My works in T Qatar - April 2014

8/12/2019 My works in T Qatar - April 2014

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Lookout Qatar35 This and That Santoni is another Italian company that is

banking on its heritage; Dunhill shows that

colors are an inherent part of this season.

40 On Heritage

Tods has always celebrated the core, the

material, its texture, bringing the luxury of

its finesse to all accessories. For Diego

Della Valle, that is life at its finest.

44 More Than Fashion

Brands are no longer only about fashion;

they are also about a culture of art.

47 Now Showing

Mona Hatoums work is a study in contrast

while all her pieces exhibited at Mathaf

have an underlying theme of turbulence.

50 The Trend

The second edition of Jeddah Art Week and

some thought-provoking artwork by female

Saudi artists brought focus to the countrys

ongoing art expos.

52 Framed

Two Qatari artists are showing at one of the

worlds most important photography

festivals, and they are taking with them

their own unique representation of the

country.

Arena Qatar66 New Talent

Qatars designer Wadha Al Hajri makes her

presence felt in New York, in a

Chelsea studio that encouragesemerging designers.

68 Home/Work

Among the pivotal figures

instrumental in rebuilding Beirut is

London-based French-Lebanese

architect and designer Annabel

Karim Kassar, who now has her

sights set on transforming the

United Arab Emirates.

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Table of Contents

Left: Colorful chairs form the focus in ArchitectAnnabel Karim Kassar 's design for the restuarantAlmuz by Momo, Dubai. Top: Rasgas commissionedphtographers to click the helium plant; this picture is aresult of this initiative.


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46 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine

Lookout Qatar

MYTHICAL GOD The GiantSquare scarf by INTI for LouisVuitton is a homage to theimportant Inca deity"Wiracocha."

BY DEBRINA ALIYAH

More Than Fashion

LVs Design CultBrands are no longer only about fashion;

they are also about a culture of art.


4/747March-April 2014

IT IS ONLY FAIRto presume that by now we all know

that the peddling of a luxury fashion brand name is no

longer just about the label on the back of your blouse or

the engraved plate inside the pocket of your bag. It is

the immersing of oneself in a fantasy, in the desire for a

certain lifestyle, which is often assumed to be

accompanied by good taste in all things cultural, like art.

Much like the democratization of fashion, a similar

undercurrent is taking over the art industry. Abstract

interpretations and snobbish curators are fast being

replaced by grassroots artists who are more concerned

about getting their message across loud and clear in

whatever medium comes within reach. And if there were

days when you were completely

annoyed to find the wall of your

building covered in spray paint

graffiti, you would think twice

now and see if maybe, just maybe,

you have discovered the next

Banksy.

Street art is thriving, and to

serious art collectors it is a

problem. A big problem indeed,

since if you would like to own it,

you probably have to buy off the

municipality post box that has been decorated with the

unmistakable grin of Mr. A. But then along comes Louis

Vuitton, the current very-fashionable fairy godmother to

artists that has been championing street artists for the

past three seasons with its special collaborations. AndrSaraiva, the larger-than-life artist-cum-entrepreneur

behind the Mr. A character, has chosen the LV

Monogram Shawl as the new home for the beloved

cartoon that once covered the streets of Paris. Now you

can take Mr. A home and wrap him around your

shoulders. I really wanted to treat the scarf as a

canvas, to create a painting that you can wear around

your neck and keeps you warm, Andr says.

Andr along with Californian pop-surrealist artist

Kenny Scharf and the mysterious Chilean mural artistInti are the headliners of LVs street art creative

collaborations this spring. Both Inti and Scharf chose

LVs giant silk square as their canvas. Inti goes on a

journey deep into the mythology of his heritage,

bringing to life Wiracocha, an important Inca deity,

while Scharf reaches out into space with a colorful

collage of astronomy motifs meshed with symbols of pop

culture. And it has resulted in a truly diverse look at the

growth and acceptance of alternative art globally. Who

would have ever imagined ancient Inca symbols would

one day be intertwined with the unmistakable emblem

of LV, to be presented to new audiences? I have been

particularly interested in the textile work of the people

of Latin America. Creating this scarf was an opportunity

to fulfill my dream of developing my own design to pay

tribute to this fine craft, Inti says.

LV has long trumpeted the creative symbiosis of

fashion and art through many approaches, whether in

merchandizing or patronage. In the past decade there

has been a focus on providing LV boutiques globally as

space for artwork to be exhibited, and even the

BACK BY DEMAND AStephen Sprousecreation from LV's2013 collection.

MR. A COMES TO LIFE

Clockwise from topleft: Andr Saraivarose to fame with hisMr. A cartoons; thePapillon ButterlySquare Fuschia scarf;the Monogram RayuresStripes Shawl BlueJean.

