Bazaar’s Ayesha Shehmir pens a letter for The Freedom Issue
What is true freedom? The power to speak, think and act as one desires? Write or make art without a fear of being judged? To not be restricted by someone or something? Perhaps this is exactly what empowers designers: there’s no rulebook for their imagination. For designer Nazzy Beglari (p.86), freedom is a place – her home, specifically. It’s where cultures meld and art shows no bounds; a collection of keepsakes that narrate a bold sense of place.
Like Nazzy, most designers in this issue, from Pallavi Dean (p.62) to Adam Rolston (p.106), will tell you the same thing – they are most free when practising their art: watching their untamed sketches come to life, and take on a life of their own. This sentiment spreads throughout the pages; every story is imbued with originality, wild expressions and unrestrained beauty.
With the season of entertaining upon us, for those wondering how to unleash the feel-good energy of winter in a tablescape (p.48) and floral arrangement (p.76), or in pieces that exude poetic charm (p.42), the experts reveal their styling secrets for visual greatness. Achieving this greatness with flowers and dinner plates is one thing, but add art to the mix and it’s a whole other ball game: from the rise of collectable furniture to the curated abode, art consultant Dina Nasser-Khadivi unpacks the contemporary art-design axis (p.80), while businesswoman Mana Jalalian explores the interaction between art, design and culture (p.72) – which has been the cornerstone of societies for centuries, surpassing geographical boundaries and time. This symbiotic relationship was at the basis of this year’s Dubai Design Week and Downtown Design fair (p.54). The event saw a number of innovations in materiality depicted through large installations that transcend tradition, plucked straight from the mind of the designer, as well as a stunning showcase of international and local brands set to inspire visitors for years and years to come.
I hope you, too, will be endlessly inspired, your visions unobstructed by norms. As for me? True freedom is when mind, body and spirit synchronise in a dance of life – one that moves to the beat of your own drum.
Editor’s Picks
Clockwise from top left: Cobra side table, 1stDibs; Moroccan Decorative Arts book, Assouline; La Serpentine mug, Hermès; Coral decoration, Elkhorn
From the Winter 2023 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Interiors.