16 October 2014

Bright Living room: Beirut Inspired

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a wedding return gift personalized project I worked on this summer as part of SCENE's approach to dealing one on one with the clients when creating personalized products.

Here I worked on this interior, starting with a daybed style couch reminiscent of the traditional Levantine common room. First we discussed the color palette we will be using having brown as our base yet moving away from the traditional. We mixed and matched bright orange, blue, pink and green with the brown to create a fresh and modern living space, of course inspired by Lebanese pop culture and using the signature Calligraphy element of SCENE. 

11 October 2014

SCENE products now available worldwide through Lebelik.com

I am excited to Let you know that SCENE Beirut is now available worldwide!

Lebelik is an online shopping platform specialized in getting Lebanese Designers' products  available everywhere, from fashion and accessories to home collection, and I couldn't recommend enough their good service.

"SCENE" recently joined LEBELIK website and you can check the collection on that link:
http://www.lebelik.com/brands/Scene-Beirut

It will soon be expanding so keep coming back every once in a while, as surprises and new products await. Here are some screen shots of the SCENE Beirut page on Lebelik.




02 October 2014

Arabic Wedding Logo and Return Gifts Calligraphy

The final Logo as seen on the labels
Ralph and Edith, a young couple living in Paris and from Lebanese parents wanted an Arabic and Modern logo to use on their wedding invitation card and table tents.

Draft of logos

Final 6 options


Handprinted fabric ready to be made into bags by the skilled craftsmen
 As a return gift to their invitees and friends, we came up with the couple with a personalized choice of an Ipad bag / clutch using three shades of blue, with the sentence "Today we drink and tomorrow is serious" calligraphed in Arabic and handprinted on the front. The names logo was also printed in the lower left corner on the back of the bags.

personalized wedding bags with arabic calligraphy
The bag

While the woman version has a handle, the man's version is a handle free
ipad bag with dark tones of blue and a black print.
Three bags using 3 shades of blue

Wishing the newly weds happiness all the way!

Seems like Arabic calligraphy is finally getting the attention it deserves with George Clooney accessorizing at his wedding with cufflinks, which were a gift from Amal and had 'George' inscribed on them in Arabic.




05 August 2014

Behind the SCENE : New bags getting made!

The old radio is always on
everything is done by hand using a few simple tools.

It's been a while I did not blog, but I have always wanted to share photos of the production phase, so today I got the chance to make some photos of the craftsmen at work. Their knowledge and experience are a great asset to SCENE Beirut - my brand, and to myself.


One of the thrills (and there are many!) of creating a new product is that discussion with the craftsman and the synergy in translating designs into high quality unique pieces. And the energy of work is just wonderful.
There you can see the importance of a short chain in the production process, from the idea to the finishing, all can be amended on the spot.
The attention to details is primordial for every piece, one by one they are all made by hand with care and pride.


09 March 2014

Road trip across the USA - notebook scans

Those date from Summer of 2011, when I went the long way across the USA to finally meet my sister in Fayetteville. I just stumbled on the notebook lately, and it revived many good memories. One of the best trips I ever had.
My route, when there is no airplane illustration, means it was done by Bus : Beirut - New York - Washington DC - Pittsburg - Columbus - Chicago - Seattle - San Franscisco - Los Angeles - Fayetteville - Beirut. 

Read more, eat less: Only complimentary soft drinks when flying internal American flights

Bus travel on the highway between two states. Front seat, 2nd floor deck.

How do you go faster on train station stairs? throw the bag down instead of carrying it.

travel essentials: Map and camera.

laying comfortable in public space: something I miss in Beirut

facing the MET in NYC

17 February 2014

I love Beirut - The Rational behind the Logo


Heart Beirut Logo by Celine Khairallah
Arabic Calligraphy of "Beirut"  in a heart shape - © Celine Khairallah  
I Love Beirut. أنا بحب بيروت

You might have noticed this Beirut logo somewhere around in town with someone carrying/wearing SCENE Beirut products or here as the new header image in my blog, yet I have been really busy lately and rarely sharing behind the SCENE steps that lead to the image creation, hopefully we will catch up with that bit by bit, one visual at a time :)

First things first: BEIRUT

I love Beirut, in order to write that in English, we need the subject/ verb/ object sentence form, or the modern "I (heart) Beirut" (taken from the original "I (heart or <3) NY" logo. Yet, when it comes to Arabic, and the flexibility of the letters, options are limitless.

Thus, I drew the Arabic letter of Beirut "بيروت" in a heart shape. The simplest, most common sign to represent "love".

The letters, themselves become the signifiers of love; Mixing the love I have to the city, with the love the city radiates back. Eliminating the "Subject" actually includes everyone and the city:

I love Beirut.
We love Beirut.
They love Beirut.
Beirut is love.
Beirut loves.
بيروت حبيبتي

"Heart Beirut" logo on SCENE Beirut Products

11 February 2014

20 November 2013

SCENE Beirut @ Al Souk - London ; The Arab Art and Design Concept Store


I am happy to share some photos (source) from the Opening of Al Souk in London - part of Nour Festival for the Arts.
The exhibition was at Graffik Gallery from Nov 14th till the 21st., Moving next week to the famous The Tabernacle from Nov. 25th till Dec. 1st.

SCENE Beirut is exhibiting a new selection of limited edition colorful cushions, Poufs and Bags, available for the first time in London.
Bobo Macarons at the opening

Suzel Pitty, curator of the Nour Festival 2013 and Maxime Duda organizer of Al Souk-London at the opening of Al Souk at Graffik Gallery.





Scene Beirut Ipad Cases on Display





15 October 2013

Peace is complicated - السلام معقّد

السلام معقّد ، ألعب بالسلام - © celine khairallah
I play with peace, peace is complicated - السلام معقّد ، ألعب بالسلام - © celine khairallah

12 October 2013

The new Scene Beirut bags

I have just received the edition of 10 bags all silkscreened with different Arabic calligraphy prints. These are statement bag for the peaceful thinkers.

EL-ANN bag (El-ann means Now in Arabic)
SALAM (Peace)

01 September 2013

Arabic Calligraphy Wedding Logo instead of a Monogram

arabic wedding calligraphy logo
Mirna/Seth arabic calligraphy Logo : mixing pixel art inspiration and arabic Kufi letters. 



arabic wedding calligraphy logo
The invitation Card, the Logo embossed on the Front flip and patterned on the emvelop.


arabic wedding calligraphy logo coasters
The logo was also used to produce the colorful coasters distributed as gifts for the invitees.

03 July 2013

SCENE - Beirut at the BEIRUT DESIGN WEEK 2013

SCENE's new BEIRUT Heart Pouf and coasters 

New Pouches and Coasters available at Artisan du Liban and La T-shirterie

SCENE BEIRUT 
NEWCOMERS EXHIBITION during the Beirut Design Week 2013 - Works by Nadeen Khatoun (Fashion) and Ghassan Salemeh (Lighting)  also showing.
The 11 Newcomers exhibiting at the Beirut Design Week 2013 at Atelier NS - June 25th to 30th 2013 
Press: The Daily Star's Article
Press: The Daily Star's Article

Press: Agenda Culturel

31 December 2012

SCENE Beirut at Afkart Lebanese Designers Exhibition

Jeans Beirut Bags - Good for everyday!


The Beirut Map T-shirt

Some of the products available at the exhibition

The HEART BEIRUT pendant

With The Beirut Manifesto Tote bag
With The Beirut Manifesto Tote bag