A Letter From The Editor | Harper’s Bazaar Interiors Spring 2024
Bazaar’s Ayesha Shehmir pens a letter for the spring issue: ‘For the Greater Good’
Set to upturn the status quo of the furniture world, our cover star Haya Jarrar is disrupting the design industry in more ways than one. The Jordanian fashion designer, and now furniture artist’s innovative brand, Romani Home, is an exemplar of functional art – pieces that are more than just meets the eye. “I’m all about uniqueness and authenticity, which are the core values of Romani Home,” she tells Bazaar Interiors. They’re also two qualities that perfectly capture the spirit of this issue.
By marrying Qatari heritage with ethical design, Shaikha Al-Sulaiti is bringing her inaugural product line, Imagining Utopia, to the global stage. Proof that luxury and sustainability can coexist, the collection pays respect to the Gulf nation and its storied history. The design community is stepping into a new age, one in which ethically sourced materials have become a lever to explore a new dimension to communicate, express and deliver rich aesthetics.
Artist and designer Lara Salous’ words ring true now more than ever: “Learning makes us connected to the past, to the land, and to our tangible heritage”. Her initiative Woolwoman is reviving the heritage craft of weaving, merging craftsmanship, materiality, and rhythmic movement to create exquisite contemporary furniture. With the help of local craftswomen, the designer incorporates symbols of resistance to bring awareness to the hope, resilience and togetherness of the Palestinian people.
On a mission to elevate textile art through the lens of culture, identity and environment, Rue Kothari’s DESIGNEAST is another advocate of ethical design practices. In a recent trip to the Indian village of Aspura, five artists were selected to pair with a weaver for the creation of an art piece that represented a revolutionary thought, idea or event, and equally, how the process of interpreting this idea influenced the perception of the weaver.
Speaking of revolutionary, we visit the first permanent gallery dedicated to design across AlUla in the Kingdom’s AlJadidah Arts District, discovering the magnificent and raw beauty of the natural heritage site, and its role in the region’s dynamic and rapidly expanding cultural ecosystem.
Innovation, sustainability and functionality motivated by a deeper purpose – we’re witnessing a cultural shift towards a future where it truly is about more than just beauty – one in which design serves a greater good.
Editor’s Picks
Clockwise from top left: Egyptian glass candlesticks in pink, Raj Tent Club; Alabaster console, THE One; Enchanted forest ceramic candle, Chase and Wonder; Jaipur ripple vase, KAGE; Maya coffee set, Micucci Interiors
From Harper’s Bazaar Interiors Spring 2024 issue.