes of portraiture, ulously crafted by Youssef, assisted still-life and landscape painting, of- by local manufacturers and artisans. ten portraying people and places Lebanese designer “People in Lebanon are obsessed that meant the most to her. She once with Chanel, Louis Vuitton and all said that she preferred to paint in oil, these brands,” Youssef said. “So, they “because it obeys me more and makes forget the jewels that we have in our me feel more comfortable.” country.” Aside from producing charming During his adolescence, the de- imagery, Celia also pushed bound- signer was influenced by Celia’s nur- aries in terms of style, according to honours grandmother turing presence. She accompanied her grandson. “She was one of the him to exhibitions, taught him how first artists in her era to draw nudes to draw and paint, and enlightened and to paint with live models, which him through conversations on art was very shocking — a taboo,” said and culture. “My grandmother was Youssef. the first one in my family to have this Today, her paintings are found in with accessories brand drive for art,” he said. “I thought a A woman holds a bag designed by Celia Creations the family’s residences, a few mu- A hand bag with a painting of Celia RAMP Lebanon’s Hussein Bazaza fuses storytelling, fashion design Before studying fashion design, The designer’s Arab News | Beirut designer,” Bazaza said. Hussein Bazaza love for Bazaza’s label has a unique take on ebanese fashion designer Hus- fashion, he believes. “I have a special way wanted to major haute-couture sein Bazaza is known for his edgy, in mixing colors, mixing fabrics and tex- Lwhimsical take on fashion who In 2014, I created my tures together. I love to combine between in film making sent a clutch of models down the run- haute-couture and ready-to-wear.” fashion way at Arab Fashion Week in Dubai in professional brand and The designer’s love for haute-couture and it is why the October 2019. I was part of Fashion fashion inspired him to create mash ups inspired him The designer graduated from ESMOD of glamorous red-carpet styles and more Beirut in 2011 and kickstarted his ca- Forward Dubai, where effortless looks. “I did not know people designer loves reer by interning with iconic Lebanese I started showing my would love this combination. People to create fashion house Maison Rabih Kayrouz started referring to this style as Hussein creating stories in Paris, before he joined Elie Saab as a collections. The Arab Bazaza’s style so that was something I mash ups of junior designer. World started to know am proud of,” he said of his sporty chic with his pieces, Bazaza was also selected to be part aesthetic. glamorous of the Starch Foundation in Beirut, a more about my brand and Before studying fashion design, Bazaza This desire to tell non-profit organization founded by de- wanted to major in film making and it is signers Kayrouz and Tala Hajjar that (about) me as a designer why the designer loves creating stories red-carpet helps launch emerging Lebanese de- YOUSSEF EL-HADI with his pieces. “My main inspiration a story first came signers. “(It) opened a big door for me. is not fashion, it’s the story I create, the styles and I started selling my pieces to actual cus- character I create to dress up in this to the fore in his tomers in the Starch Boutique,” Bazaza collection that I’m making every season,” more effortless said. brand and I was part of Fashion Forward he explained. Hussein Bazaza sits beside a dress he designed Fall/Winter 2018 At the tender age of 23, Bazaza opened Dubai, where I started showing my col- This desire to tell a story first came to “‘Lilly’ was like a big story and people everything and I wanted to show people looks his first showroom and atelier in Beirut. lections. The Arab World started to know A model walks on the ramp with a dress the fore in his Fall/Winter 2018 collec- were so involved with this story. We live that we still have feelings, emotions and collection, “Lilly” “In 2014, I created my professional more about my brand and (about) me as a designed by Hussein Bazaza tion, “Lilly.” in a… digital world with social media and I wanted to create a story about this.” A model walks on the ramp with a dress designed by Hussein Bazaza Hon. 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