Maya Diab, aka most beautiful Lebanese woman ever

(Photo: The Travel Case)

Artisans in Lebanon are a dime a dozen. If you are lucky, however, you stumble upon those precious gems whose story is as enticing as it’s manifestations, i.e. the product. Ghita is one such character I had the pleasure of meeting during my yearly pilgrimage to Starch, a boutique with a to die for concept likened to an incubator for young Lebanese designers. Ghita’s road to becoming an artisan is not unique per se. The majority of designers I met in Beirut typically studied something completely different in university, followed by taking a sharp turn towards their true calling. Story of our lives? What makes Ghita unique are the concepts and stories she’s made a grab for in the spirit of developing a very personal collection. 

Ghita, a Starch boutique baby, is soon to take her first steps on her own as a “grown up” accessories artisan. Recall I mentioned in my original Starch article that the boutique works very much like an art gallery. Burgeoning interior, clothes and accessories designers collectively showcase their work for a given amount of time before the next crop. Ghita was chosen to exhibit her accessories based on her portfolio from Domus Academy in Milan. After two successful collections to her name, literally, Ghita is on a roll. 

(Photo: Saddle Ring)

So what’s behind the collection? Shel Silverstein’s Edge of the World, if you will. Ghita took the notion behind the world being flat and challenged herself to question how flat materials take shape. How does it become voluminous and something of substance? These musings lent themselves to designing accessories, such as bags, that start off flat and then take shape through folding and layers. My favourite is the treasure chest in large and small. Below is the small version. I love how in each of Ghita’s designs on her website she brings you back to the concept in which she designed the bag; from flatness to folding. I urge you to visit her website to check out the rest of her “treasure chests”.

Maya Diab, aka most beautiful Lebanese woman ever