"Varbed Createur" dans la Maison Rose called Badguer

"BADGUÈR is the Artisan's locale, a meeting place where young designers and artisans, passionate about art and culture can testify the living cultural heritage of Bourj Hammoud and its inhabitants.”

La Maison Rose in Bourj Hammoud

Following the first genocide of the 20^th century, a large part of the Armenian population settled down in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon. Low income housing, poor living conditions, they all came with the package of a thing called war and injustice. Over the decades, these strong minded people rose back to the top and introduced their unique heritage to a country ravaged by war itself. Long gone are the days when Armenian youths had to guard their streets during the night and risk their lives for the safety of their families and the elderly who had already survived a genocide to say the least. Although they left their treasures behind, buried in the ground, forever irretrievable; there is one thing that has stayed and will stay with them forever, and that’s culture. Armenian artisans and craftsman have now made a home for themselves in this humble location. Leather, bronze, silver, jewelry, textile, embroidery and traditional cuisine are but a few fields in which these people have excelled and passed on their skills to a new generation who isn’t afraid of artistic expression.

La Maison Rose (the pink house) stands inside one of the buzzing streets. The house isn’t difficult to notice, thanks to its beautiful architecture, color and the sound of a piano playing inside which easily draws you towards it. Each room is dedicated to a certain type of art, with the Varbed Createur on standby for any questions or discussions. Varbed is translated from Armenian as “professional” and “createur” is translated from French as creator, or maker of things. As the name of the launch event states, each artist is a professional at what he/she does, a master of creation.

First stop, is Hrag Pailian from Pailiani Design, a shoe designer whose work easily caught my eye.  From the bright red platforms, to the yellow suede. From the crystal heels to the immaculately engraved fabrics…From the second I saw the shoes, I knew we’d have a love affair. The shoes and I, that is. Instantly we made a connection and I got to try them on. It was a match made in shoe heaven.

Hrag Pailian's colorful sketches and samples

“I do, I do!”  *tear*

“I never thought this day would come.”  My skinny feet had always been the twin sisters, but on this day, they were Cinderella. Ideal for Italian size shoes, which brings me to the next fun fact: After comparing his style to that of Guiseppe Zanotti’s, he confirmed my observation. He is a former Zanotti intern who studied shoe design in Italy! Of course, shoe making is a popular Armenian craft that is passed on over the generations. Almost 2 out of 3 Armenian families have some kind of shoe making history. Hence, the extensive use of shoes for smacking naughty kids. Easily repairable.

After chit chatting for a while, I convinced Hrag to collaborate with me on a photoshoot since he didn’t have promotional material yet for his work and was looking for exposure. The shoot was a success, which I’ll share with you in a later post. (check my facebook group for a teaser)

Moving on to the second floor, another designer caught my eye; MissakHaji Avedikian. Since the world is so small, his name sounded familiar. A new friend in Saudi had mentioned his sister being friends with Missak, but other than that, I had seen him somewhere before. “You’ve changed a lot!” He says to me. Aha, it clicks. I saw him in Krikor Jabotian’s Atelier where I temporarily worked in the winter. Anyway, so he was hard at work on an Emerald green dress with a corset. I wonder how that would look on me. I guess we’ll have to find out on Saturday when I pay a visit to his Atelier, and get to be Cinderella for one more day!

Fashion Designer Missak Haji-Avedikian

Last but not least, I met Nareg D.B, the photographer whom I first saw being interviewed on a talk show called Bi Beirut. He spoke about Badguer and the upcoming launch...luckily for me we had a mutual friend so I got in touch with him before the launch in hopes that he would collaborate with me. His fortay is street photography and he's part of the Beirut Street Photographers group. If I were to tell a story about his photos, I'de say this:  "You pass by a local shop in Bourj Hammoud, selling colored spices aligned on the sidewalk giving off an unbelievable aura...while the whole place is buzzing and alive...an old man sits on his chair. Barely visible to passerbys who are preoccupied by the chaos around them. To him, this street is his home. It's where his parents settled after the genocide. It's where he was born. Where he rode his bicycle for the first time. Where he walked to school everyday and where he barely missed the fatal remnants of a missile. This is where he found love, and where he lost it. This is where his children got married. This is the place they abandoned. This is where they left him...sitting on his chair." And this is the part where I have a small tear rolling down my face, as I look at this photo, I see my own grandfather. I'm sure many Armenians can relate to this feeling.
The stories in Nareg's portraits are drawn with the thin lines covering the faces, each crease representing a different struggle. However, other than portraits, he captures everyday moments which is what makes his photography so genuine.

Clearly, I had make a connection with this guy. I had to make him a part of this blog. And, I did. :) Soon, you will discover how.

Nareg D.B. with his photos

The house is a very unique concept that motivates the preservation of art and culture. Its doors are wide open, and the atmosphere is highly welcoming. After the launch day, BADGUER will serve as an ongoing promotional center and space for artisans and creativity.

Don’t forget to pay La Maison Rose a visit, and check out the Badguer website!