How did the idea behind the XXeme Siecle gallery come about?

Ever since I was 14, I’ve had a passion for mid-20th century furniture and art. The first piece I acquired was a console by Jean Royere that belonged to my grandmother. Around the mid-90’s both Hala and I were living in Paris. It was a period when mid-century design was enjoying a revival, particularly in trendsetting cities such as Paris and New York. But the craze hadn’t reached Beirut yet, so we decided to return to Lebanon and open a gallery. We wanted to offer both Lebanese and Arab collectors authentic 20th century furniture and objets d’art, particularly from Lebanon’s golden age from the 1950’s-70’s.

Why is that period considered Lebanon’s golden age?

Beirut is a great place to collect the works of some of the most celebrated designers of the 50s and 60s. During that time, beautiful furniture was not only being imported from Italy and France, but also made here. In the 1950’s, the iconic French designer Jean Royere ran a thriving studio in Beirut with Lebanese architect Nadim Majdalani. Amongst their projects were designing interiors for the St. George Hotel, the Shah of Iran and King Farouk of Egypt. Pre-war Beirut was a Modernist paradise and west Beirut was the most fashionable neighborhood in the Middle East.

What do you enjoy the most about collecting mid-20th century design?

There is a lot of research and detective work that goes into finding new pieces for the gallery. Amongst our rarest finds was a low curvy wooden table and stools designed by Charlotte Perriand in the 60’s for a French ski resort. Perriand, who collaborated with Le Corbusier, is probably one of the most sought after designers today. Another memorable item was a limited-edition rotating chair designed in 1965 by Joe Columbo. It was not only featured in a James Bond movie, but was rare because its original leather was in such good condition. At the same time, we also carry interesting high-quality pieces produced by unidentified craftsmen in Beirut from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

Was it difficult to source pieces for your gallery when you first opened?

Surprisingly it wasn’t difficult early on. Beirut in the mid-90’s was busy rebuilding itself after years of civil war. Interiors untouched since 1975 were stripped without a thought and furniture discarded onto dumpsters. People also began coming to us with things to sell once we opened the gallery. We once received a call from a dealer who had originally imported a number of carpets to Beirut in 1968, but never sold them. The carpets, some designed by Victor Vasarely, had been kept in storage for over 30 years, all in pristine condition and still wrapped in plastic. Today, it’s getting harder to find vintage pieces in Beirut because of heightened interest. So for the last seven years we’ve been looking in Europe for specific pieces that we can’t find in Lebanon, such as works representing Scandinavian, French, Italian and Brazilian design.

Who are your clients?

We tend to attract a younger clientele, who want to discover the furniture and memorabilia of their parents’ generation. To individuals in their 50’s and 60’s, this kind of furniture may appear démodé, because they lived with it the first time around. My greatest satisfaction is sharing my knowledge of mid-20th century design with my younger clients. The gallery also has a well-stocked bookshelf to encourage visitors to linger, and even if people don’t buy right away, I want them to leave feeling they have learnt something new.

All images courtesy of XXeme Siecle Gallery and Joe Kesrouani

Nada Debs
“Inspiring home furniture—this store made mother of pearl trendy and creatively modern. A must in every house.”
Tel: 01999002

Papercup
“Nested in Mar Mkhayel between Mecanics and a Man’ousheh shop, Papercup is a haven of handpicked design and architecture books as well as inspiring art references, and a great selection of kids books. Why not indulge in yummy homemade cookies and brownies?”

Lahem b3ajine Armane
“The yummiest lahem b3ajine and mante (Armenian shish barak) in town.
Go for the “lahem b3ajine Armane””
Tel: 01375178

Ashghalouna
“Every Friday, friends of the social welfare Association organizes a lunch gathering, serving the best home-cooked food, the kind your grandma used to cook for you.”
Tel: 01366758

Casablanca
“The organic green salad and the salt and pepper calamari are to die for!”

