Lookout Qatar

34 This and That

QELA finds spring inspirations from art;
Robert Tateossian crafts wild accessories; and
Etel Adnan draws connection of poetry and
painting.
35 Market Watch
Middle Eastern designers take an
experimental interpretation when it comes to
menswear, be it updating the thobe or
injecting embroideries into jackets.
38 Fashion Memo
Jeremy Hackett travels the world in expansion
of his fashion label while picking up some life
lessons on the way.
40 The Scene
Level Shoe District in Dubai is proving to be
more than just a shoe boutique with its
growing clout among shoe aficianados.
42 On Heritage
An art that is becoming increasingly rare,
Viscount David Linley speaks on the
intricacies of woodwork and its place in true
luxury.
44 Going Vocal
The British Paraorchestra and the Qatar
Philharmonic Orchestra comes together to
showcase the talents of differently-abled
musicians.
Arena Qatar
59 Form and Fashion
Be it amazed acceptance or grudging
acknowledgement, Richard Serra's take over
of Doha with his signature steel plates has
got the community abuzz.
62 Collector's Piece
Qatars most prolific collector, Sheikh Faisal
bin Qassim has had long glorious decades of
buying art but it is the treasures of his family
that he holds most dear.
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Publisher & Editor-In-Chief
Yousuf Jassem Al Darwish
Chief Executive
Sandeep Sehgal
Executive Vice President
Alpana Roy
Vice President
Ravi Raman
EDITORIAL
Editor
Sindhu Nair
Chief Fashion Correspondent
Debrina Aliyah
Senior Correspondents
Abigail Mathias
Ayswarya Murthy
Ezdihar Ibrahim Ali
Sub-Editor
Sue Eedle
ART
Senior Art Director
Venkat Reddy
Deputy Art Director
Hanan Abu Saiam
Assistant Art Director
Ayush Indrajith
Senior Graphic Designer
Maheshwar Reddy
Photography
Rob Altamirano
MARKETING AND SALES
Senior Manager Marketing
Frederick Alphonso
Assistant Manager Marketing
Thomas Jose
Media Consultants
Hassan Rekkab
Lydia Youssef
Marketing Research
& Support Executive
Kanwal Baluch
Accountant
Pratap Chandran
Sr. Distribution Executive
Bikram Shrestha
Distribution Support
Arjun Timilsina
Bhimal Rai
Basanta P
T, THE STYLE MAGAZINE
OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
Editor in Chief
Deborah Needleman
Creative Director
Patrick Li
Deputy Editor
Whitney Vargas
Fashion Director at Large
Joe McKenna
Managing Editor
George Gustines
Photography Director
Nadia Vellam
THE NEW YORK TIMES
NEWS SERVICES
General Manager
Michael Greenspon
Vice President, Licensing and
Syndication
Alice Ting
Vice President, Executive Editor
The New York Times News
Service & Syndicate
Nancy Lee
LICENSED EDITIONS
Editorial Director
Josephine Schmidt
Editor, T International Editions
John Haskins
Coordinators
Gary Caesar
Karen Hanley
Table of Contents
Left: Linley's work in wood. Top: Richard Serra's 7
becomes the focal point of a fashion editorial by
blogger Anum Bashir.
Page 42
Page 59
39
House of Nomad
Dubai-based label House of Nomad turns the spotlight on a single-
tone nude color palette in its debut Spring Collection, offering bold
separates such as bomber jackets and drop crotch pants for men.
The pieces are unified by its use of heavy jersey and the stylization
of Arabic calligraphy as the main print feature. The label, designed
by Ahmed El Sayed and Saleh Al Banna, is reflective of the cultural
current of the Middle East, where a modern nomadic lifestyle of
moving from city to city is prevalent. www.house-of-nomad.com
Men in Fashion
From the traditional thobe to funky print tees,
the fashion options for men in the Middle East are
mixed but definitely happening.
