razzle dazzle the bejewelled world of nada g design T E X T BY M Y R N A AYA D P H O T O G R A P H Y BY M A N S O U R D I B A N D C O U R T E S Y O F N ADA G H A Z A L ada Ghazal is enjoying the launch of her latest collection family’s six-bedroom home at her disposal, she would paint at The Third Line in Dubai. The gallery’s co-founder, Sunny over them endlessly. “I always had the design element in me,” Rahbar, and another colleague have just discovered that they says Ghazal. “I don’t think I ever really thought what it was in all attended the same French summer camp in the mid 1990s. the field of design I wanted to do because there were so many Amid the squeals of delight, Ghazal leans over and whispers, things that I loved to design, like home accessories, shoes, “You see, everything is connected.” It was a fleeting insight clothes and accessories made out of paper.” into the mind of this talented young Lebanese designer and The second of six children, Ghazal spent her childhood reflected her life philosophy, which has in turn become the between Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Kent in the UK and Beirut in raison d’être of her work. Lebanon. It was during her early teens that she knew where Ghazal is a spiritual person, and the more we converse, her artistic path would lead. Passionate about drawing, Ghazal the more I realise that her designs mirror her inner self. “People would spend extra hours in art classes at her boarding school. meet for a reason; you travel to a place for a reason, you buy “I’ll never forget one incident when my art teacher came in and something for a reason,” she says. “Each one of us has a said to me, ‘You’re going to be an artist when you grow up.’ And mission in life and there are a lot of connections for us if we I said, ‘Actually, I wouldn’t want to become a painter because are to make it. My mission in life is not to make jewellery: I am not everyone gets to see painters’ works and appreciate them. using the making of jewellery to fulfil my mission.” Ghazal’s What I want to do is design a Coke can or a Cadbury’s chocolate lifelong ambition is to be known as an “independent designer” wrapper.’ My teacher told me that was called commercial art. I with her own brand and company. asked my father if commercial art existed at university and he Ghazal’s affiliation with the creative arts stems from her told me it was called advertising design. I was 13 at the time childhood when she would sketch shoes for her mother to and knew then that that was what I wanted to do.” have made at the cobbler. If she got bored with a dress, she So Ghazal went on to complete her undergraduate would transform it into a skirt, and with the walls of the Ghazal education in advertising design at the Lebanese American 160 “Each one of us has a mission in life and there are a lot of connections for us if we are to make it. My mission in life is not to make jewellery: I am using the making of jewellery to fulfil my mission.” 161 design design University (formerly known as the Beirut University College). considered her next step. Always proactive, she freelanced in a spirit of self-assertion which was triggered by the death A lot of experiences in Ghazal’s childhood helped to Ghazal excelled, thanks to the entirely conceptual curriculum. while completing her studies. If a new company was setting of her father. “I felt the need to be independent and take care shape her future, such as when she was on a family vacation “I was very proud of myself at university because I felt I was up, Ghazal would offer to create their branding. If a company of myself. My father’s death didn’t dampen my creativity; I in the US and caught sight of New York’s skyscrapers. Gazing one of the few people who was doing advertising because needed fresh print, she would propose new catalogues. “I’m think it enhanced it somehow. As a child, I once drew a picture at the iconic skyline, she wished for an office high up in one I loved it and understood it. I didn’t feel it was for everyone, not sure if this is a positive or negative trait, but whenever I’m and caught him boasting about it to his friends. One of the of the towers, but before she could do this, her next step so, in that sense, I felt somehow ahead of others,” she says. doing something, I start thinking about what to do next,” she reasons I did advertising design and not regular design was was to get a job. At 22, Ghazal landed in Dubai dreaming of Perhaps a core characteristic of Ghazal is her ambition says. “My mother always tells me that when I’m at the peak, I because I always perceived him to be a great businessman. working for a multinational company. Impact BBDO hired her and innate sense of constantly looking ahead. At the beginning decide to stop, walk away and do something else.” Ghazal’s Part of my success in advertising was due to the fact that I as an art director and she also worked part-time with Channel of each phase of her life, Ghazal would already have determination to work while finishing her studies was rooted used to design and saw the business rationale behind it.” V as a television presenter. “The only thing I thought of back 162 163 design design “I thought that if I wanted to start my own business, it should be where I want to spend the rest of my life and Beirut was it.” then was working. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else professional table and set to work. She would visit goldsmiths is impeccable, but that’s because everything is handmade. out of the earth. When I started experimenting with jewellery, the at all. I’d work during the day with Impact and during the and watch them work, then buy all the necessary utensils and Ghazal believes her pieces are for, “the versatile, intelligent, materials I used gave me the same feeling.” A self-confessed night with Channel V,” she says. Ghazal became engrossed research suppliers for semi-precious stones. For two months, powerful, opinionated woman who knows what she wants.” believer in the power of semi-precious and precious stones, in television production and decided to pursue it further. After Ghazal cocooned herself at home, creating a small collection That statement does, in fact, sum up Ghazal. At 35, her Ghazal can spend hours in her workshop and end up feeling four years at Impact BBDO, she moved to Leo Burnett to composed of gold and semi-precious stones, which she would list of