Rosa Maria
“I never leave home without a piece from Rosie on me.”
Tel: 03652236

The Corniche
“Taking a stroll, whether in the morning, at sunset or at night makes me love Beirut over and over again.”

Rabih Keyrouz
“I love his designs and always look forward to his welcoming attitude.”
Tel: 01 566079

Osteria
“The first café-pub to open in Mar Mkhayel. I love their cocktails and their occasional band.”

Taking in the views:
One of L.A.’s best-kept secrets is the Barnsdall Art Park, which was donated to the city by the eccentric Aline Barnsdall in 1927. Beyond having one of the best views of the Hollywood sign, it’s also home to the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, a theater and the Hollyhock House, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Los Angeles project.

A lesson in fashion history:
Hollywood is awash in vintage clothing stores, many of them filled with gems that once lined the closets of well known T.V. and movie stars. The Way We Wore, at 334 S. La Brea Ave, is a treasure trove of vintage fashion. The store recently opened a by-appointment “inspiration library” that holds the private collection of Doris Raymond. For over a decade Raymond, who is often referred to as the “fairy godmother of fashion inspiration”, has been sought out by Maison Martin Margiela and John Galliano, who come to reference her vast archive of 18th and 20th century garments.

Sweet-tooth in Tehrangeles:
Nicknamed “Tehrangeles,” Westwood Boulevard on the city’s west side, is home to LA’s Iranian Diaspora. At Mashti Malone’s (1525 North La Brea Avenue) you will find a Hollywood ice-cream institution dedicated to unusual flavors. Mashti’s concoctions include rosewater, saffron, pomegranate and faludeh, a rice-flavored sorbet. Expect to bump into everyone from Harley-riding bikers to celebrities buying by the bucket full.

Gallery hopping:
The neighborhood of Culver City is home to the grandly colonnaded MGM studios, where “The Wizard of Oz” was filmed in the 1930s. Today along La Cienega, you’ll find cutting edge art galleries such as LAXart, Anna Helwing, Sixspace and Blum & Poe.  On weekends, a hipster-bespectacled crowd comes for the art openings that spill out onto the sidewalk.

My secret brunch:
“Off Vine” at 6263 Leland Way, is probably the prettiest (and most unexpected) little restaurant in Hollywood, mostly because it doesn’t feel Hollywood at all. Tucked away in a bright, century-old bungalow and surrounded by flowers, its large garden patio is the kind of place that persuades you to linger over a cup of organic tea and Eggs Benedict.

The eccentric librarian:
In Silverlake, you’ll find one of LA’s hidden gems and the neighborhood’s only independent art & design bookstore. Ivanhoe Books is located in the back-room of Lawson-Fenning, a furniture shop at 1618 Silverlake Boulevard, which specializes in modernist furniture and objects. The brainchild of British-transplant Lucy Spriggs, the quirky library carries a selection of old and new titles on fashion, photography and architecture. Amongst the latest releases are more unusual finds such as the “Evolution” by Pierre Cardin and a rare edition of the Ossie Clark diaries.

The neighborhood store:
The idea behind Mohawk General Store (4011 W. Sunset Blvd), is to supply basics to the neighborhoods arty inhabitants with a curated selection of clothing, furnishings and art. The result is a one-stop shop for modernist fans, where you can pick up a pair of A.P.C. jeans, Dream Collective’s crystal mountain cuff and a vintage Gio Ponti side-table all under one roof. Three-quarters of the store’s goods are locally made, and many of the products are recycled, including Generic Man boots fabricated from recycled rain coats.

Images courtesy of Dana Boulos, Mohawk General Store, Ivanhoe Books & Off Vine

As a child in Cairo, Youssef Nabil was startled to realize that many of his favorite film stars were no longer alive. This revelation inspired him, later in life, to reach out to those performers who were still at large – and photography proved the ideal avenue to meet his heroes and heroines.