Louis Vuitton has longtrumpeted the creative

symbiosis of fashionand art throughmerchandizing or

patronship.

PICTURESCOURTESYLOUISVUITTON


5/748 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine

More Than Fashion

establishment of Espace Louis Vuitton, the houses own

art galleries in Paris and Tokyo. Our collaboration with

different voices, whether rap stars, artists or celebrities,

has changed Vuittons identity, the houses recently-

departed creative director Marc Jacobs said whencommenting on LVs high-profile collaboration with

artist Richard Prince in 2008. Jacobs' role has been

paramount in promoting the partnership of alternative

artists with LV, especially the hugely successful 2001

collaboration with the late cult designer Stephen

Sprouse. The initial collection of vandalized bags was

so successful that Jacobs revived the designs along with

a tribute book published by LV after Sprouses passing.

This spring, the signature leopard motif of Sprouse

makes an appearance again in the houses scarves

collection.Walking into the flagship Louis Vuitton island in

Singapore, clients will see the first-ever artwork of

Richard Deacon suspended in the air Upper Strut, a

permanent installation in the space. LVs partnership

with Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama was an ode

to the brands wide market reach in Japan, while

Australian artist Nike Savvas turned the Sydney

boutique into expansive blue sky with light installations.

Art is rarely without controversy, and LV rose to the

occasion with the 2005 installation performance by

Vanessa Beecroft featuring almost-nude female modelsin high heels and leather straps displayed on the shelves

of LVs Maison Paris. It is opportune for artists like

Taiwan-based Tsai Charwei, whose pieces were

exhibited at the Singapore boutique, to showcase our

work to an audience outside of the art world without

commercial considerations, he says.

Closer to home, the house celebrated its 30th

anniversary in the Middle East with a photography

project featuring Italian fashion photographer GiovanniSquatriti. The project featured remarkable individuals

from the Middle East including Raha Moharrak, the first

Arab woman to climb Mount Everest, and style icon

Dana Al-Khalifa, narrating their own journeys with the

brand and captured as powerful images by Squatriti.

Travel is much more than a physical act; it is an

emotional and cultural experience itself, says Roberto

Eggs, President of LV Europe, on the essence of the

project. Traveling is sacred ground to the nomadic

cultures of the Arab world, and LV has struck the right

chord. Theyre not just about handbags; Louis Vuittonis a culture. I admire that it aims to integrate itself

socially wherever they are present, says Al-Khalifa. It

is a strategy that plays well in the marked shift in global

luxury brand strategies, moving away from products

that are immediately identified through logos to

carefully-designed items that are recognized instead

through a deeper knowledge of the brand. Art, it would

seem, would appeal to an audience of all ages, as Al-

Khalifa recounts: I remember, as a child, my mother

carrying the Stephen Sprouse LV graffiti bag, and I told

her I would borrow it when I am older!

WEARABLE ART Left:The Giant Square byKenny Scharf; Bottom,clockwise from topleft:Monogram Shawl byAndre Saraiva; 2005Monogram Multico byTakashi Murakami;the new Leo Spray

Giant Square Piment.

Lookout Qatar

PICTUR

ESCOURTESYLOUISVUITTON


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68 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine

Arena Qatar

THE MOST CRUCIALprocess at fashion weeks is

the coming together of buyers and designers to

seal the deal that will ensure the viability of

business in coming collections. Yet in recentyears it has become one of the most difficult

engagements during New Yorks biannual fashion

week, a calendar that is so jam-packed that

industry insiders often find it exhausting to keep

up. Between rushing from presentations to shows

and keeping up with the fast-growing number of

designers who are trying to stand out, it is a

colossal task for buyers to carefully and tastefully

curate collections to excite their audiences.

While major brands have nailed down their

back of house formula on securing orders, it is thewaves of new talents that are trying to get their

voices heard. New York has long been a firm

favorite for emerging designers from around the

world as the market is deemed to be more

receptive to different aesthetics.

Bahraini brand Noon By Noor has been wildly

successful in NY after several showings, paving

the way for other Middle Eastern designers, and

this season Qatars own Wadha Al Hajri makes

her debut at a new hip collective initiative aimed

entirely at bringing the focus back to the clothes,away from the circus of the main shows.

The initiative, the brainchild of stylist Alison

Brokaw and fashion consultant Ruth Runberg, is

aptly named The White Space, a tribute to its

purpose and its venue, the all-white Chelsea

studio of Jeff and Justine Koons. As artists, we

are acutely aware of the pressures of promoting

and finding space to showcase your talent andcreativity, Justine told the press on the project.