achievements is impressive and she knows precisely like her whole body is “tingling.” attain more experience and was asked to start up a television feature in an open house in December 2003. It was a success what she wants for Nada G’s future; one can tell that Ghazal is While Lebanon’s political situation has damaged the production department. and no sooner had she showcased her collection, than she constantly putting her creativity into practice. Her insistence on country’s economic foundations, Ghazal’s creativity has All the while, Ghazal never lost sight of her dream to heard about a jewellery exhibition coming up at Beirut’s quality is another one of her meticulous facets. “My turquoise thankfully not been destroyed. The worrying climate actually become an “independent designer.” Afraid of “hitting 70 and Intercontinental Phoenicia hotel. stone supplier must hate me because I handpick the stones proved the inspiration for her latest collection ‘Drops of Hope’, regretting not having fulfilled a dream,” Ghazal resigned. Her In just 15 days, Ghazal created piece after piece, but one by one. I spread them on the table and spend hours!” which premiered at Dubai’s The Third Line last March. “I’m 30th birthday was her last day at work. “People told me I was she also had to brand herself. “Every piece of art needs the In 2005, Ghazal launched another range to her series; proud to be Lebanese, and being surrounded by the Lebanese crazy,” she says. “They were saying others dreamed of a job artist’s signature and if I wanted to sign my pieces, they would Exclusive Frost, which incorporated diamonds and was culture has given me so much inspiration. When I’m in Dubai, I like mine, but I never ever hesitated. A lot of signs told me to be signed ‘Nada Ghazal’. But coming from an advertising composed of sets rather than single pieces. Driven by a desire miss Beirut’s car horns! But then again, I’m just a daughter of move on.” background, ‘Nada Ghazal’ has a nationality, which was how to create diamond jewellery that can be worn to elaborate earth and the universe. I really wish we didn’t have passports Fearless, Ghazal knew she would find her calling and I thought of ‘Nada G’. The name stuck. I asked non-Lebanese events just with jeans, and nationalities.” she had that confirmed, albeit subliminally, just as she left people what they thought and the feedback was good. So, Ghazal aimed to reposition With a boutique Dubai. While running errands one day, Ghazal mistakenly Nada G was born and the actual logo is part of my signature. diamonds as stones that in Beirut and distribution “Using wire is a reflection of my parked in a spot for disabled people. Upon returning to her car, After the exhibition, I decided to create a company.” could in fact be worn all the through luxury outlets in a police officer was writing a ticket. She pleaded with him that Ghazal’s boutique opened in November 2004 in Beirut’s time. “Pearls and diamonds belief that everything is connected. Dubai, Kuwait and Saudi it was an honest mistake. “He was hesitating, but then took my hip district of Gemmayzeh. She threw herself into every detail are my favourite stones. My jewellery has a soul. It has life!” Arabia, Ghazal’s eyes are license and read my name out loud: Nada Wihab Ghazal. Then of her shop - from its interior design to its brochures - and I once had a television firmly fixed on the future of he said, ‘I’ll let you go this time, but it’s for Wihab’s sake.’ In a subsequently launched two lines: ‘Original’, which includes interview in Lebanon and ‘Nada G’. One of her aims weird sense, that told me that my father was looking out for me gold and semi-precious stones, and ‘No Limit’. “I wanted one of the presenters said to me, ‘Your jewellery is meant to is to make it a family business, simply because she has faith and blessed my decision somehow.” to create pieces that I could wear to the gym or the beach; be for the young but you use a lot of pearls and pearls are in her family members and they in turn, have faith in ‘Nada G’. Without a plan or an inkling of what was to come, basically, pieces that I can wear all the time. I assumed that if I for older women.’ I really want to disprove this because pearls “My family believe in me so much that I feel I can never let them Ghazal headed for Beirut. “I thought that if I wanted to start want this, it means others do as well, and that’s how ‘No Limit’ are versatile. Someone who is 16 and someone who is 90 can down. They’re proud of me and I want to make them prouder. my own business, it should be where I want to spend the rest was created. My brother came up with the name during one of wear pearls. Like everything else, it’s how you use it. I want to Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing this for them or for myself. of my life and Beirut was it.” Ghazal dabbled for the first few our brainstorming sessions.” break away from tradition and use these stones in a way in It’s almost as though I can’t tell if we are one or if I am one.” months, creating cushions, photo albums and jewellery. In the All of Ghazal’s creations have a common denominator, which they can be trendy,” believes Ghazal. The world’s capitals are Ghazal’s next ambition, but one thing summer of 2003, she created a few items in gold and went to a signature and the obvious trademark of wire. “Using wire Over and above the joy, passion and livelihood that ‘Nada remains certain - this young woman may well have her feet on visit a friend in Dallas and then went on to New York. “I wore in my jewellery is a reflection of my belief that everything is G’ has given Ghazal, there is also an emotive boost which her the ground but she is certainly reaching for the stars. o some of my pieces in New York intentionally. People would connected. My jewellery has a soul, it has a life,” says Ghazal. jewellery-making awards her. “As a child, I would stand beside ask me where I got them from. That told me that they would Her pieces are indeed beautiful and echo the intense thought miniature statues made of stone and put my hand on them, For further information on the work of Nada Ghazal, work,” says Ghazal. On her return to Beirut, Ghazal bought a process that has gone into their creation. The craftsmanship thinking that they’d give me energy, and believing they came please call +961 1560591 or visit www.nadag.com 164 165
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