His hand-colored black-and-white prints, now on show at New York’s Yossi Milo Gallery, present ethereal, ageless depictions of Faten Hamama, Mona Hatoum and Omar Sharif. By photographing his idols with black-and-white film and adding facial tones and backgrounds in watercolor and pencil, Nabil makes surreal his otherwise familiar subjects. The technique renders the prints engrossingly perfect; they seem too smooth, too wrinkle-free and diffuse, to be real.

As well as elevating photographs into objects more akin to paintings than prints, Nabil’s technique connects his photos to the golden days of the Egyptian film industry, when starlets could sing, dance, and live forever on the silver screen.

Youssef Nabil, 4 November – 4 December at Yossi Milo Gallery, http://www.yossimilo.com

Pay tribute to your own favorite Middle Eastern icons with a clutch from Sarah’s Bag

You’ve been active in terms of changing perceptions about Saudi women around the world. Is that a role you naturally fell into?
In the last year I was invited to participate in lectures at the Chicago Council of Foreign Affairs and the Harris School of Business to clarify many of the misconceptions that surround the status of Saudi women in the workplace. A lot of it has to do with misinformation, and I’ve always believed that dialogue is an important step towards understanding different cultures.

What drove you to become a founding member of the Zahra Breast Cancer Foundation?
Before Zahra was an official association, it was essentially a group of phenomenal and inspiring women who took it upon themselves to educate our society on the facts of breast cancer and the benefits of early detection. I joined Zahra as a founding member the day after I found out a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with the disease.  We are the same age, married a few days apart, with children of the same age.  She is such a brave person facing and dealing with this disease, and I felt I had to do my part.

In the past Saudi society viewed breast cancer as a stigma or a “female problem” which often deterred women from taking part in regular exams. Fortunately breast cancer is among the most curable and treatable cancers when detected early enough. In this day and age there is no excuse for ignorance and no woman should be allowed to suffer in silence. As part of the Zahra Foundation’s “A Woman’s Stand” campaign, we’re taking a unique approach this year to increase awareness in the Kingdom and our commitment of support to a global audience. On October 28th, we will form the largest ‘pink ribbon’ human chain in Jeddah. My hope is that women of every age, race and region of Saudi Arabia will come out and participate in this event, because at the end of the day everyone can make a difference by just being aware.

You are the CEO of two of the largest luxury retail corporations in the Kingdom. How do you use your role to further career opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia?
I think that with any leadership position, comes the responsibility to create opportunities for others.  I am committed to making employment a more tangible option for women in my country and encourage them to be more ambitious by just taking the first step. When I started my tenure at Harvey Nichols in Riyadh I made it a point to not only employ Saudi women in management roles, but also in positions dealing directly with customers. A few years ago this would have been unheard of. Since women can’t drive in Saudi Arabia, our company offers my female employees a transportation allowance so that they are not forced to hire drivers at their own expense to get to work.

In 2001 you became a co-partner in Yibreen, a woman’s day spa in Riyadh. How has it evolved since its opening?
Yibreen is more than just a spa in the traditional sense. It has gone beyond offering health and wellness services to providing women a place to network, relax and converse. Learning to network and promote their businesses is another critical issue for women business owners, which is why it was so important to create a space for them. Over the years the spa has hosted fashion shows promoting the work of Saudi female designers. It’s important to support women entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, because they play a key role in creating new employment opportunities.

Be a part of the largest human pink ribbon chain in the world
October 28, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Location: Ministry of Education’s sport stadium

EAT
When in doubt, look for queuing Parisians. That’s the advice that led us to discover Le Comptoir, an off-the-guide-book-beaten-path restaurant with charmingly cramped premises and a consistently outstanding menu. The white wine is cold, the bread is crusty, and the oeuf mayonnaise is the best in Paris. Honest—there’s even a certificate that says as much framed and mounted on the wall.
Le Comptoir, Hôtel Relais St.-Germain, 9, Carrefour de l’Odéon, 6th

