Nada Debs

As Nada Debs Studio opens its first flagship outside of Lebanon and Nada Debs herself takes a center role for young talent during this edition of Downtown Design, we sat down for a conversation on mentorship, the path to success, and much more.

The Amphora Guide: This year Dubai Design Week celebrates a milestone with its 10th anniversary, and Downtown Design its 12th edition. From your perspective, how have these initiatives impacted the regional design scene?

Nada Debs: I believe this is just the beginning, Downtown Design has been elevated in the last few years and over time gained real momentum among professionals and clients. Suddenly it became a thriving community of emerging talent, interior designers, architects, and ultimately friends.

TAG: You are taking on the special role of mentor at Downtown Design this year. Could you share more about what you’ll be doing and why you decided to accept this role?

ND: For this upcoming edition of Downtown Design, I will be doing something I really enjoy, mentoring the young designers part of this year’s UAE Young Designer Exhibition. This is the part I enjoy doing the most, sitting with someone on a personal level, understanding where they are coming from, where they are going, what are their ambitions, their vision and just help guide them to find that one special thing that defines their identity.

TAG: With a successful design career spanning over 20 years and as someone who has witnessed the growth of the scene here, do you feel that nowadays there’s more room for regional talent on the global stage? How have you seen this evolve?

ND: I think the governments in the region understood the positive impact of design and creativity in the economy and how important it is for its development. This led them to a huge effort to promote emerging talent, for example sending them to design fairs in Paris, Milan, etc. which is a great support system for young students and offers them an amazing opportunity - I wish I was a young designer, starting now with so many opportunities.

TAG: You have created a distinct design language by pioneering the fusion of Japanese minimalism and Middle Eastern craftsmanship, what you like to call a blend of «East and East”. How important is it to create a recognisable design style? What would you advise young creatives?

ND: First they need to look at everything around them: how they grew up, what they like, what they don’t… Sometimes just follow their hearth when designing - Myself, I focused on designing something that I liked and only when others pointed out I realized the Japanese and Middle Eastern influences. They need to disconnect from all the information that is constantly bombarding us every day, and focus on creating something that is truly unique, that relates to them as a human, and has a deep meaning behind it.

TAG: Working closely with young talent, what do you find most compelling about this new generation of creatives?

ND: This new generation has a lot of energy and an almost wild drive to make it in the industry fast. When I mentor them my goal is to help them take a step back and look at the big picture. They need to understand that success doesn’t happen overnight and have patience, all the experiences in their path will lead to a unique approach - Sometimes I tell them about my own experience: first I worked in the US, then designed kids’ furniture in the London, over the years studied calligraphy, textile design, computer science, and more, before starting my practice at 38, where all these elements came together.

TAG: Your Beirut studio has became a must-visit for design aficionados. You are now creating a brand-new space in Dubai. Can you reveal a little more of what we can expect at this new address?

ND: Our new address will be our first flagship outside Lebanon. Like everything I do, this space will be about duality: finding the balance between the Japanese and Arab worlds, combining tradition and modernity, and you will be able to see that in our store design as soon as you walk inside. I can’t tell you much more details, but I can share that inside the new space in Alserkal you will find our design studio, the store with a dedicated space for customization, and a gallery space to host exhibitions and do our launches.

TAG: Beirut is a crucial part of your work and identity. You have also collaborated with UAE artisans to reimagine Emirati crafts. Drawing from both inspirations, how do you see this exciting new chapter in Dubai unfurl?

ND: This space will be the center of many new collaborations. We have a plan to bring together designers from around the world to create exclusive pieces for the studio, pieces that use craft as a way to express their origins and tell their stories. I do hope we will have some UAE designers collaborating with us soon, especially because we want to become a catalyst for contemporary craft in the region. Part of the reason I am opening this space in Dubai is to support craftspeople and preserve the talent that is slowly fading away, in our perspective the only way to foster these skills is by elevating the value of “handmade”, creating demand for this kind of production so that supply will follow naturally.