The Koons may have provided the space and

their star-power, but it is the gallant efforts of

Brokaw and Runberg that put The White Space

on the radar. The fashion duo has worked

extensively in the industry and wanted to build a

bridge between really deserving designers and

retail stores that might otherwise have no access

to these global talents. I am very interested in

championing young entrepreneurs and want to

help them enter the market, says Brokaw.The four designers who showed with the

initiative this season truly reflect the wide-

reaching network of the duo and give solid

affirmation of their intention to bring something

unique and compelling to the table. Among them

are Yaser Shaw, a fifth-generation textile artisan

from Kashmir, and of course Al Hajri, the

designer who has been the talk of the town in

Doha for the past two seasons. Both the

designers aesthetics are deeply rooted in

cultural influences and could have easily beenbrushed off as novelty collections, but Brokaw

knew the intimate environment of The White

Space would allow editors and buyers to fully

understand the designers works. All of the

designers are very much at the top of their fields;

their work speaks for itself. Editors and buyers

are curious to see their collections and their

progression from the previous season, Brokawexplains. Shaw, along with the other two

designers, Lee Savage and Lucas Hugh, had

showcased at The White Space last season. It is

essential that the right people have a chance to

see the collection; this is what The White Space

delivers. With the right exposure, anything is

possible, Brokaw says. Lucas Hugh, a high-

fashion athleticwear line, has charted dynamic

growth since its previous seasons due to the

soaring popularity of the sporting trend.

The White Space has received many influentialbuyers and editors who were very agreeable to

the efficient idea of meeting several designers in

one venue. It is a measure of cost-effectiveness

for the designers too. It is difficult to find

appropriate and economical venues, but here I

can join forces with other brands at similar levels

and reach a wider audience as a group, says

Savage, whose designs of clutch bags made from

brass objects has since been picked up by giant

retailers including Barneys. For Anjhe Mules, the

creative behind Lucas Hugh and Shaw, theopportunity to meet and review their designs

with industry heavyweights has greatly benefited

their creative process. It is ideal and intimate for

me to connect with press and retailers and have

What Is in The White Space?

BY DEBRINA ALIYAH

Qatars designer Wadha Al Hajri makes her presence

felt in New York, in a Chelsea studio thatencourages emerging designers.

New Talent


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69March - April 2014

direct feedback, says Shaw. The one-to-one face

time goes beyond just the technical detailing of

the designers work; it helps break down

preconceived notions and cultural stereotypes,

especially of Middle Eastern designers, as in Al

Hajris case. The soft-spoken Qatari in her hijab

surprised many with her contemporary

minimalist silhouettes and fielded questions from

many editors, including Suzy Menkes, on how sheis being received in her community for designing

modern womenswear instead of abayas.

Al Hajri was first introduced to Brokaw via

DNA, the cult multibrand boutique of the region,

with stores in Riyadh and Doha and now with an

online presence through Farfetch. Her collections

made fashion insiders in Doha sit up and pay

attention; it was the first time, a homegrown

brand had displayed a collection that was so

directional and promising. Shortly after, she was

handpicked by Franca Sozzani of Vogue Italiaasone of the designers to show at the regions

much-anticipated Vogue Dubai Fashion

Experience. That opportunity opened another

door, to a special showcase of emerging global

designers during Milan Fashion Week initiated

by Vogueand online retailer Thecorner.com. She

has a very clear vision for her work. She uses

very simple lines, impeccable construction and a

quiet color palette to deliver an extremely strong

yet feminine aesthetic, Brokaw notes. Though

the designer had only been producing for threeseasons, Brokaw knew that Al-Hajri was a new

bright star from the region and was ready to

break into the international scene. Wadhas A/W

2014 presentation at The White Space draws

architectural reference from the traditional

Bedouin tent, a minimal but intricate structure.

It is the concept of Bedouin women weaving and

building the tent. The tents are sharp, minimal

and mostly black just like my pieces, says Al

Hajri.

It has been a fruitful enterprise for Wadha Al

Hajri at The White Space, considering the

positive impressions from international press andbuyers, an opportunity she credits Brokaw

particularly for. I cant even begin to express

how grateful I am. Alisons support for young

designers is incredible, she says. There will be

little rest from now on for the prodigious

multitasking creative as she heads home to her

full-time job and the undertaking of orders for her

pieces. And then theres the Spring 2015 collection

to consider, as now the world will be watching.

NOMADIC PRINTS

Looks from Al-Hajri'sA/W 2014 collectionwhich drawsinspirations fromBedouin tents.

EMERGING TALENTS

Clockwise from top:Al-Hajri, Mules,

Brokaw, Savage andShaw at The WhiteSpace; a clutchdesigned by Savage;Savage turns brassobjects into covetableclutches; Mulesredefines luxurysportswear.

PICTURESCOURTESY

THEWHITESPACEANDGETTYIMAGES

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