SLEEP
Sure, you can find places more outrageous, more thoroughly antiqued, more opulent. But few hotels are as enviably located or tastefully appointed as Hotel Verneuil, tucked on a quiet back street just moments from the Cafe de Flore and the heart of St. Germain de Pres. Remember our earlier tip about queuing Parisians? The long line outside your local bakery alone shows that this is a special place to stay.
Hotel Verneuil, 8 rue de Verneuil, 75007, http://www.hotelverneuil.com

SIP
We  love a good speakeasy, an inclination in no way diminished by the fact that Paris wasn’t subject to the same restrictions that drove drinking ever so stylishly underground in the US. Thankfully, the city is now home to Prescription, an apothecary-like cocktail bar with brilliant concoctions and charismatic barmen. Try the Very Old Cuban. Trust us.
Prescription Cocktail Club, 23 rue Mazarine, 75006, M° Mabilllon, Odéon, Saint-Michel

SHOP
You know Colette. You’ve done Merci. But have you visited Antoine et Lili? The vibrant interiors of this bohemian homewares and world fashion chain provide an instant uplift on the wintriest of Paris days. Visit for paisley-print scarves, mirrored throw cushions, and kitsch fixtures… goose lamp, anyone?
Multiple locations listed at www.antoineetlili.com

PLAY
If you haven’t tried one of the Velib bikes parked at hundreds of stands across the city, then as far as we’re concerned, you haven’t truly experienced the city. The first half-hour is free, so real Parisians tend to check out a bike, ride for 25 minutes, dock it, and take another for the next 25 minutes. On Sundays, bike around the Canal St. Martin and other car-free areas, and feel the city breathe. A bargain at 1 euro per bike, you’ll have plenty of change left for shoes.
www.velib.paris.fr

Here are some of our highlights from an incredible few days…

Wednesday: The opening party for Dicek Kayak’s exhibition at the Istanbul Modern Museum had the feel of a fashion world reunion. All of the major editors, creatives and buyers were there, air kissing and catching up about summer vacations. Fashion legends Anna Piaggi and Patricia Field, of Sex and the City fame, also attended. It was almost enough to make us forget to take in the exhibition, but what an exhibition it was! For the show, Dice Kayak had created a series of garments representing different parts of Istanbul. So the Istanbul Modern dress echoed the museum’s refined lines, while another dress named after the famous Topkapi Palace was covered in crystals. Meandering through the displays felt akin to a city tour in miniature. And, apropos to any fashionable city, there were even street photographers: Facehunter snapped one of our friends and posted the image straight onto his inspiring street style blog.

Thursday: We took a little break from all the shows with a fashion editor friend, escaping the crush at the tents for a glass of rose on the Bosporus-facing terrace at the Four Seasons. Over our drink, he told me about Gilan, a high-end jeweler who creates really spectacular designs.

From there, we headed back to the tents for Arzu Kaprol… along with absolutely everyone else — the place was heaving with people. Nobody wanted to miss this show. Arzu played with the ideas of construction and deconstruction in her designs. Her final dress resembled thousands of book pages in skirt form… you have to see it to understand! The buzz after show was tremendous. Stay tuned to see more of Arzu on Dia soon!

Friday: A lunchtime meeting with designer Mehtap Elaidi took us to Fashion Week’s VIP tents. After seeing her show on Thursday, we knew we had to meet her and discuss bringing her to Dia. Elaidi’s designs are very feminine, yet easy to wear — we can’t wait to introduce you to her goods!

For our last night in the city, we went out to dinner with the team from Vogue Turkey at a small, unnamed fish restaurant in an up-and-coming part of the city. Our tables were hanging over the Bosporus and everything was so fresh that it seemed the fish were leaping out of the sea and onto our paper plates. So tasty! We spent four hours at dinner, sharing stories about Istanbul, the fashion world and travels. The experience was completely consistent with Dia’s mission, and a brilliant coda to time well spent in the city.

That’s just a fraction of what we saw and did in Istanbul. With show season upon us, the Dia team will be traveling all month… look out for more updates!

