My City Series | Nadine Kanso
Nadine Kanso established, Bil Arabi 2006 which has fast become one of the most exciting new brands to emerge from the middle east.
Lovingly handmade in the UAE, each Bil Arabi piece is a work of art, expressing Nadine’s understanding and appreciation of Arabic calligraphy in a contemporary, universal milieu. melding her background in graphic design and typography, Nadine created her very first piece of jewellery, a ring named ‘noon’ in 2006. entirely handcrafted in 18 carat gold and anointed with a semi-precious stone, the ring that was to be a one-off project became an instant icon.
Nadine’s ode to the region, noon, is the Arabic equivalent of the letter n; it not only presented a contemporary view of Arabic sensibilities, but also led to an entire collection celebrating all Arabic alphabets. from alphabets came words; ‘bhibbak’, or ‘i love you’ was the first Arabic phrase Nadine immortalised in gold.
Today, the collection celebrates the shape and poetry inherent to Arabic alphabets through rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and one-off, personalised works. in the fine jewellery world of yellow, white and rose gold, and dazzling precious and semi-precious stones, Bil Arabi has carved a particular brand of self-expression. With designs formed from stylised depiction of personal messages and emblazoned with precious stones, handcrafted Bil Arabi pieces are not only modern heirlooms but also offer a fresh view Arabia. in that aspect, the label is an extension of Nadine Kanso, the photographer, who found her creative voice in the streets of Lebanon and UAE, documenting realties that were far removed from the typical media hyped images from the region.
Bespoke projects and collaborative partners include the king of pearls Robert Wan, the Doha jewellery and watch exhibition, Christie’s and Harvey Nichols.
Born and Raised or Expat?
Born in Beirut Lebanon. Expat in Dubai but it’s home and I feel and always say I am an Emirati at Heart.
What led you to choose your current profession? And, what steps did you take to get there?
Bil Arabi is about identity and a statement so I guess I became a jewellery designer because of that and not the other way round. The brand was born 13 years ago and I learned a lot while developing the brand. I am an Advertising Design and Communication Arts major.
What does your Day-to-Day routine look like?
Depending on the day, but early coffee with my cat, visiting the workshops and sometimes our points of sales, then head to the office …work work work , have meetings or catch up with friends and designers and then a lot of events to attend.
What is your favourite brunch spot, and why?
I would say Tashas as the food is good and the variety of their dishes.
When you have guests, where in town do you like to take them for dinner?
I am a fan of good food and I would go for LPM or Zuma as they are always consistant, plus the vibe is always nice.
How has your city grown and changed since you’ve known it? Which changes did you like best? Why?
Dubai has changed in almost a blink of an eye, if we compare it to other cities. There was room for building, growing and for changing the city and it happened. The change brings a lot of innovation and dimension to the city, and personally I am so impressed of this vision and change.
What cool festivals/events, if any, happen in your city?
We have a lot of concerts and artists coming into Dubai to perform as well as in Abu Dhabi at the time of Formula 1. As for arts you have Art Dubai, and Sharjah Biennial that are continuous exhibitions that bring amazing art to the cities, alongside Dubai Design Week which is relatively a new addition to the Art & Design scene in the UAE.
8. Where do you go to escape? How does this space bring you peace?
I love to go for walks on the beach… its so relaxing and not crowded , brings me a lot of joy.
9. What’s a local brand in your area that we must know about?
We have great local designers other than mine of course ;-))) Designers such as Khalid Shafar , Khulood Bint Thani are worth checking out, alongside Taher Bakhtiar, Montroi…
10. Where, why and when is your next adventure?
Always traveling to discover new things and attending exhibitions… next is Venice for NOMAD exhibition, a must! Then Paris for Hassan Hajjaj… and Prague for family celebrations that’s September … Siwa i(n Egypt) in October to discover the culture and beauty of it.
11. Does Travel breed creativity?
It inspires … creativity comes from within, it’s something I learned 20 years ago. You can be in an amazing setting, city …and not feel the inspiration, the mind needs to work and needs to decide that it needs to create.
12. As for connecting the mind, body and soul, what do you do to promote self-love?
In my pieces LOVE is a base and a big part of my work, so is PEACE. One has to find balance and content to be able to move smoothly in life, If you are lucky you will find that balance and you will find self love.
13. Are there any philanthropic programs or projects that you’re passionate about or would like to shed some light on?
I am always for supporting Education. It is the key for a better future for everyone in the world.
14. Entrepreneurs, Tastemakers and Trailblazers, where do people like you hangout in your city?
Dubai has various places, all depends on what you are looking for. DIFC has great choice of top restaurants and lounges you can never go wrong visiting most of them as they are busy with people from town and out of town, such as La petite Maison, Zuma Gaia.
15. What is the importance of global connection to you?
Global connection is important as we are now children of the world , we travel live and connect with people across the world and our friends all over, today more than ever the world is our oyster as they say.
16. Advice for budding entrepreneurs?
Work hard and from the heart, believe in what you are doing , there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t give up and don’t be pretentious. It will always be a learning journey.
17. We’re living in a world where our attention to new innovation doesn’t seem to have longevity, how do you find your inspiration to make new waves with long-term prosperity?
Indeed it’s a fast time we are living and people have no attention span. It’s so easy to loose focus and frustrating at times…that said you should always come up with something different and unexpected, you need to have the patience to continue, keep on moving forward and be consistent.
18. Tell us about what you are currently working on?
We are launching 2 new collections as we speak and a third one that will be assoiciated to a Carpet design I worked on. Also been working on my next photography exhibition. Collaborated with Gaga Milan on a watch that will launch soon as well….so pretty busy I guess!
19. People can often look at the end result of success and think that the journey has been easy. In your darkest moments, what was your motivation and inspiration to keep going, despite the obstacles and challenges you faced?
The love I have for what I do will never make me feel that way, challenges are the best thing one can encounter, as we learn more and these lessons keep our journey interesting .I am the kind of person that will always look at the positive and never the negative in situations. Everything has a solution!
20. A quote or mantra that you live by?
Live and let live.
2. Please share a playlist that embodies your work. What about this particular music brings you inspiration?
I do not stick to one play list. I mostly listen to lounge music while at work. But when I have new work coming up I listen to Arabic music, singers like Warda Al Jazairia, Umm Kulthum, Abdel Halim Hafez, Fairuz…old school and nostalgia are essential to stay connected … the past is as important as the present and a source of inspiration.