BY DEBRINA ALIYAH
Varoin Marwah
Fabrics rule this season, for Varoin Marwahs
new collection, as the designer experiments
with textured cotton, pattern-embossed blends
and embroidered linen to break away from the
traditional menswear norm. Aiming for
comfort and wearability, the summer pieces
are set in pastel shades with nature-inspired
embroidery motifs to set the backdrop to the
collections narration of a man in love. Our
designs are made for that man, who loves to be
in love, who loves his life, who loves himself. It
is part of every minute of our lives, says
Marwah. The label has also focused on canvas
as the main material for its new shoe designs,
which are handmade and printed with motifs
derived from its collections embroidery.
www.varoinmarwah.com
Lomar Thobe
The regions most sought-after thobe designer label, Lomar Thobe, focuses
on three new elements this season,: the Unstitched, the Slide and the
Sedery Duo. Unstitched is a visual play on the traditional version, hiding all
visible stitches on the front; Slide puts the accent on the collar and the
sleeve, while Sedery Duo combines a thobe with a matching double-layer
mashlah vest. The label was founded 12 years ago in Saudi Arabia by
husband-and-wife team Loai Nassem and Mona Al Haddad with the aim of
redefining thobes to appeal to the modern man. www.lomarthobe.com.sa
Franklin Eugene
The eponymous label features a
collection of ten silhouettes this summer
with a somber color palette of sky blue to
jet black. The range of silhouettes is
meant to be the complete wardrobe
rotation for menswear, from work to play.
With Dubai being a world-class resort
travel destination and with our flagship
boutique located in one of the citys
premier lifestyle communities, Jumeirah
Beach Residence, it was only natural that
this collection would come to pass, says
Eugene. Trained at the London College of
Fashion, Eugene created the trademark
eight-button arm cuff that has become
the signature element in his pieces.
Franklin Eugene Boutique, The Walk at
Jumeirah Beach Residences, Dubai.
Market Watch
42 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine
Lookout Qatar
THE THING ABOUT THE INTERNET, Jeremy Hackett says, is
that everything he says gets shared and stays out there on the
World Wide Web forever. People read it and when they meet me
they ask me the same questions again! he quips. So I decide to
take my chance and enquire if Hackett thinks it was a good idea
for me to surprise my forty-year-old husband with a gift of a very
fashionable and very narrow tie. He pauses before breaking into a
grin: I wouldnt go there!
Hackett has been traveling to the Middle East frequently in a
rapid expansion of Hackett stores in the region, but this is his
maiden trip to Qatar, marking the opening of his first-ever store
in this city. Throughout his stay he gets chauffeured around in an
Aston Martin, which seemed apt, since Hackett is the
quintessential British label for a gentlemans wardrobe, and the
Aston Martin is the ultimate ride for a British spy. The whole
affair is very British-centric, but this is what the essence of
Hackett is all about.
There are currently close to 80 Hackett stores around the
The Hackett Philosophy
BY DEBRINA ALIYAH
From his love-hate relationship with
the World Wide Web to British
quintessential brands, Middle East
preferences and personal travel
muses, Jeremy Hackett talks about
the things that matter most.
Fashion Memo
THE BRITISH GENTLEMAN
Jeremy Hackett has brought British dressing
to a global audience.
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43 May-June 2014
in the London store. The images are mostly black and whites of
architecture, a few fashion pictures and pictures of my dogs, he
laughs.
Perhaps this year will also mark the beginning of a project that
has long been planned but unexecuted for the Hackett brand
breaking into the American market. It has been a recurring story
for the past five years that Hackett would finally open its first
American store the following year, but Jeremy thinks 2015 is
going to be lucky number. It is a very competitive market, but
theres an appetite for British tailoring, so we will see, he smiles.
And when in the States, Jeremy harbors a dream to travel in an
Airstream all over the country accompanied only by his notebook,
a camera and his dogs. He is sure to take his British dressing,
despite his traveler endeavors, although when I bring up the
subject of harem pants, he remarks, Now, thats a thought. It just
gave me an idea!
Hackett is now open at Villaggio Mall.
world, a huge expansion since the first one opened its doors in
1983 in Parsons Green in London. The label is the embodiment of
what and who Jeremy is, a well-mannered and well-dressed
British gentleman whose idea of experimenting with fashion
extends only as far as shortening the length of his trousers or
wearing a slightly narrower tie (just slightly). I am in my 60s; I
really dont want to look like mutton dressed as lamb, he jokes.
