Catering to the ever evolving, and emerging, men’s fashion market, our favourite Dubai-based jewellery designer, artist and photographer Nadine Kanso has teamed up with product designer and creative director Samer Al Ameen to create a unique men’s line for Bil Arabi.
With 2014 figures of the world market for menswear expected to exceed US$402 billion, the industry has never been stronger making it an ideal opportunity for Nadine Kanso to join forces with Samer Al Ameen and develop a line of men’s jewellery.
The Bil Arabi brand, which literally means “In Arabic”, was launched in 2006 by Beirut-born Kanso and embodies her ideas about her culture and identity, deriving inspiration from the Arabic language and calligraphy. Al Ameen’s collaboration has resulted in a very modern and masculine take on Arabic letters, creating a linear and more structured aesthetic.
His interest in Arabic fonts stems from his past work in advertising and his own image consultancy designing logos and corporate identities. His mission is to reconstruct the Arabic font into a more modern look without losing its identity. He is also interested in reconstructing the Arab heritage into a more modern context. These interests translate perfectly into the pieces in the Bil Arabi men’s line, which shapes Arabic letters into modern works of wearable art. The collection consists of necklaces, bracelets, cuff links and rings, in silver with each letter crafted in a unique and modern way.
“For the launch of Bil Arabi’s men’s line, I wanted to have a fresh approach – something which will appeal to today’s more fashion conscious men,” said Nadine Kanso of her latest project. She has also previously collaborated with Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Kiehl’s and Cruciani. “I loved the way Samer approached modernising traditional objects, and I knew that his approach would translate perfectly with Bil Arabi.”
Here’s a sneak peek at the collection available from Bil Arabi