Best,
Dia

EAT:
True, it’s across the park from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week’s new home at Lincoln Center, but we’re willing to make the trip for lunch at this restaurant gem. Great atmosphere, impeccable French bistro fare and delicious waiters—what more could a hungry style-seeker want?
Le Bilboquet, 25 E 63rd St., 212.751.3036

SLEEP
The hotel name on every MBFW devotee’s lips: The Standard. 18 stories high and straddling the High Line, a reclaimed train line turned urban oasis, The Standard is Andre Balasz’s hotel-shaped gift to New York. Views from the top floor bar (who knows what they’ll call it next?) are spectacular, and the ping-pong tables at the Biergarten are always free.
The Standard New York, 848 Washington Street, 212.645.4646, http://www.standardhotels.com/new-york-city/

SIP
Down some nondescript steps in a no-man’s-land block of West 17th Street, you’ll find a hushed, velvet-curtained room with a vintage-style bar that calls for vintage velvet dresses and long strands of pearls. Our favorite feature? The call buttons built into each banquette area—the better to order you cocktails by, my dear.
Raines Law Room, 48 W 17th St, http://www.raineslawroom.com

SHOP
Us? New York? Shopping? Too many places to list here, but luckily, Barney’s CO-OP has an Upper West Side branch easily reachable during show breaks. It’s the one place we can depend on for well-edited selections of all our best-loved contemporary brands.
Barney’s CO-OP, 2151 Broadway, 646.335.0978

PLAY
When, at the end of a long day, all we want to do is shake it, we’ll make a beeline for Le Souk in the East Village. It’s a bit off the beaten track, but the tunes are rhythmic, the belly-dancing vigorous, the experiences memorable. Take our word for it.
Le Souk, 47 Avenue B, 212.777.5454, http://www.lesouknyc.com

Midnight Express
“One of my favorite clothing stores in Istanbul. It carries primarily newly emerged Turkish designers and has a great selection of items from jewelry to night gowns. They have three locations – two in Bebek and one in Nisantası.”  http://midnightexpress.com.tr/home/index.aspx

Mangerie
“It is located at Bebek. It is one of my favorite spots to eat…. It’s a super-casual, hip place with a great view of the Bosphorous. I would recommend brunch during weekends!”
Cevdet Paşa Caddesi 69 Küçükbebek, İstanbul

A la Turca
“This store is located at Cukurcuma, one of the most bohemian districts in Istanbul. It’s also one of the most inspiring stores I have ever seen. The owner, Erkal Aksoy, has a great collection of antiques and home accessories. It is truly a treasure.”

http://www.alaturcahouse.com/

Serdar-ı Ekrem Street (Galata)
This street right beside the Galata Tower has been in reconstruction for many years. It is a very unique street with newly opened multi brand boutiques such as Building (http://www.building.com.tr), Atelier 55 (http://www.atelier-55.com) as well as couple of Turkish designer stores.

House Hotel in Nişantası
“This newly opened hotel in Nişantası the luxorious shopping district has an amazing interior design.”

http://www.thehousehotel.com/

Assk Cafe in Kurucesme
This is a perfect spot to get summer breeze in during summer time. It is located right beside Bosphorous and it has a very cute atmosphere. http://www.asskkahve.com/

Aslı Tunca
This furniture and decoration store has an amazing architecture. When you enter the store, you lose your sense of place and time. It is quite spectacular.

http://www.aslitunca.com/

Now, the fruits of the Cypriot designer’s efforts are on show at Istanbul’s Museum of Modern Art, fittingly in time for that city’s international fashion week.

Included are some of Chalayan’s most memorable pieces: rust-riven garments from his Central St. Martin’s graduate collection, windswept molded frocks from the Inertia collection, and perhaps most astonishingly, animatronic dresses that transform in response to certain sounds.

The exhibition describes how Chalayan’s designs serve as physical evidence and realizations of theoretical investigations in other fields. And the results, whether the product of explorations into architecture, philosophy, anthropology or the sciences, are rapturous.

Hussein Chalayan: 1994-2010 is on show at the Istanbul Modern until 24 October 2010