The far-reaching influence of classic British dressing however, is
no joke. Hackett is wildly successful in places half-way across the
world from London; cities such as Shanghai and Singapore,
where precise tailoring is seen as a measure of personal success.
It is also the sense of knowing what to expect that plays well into
the psyche of male shoppers. Menswear is very different. If I am
three steps ahead of the customers, I have lost them. Men want to
look nicely turned out, but they are not going to rush into stores
to buy the latest must-have jackets, though magazines would
have you think otherwise, he shares.
In the Middle East, even with the thobe being the gold
standard, the labels suit and classic lines have been gaining rapid
momentum, not to mention its casual collection the main
revenue earner. In the last decade, Hackett has quickly become a
favorite among men in the Gulf, and now Arab shoppers at the
labels stores in London are seeking out serious tailoring pieces.
I think they like the heritage. There has been a long history and
relationship between Britain and this region, Jeremy explains.
Observing the dress code of Arab men, Jeremy finds it fascinating
how the thobe can look so freshly pressed regardless of how long
it has been worn. It makes them look so regal, elegant and
important, he says.
Polo shirts, rugby shirts, knitwear and t-shirts also forms the
basis of Hacketts many sponsorships and involvement in
sporting events closely associated with the British lifestyle that
finds its parallel in this region. Dubais British Polo Day is one of
Jeremys favorites, one that he often makes time to travel to
Dubai for, along with Aston Martin Racing, the London Rowing
Club, tennis and most recently Chelsea Football Club. I like
Aston Martin cars and quite love polo, but with the rowing, I
prefer watching it from afar rather than actually doing the
rowing! he says.
From his Mr Classic blog and definitively the Internet, I had
found out that Jeremys favorite color is navy blue, so I ask why.
If you only have one coat, it has to be navy blue, he says. It is
easier to wear than black, not too somber or too designed.
Perhaps this is a question he has had to answer many times,
because for a person whos concerned about things staying on the
World Wide Web forever, he has a pretty active social media
presence, including a Jeremy Advises portal where you can ask
for sartorial tips. The Mr Classic blog is where Jeremy jots down
musings on his travels and his dogs Browney and Muffin, and
makes general humorous observations. This year, he will be
exhibiting a collection of photographs he has taken over the years
I like Aston Martin cars and quite love polo, but
with the rowing, I prefer watching it from afar rather
than actually doing the rowing!
WORLD TRAVELER
Looks from the
Hackett London
spring summer
2014 collection
inspired by the
global traveler.
44 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine
IT IS EASY to attribute the sheer size of Level Shoe District to
Dubais melodramatic flair for ostentatious displays of
consumption, with the worlds tallest and biggest buildings
already adding to the real estate expanse of the emirate. After all,
the 96,000-square-foot space dubs itself more of a shoe metropolis
than a boutique. It is the biggest shoe retail space in the world,
and coincidentally also resides in the worlds largest shopping
mall, The Dubai Mall. But nearly a year and a half on since the
first pair of shoes was sold there, Level (as it is nicknamed) has
established itself as a very serious and valuable player in the
market.
A project by Chalhoub Group, arguably one of the most
influential fashion conglomerates in the Middle East, Level was
conceived to be a destination in itself a theatrical show of sorts
for fashion and shoe lovers to indulge and immerse in a
experience going beyond the shoes. The concept and message of
the store is vivacious and engaging; brands are consolidated into
different spaces of different positioning, with seasonal pop-ups
and visual media to help visitors discover collections. It is very
important that when customers are walking through, the space
talks back at you, and doesnt remain as a flat space, says Rania
Masri, the general manager of Level. The designer floor houses
stalwarts like Rupert Sanderson and Manolo Blahnik; the
contemporary floor complete with urban music is home to cult
favorites like United Nude and MM6, while the mens designer
section is a leather haven of dress shoes. Pulling out the big guns,
Chalhoub Group sought out instantly recognizable names as
partners: Vogue Caf with its second global chain, celebrity foot
expert Margaret Dabbs first spa outside the UK, Louis Vuittons
first-ever dedicated shoe maison and Saint Laurents first
boutique with its nouveau branding.
The storied associations are impressive, but it is Levels grit
and dedication to seeking the freshest talents in the shoemaking
industry that has gained it the cult following and, ultimately, the
reality of commercial success. Each season the buying team led
by Alberto Oliveros picks out pieces that extend into runway
specials a firm favorite with stylists and works with selected
designers on pairs that are exclusive to Level.
Unsurprisingly, the Level-exclusive designs, which are limited
to about fifteen pairs each, are always the first to sell out. The
exclusive pieces have to have the DNA of Level, something that
represents vibrancy and uniqueness, Oliveros explains. This
season, that direction is a color play of black and gold, with stellar
choices from the likes of Sophia Webster, Nicholas Kirkwood
Fashion Sole
BY DEBRINA ALIYAH
Level Shoe District takes up the
baton to popularize a new wave of
fashion marketing by creating a
destination for the shoe lover.
The Scene
ONE AND ONLY From
left: Alberto Moretti, Louis
Leeman, Bionda Castana and
Sophia Webster designed
exclusive pieces only for Level.
Lookout Qatar
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45 May-June 2014
and Gianvito Rossi.
This approach has helped kick-start the careers of certain labels
including Louis Leeman, who was first discovered by Level and is now
carried by major retailers around the world. We seek out brands that are
very specific and that give us our unique voice. We introduce new
designers and help them tell their stories, says Masri. The buying process,
which may have limitations for certain markets, is all fair game for the
team at Level, as their clientele is truly global and varied. Level has such
a large regional and international customer base, so its a great place for a
young designer to be showcased, says Edgardo Osorio, the designer
behind Italian brand Aquazzura. In 2013, The Dubai Mall was the worlds
most-visited destination for the third consecutive year, with more than 75
million visitors, overtaking popular tourist spots including New York City
and the Eiffel Tower. We are not limited by tastes, so we just have to focus
on our constant challenge to discover new designers and find the next big
thing, Masri says. Designers, too, are able to take bold creative leaps when
working on collaborations with Level, just like Alberto Morettis much-
talked-about 24-carat gold mens velvet loafers. There is a lot of energy
and enthusiasm, and its admirable that they invest so much time to find
emerging designers, Moretti says.
Making sense of literally the sea of shoes is a job best left to Levels
personal styling team. The service, which offers a more private experience
of shoe shopping, is often preferred by the regions shoppers. The strong
rapport with clients enables the team to curate selections from the massive
collections and narrow down precise choices for personal tastes and special
occasions. Bring your dress, bring your friends, and come let us find your
perfect pair, Masri says. Two dedicated lounges for men and women
provide a private enclave to shop and consult in comfort, a service that
surprisingly has won many male clients. Men are less partial to browsing.
They just want to see what we have that will suit them, Oliveros explains.
Level is also home to The Cobbler, a UAE-based bespoke shoe service that
employs cobblers trained with the Compagnons du Tour de France. We
will be traditional in the sense of the level of distinct quality of service, but
we also want to be unexpected in our offerings, Masri says.
In the bigger scheme of things, Level is pushing the envelope by creating
a new design future for the region, where the current wave of fashion
pursuits is still very much focused on clothing. At the recent Fashion
Forward Spring 2014, Masri was part of a panel to work on a new initiative
to develop regional talents, with Level providing a platform to launch
shoemakers. Aennis Eunis and Private Collection are two regional brands
that have been very well received in the store. We want to be in touch with
the community, and this extends to art, she adds, referring to The Zoo, a
homegrown concept store that has an outpost at Level. Books, conceptual
art, collaborative collections and some rare quirky finds at The Zoo, help
you to take away a piece of the Level experience even if you resist the
temptation to buy a pair of shoes.
PRIVATE
SHOPPING From
top: the styling
lounge for men; a
separate VIP
lounge for women;
a gentlemen
parlour for male
shoppers to
consult with
stylists.
The buying process, which may come with limitations for
certain markets, is all fair game for the team at Level as their
clientele is truly global and varied.
SHOE METROPOLIS From
left: display at the designer
floor; Vogue Cafes second
global outlet; The Cobbler
completes the shoe
experience.