Saudi Design Week - Day 2

Day 2

 Khalid Shafar

Designer, owner of KASA

خالد شعفار

مصمم، صاحب استديو كاسا   

 I've always been a fan of his work. Amazed by what he creates.And now that I have heard him talk I respected him even more.

Khalid Shafar didn't start as an artist. He studied and worked in Marketing. Until one day he decided to go after what he loved. So he went and studied Art and worked with wood. He started creating things with his hands, using materials and tools he has never picked up in his  life.

What i liked about him was how straight forward he is. I liked his answer to one of the questions about the international validation. He stated that people around you will buy from you as a way to support you. But that will happen only the 1st time, because they either know you or they know of you. But when a complete stranger who has never heard of you buys from you, and more than once, then you know that that person is buying because he liked the product. That is what the international validation is.

The fact that he started  his career in the art world late was something that was at his mind. Every time he meets or reads about a new young artist ,he can't help but to ask himself, what if?? but the answer is that he has become who he is now because he started late, that the skills he picked up in his days working in marketing has contributed to where he is now.

  

I related to that too, cause although I loved fashion since I was a kid, I haven't started my university years with it. I look around me and I think these young designer, bloggers, or  stylists have a better time to experiment and explore. Even this blog was created late!!

But the important thing is that you have to start some time..

Truth is, it's never too late to start something.. And as Khalid says, where we are now is because of the experiences we came through.

كنت من المعجبين بفنه. واستغرب من كيف يخترعهم. وبعد ما سمعته يتكلم احترمته اكثر.

خالد شعفار ما بدأ كفنان. درس واشتغل في التسويق. لين ما جاء اليوم اللي قرر فيه انه يرجع للشي الي يحبه. فدرس الفن وتعلم يشتغل بالخشب. وبدأ يخترع اشياء منهم ويستخدم مواد وادوات ما قد استخدمهم في حياته.

يعجني فيه انه واضح.عجبتني اجابته على واحد من الاسئلة اللي جاته وكانت عن الاعتراف العالمي بشغله.وضَّح انه الناس حولك راح يشترون منك كنوع من الدعم لك بس في المرة الاولى، لانهم يا يعرفونك او سامعين فيك. بس لما يجيك شخص غريب ما قد سمع فيك ويشتري منك واكثر من مرة ،وقتها تعرف انه اشترى لان المنتج عجبه. هذا هو معنى الاعتراف العالمي.

كون انه بدأ مشواره كمصمم في وقت متآخر من عمره كان شي دائما في باله. كل ما قابل اوسمع عن مصمم شاب، الا مايسآل نفسه ايش كان صار؟!بس الجواب هو انه اليوم شخصيته كذا بسبب انه بدأ متأخر، والخبرات اللي اكتسبها من ايام ما كان يشتغل في التسويق فادته يوصل للمكان اللي هو فيه اليوم.

افهم عليه. ان مع اني احب الفاشن من يوم ما كنت صغيرة ما درسته في الجامعة. ولما اتلفت حولي افكر انه هذيل اللي توهم بادين من المصممين، البلوغرز،او الستايلست عندهم وقت احسن يجربون فيه.حتى المدونة هذي احس انها جات متاخر. 

بس اهم شي ان الواحد يبدأ..

ما فات الوقت.ومثل ما قال خالد، ما كنا راح نكون في هذا المكان لولا التجارب اللي مرينا فيها. 

  

Layla Moussa

Founder of Layla Moussa Designs

ليلى موسى

مؤسسة شركة ليلى موسى للتصميم

Layla Moussa appeared to be a tell-it-like-it-is kind of person.

She started her talk about how never studied anything about what she is doing right now, how  it was actually in her DNA.

She also pointed out that we are lucky to be exposed to a lot of cultures in our lives and that that alone is enough to educate anyone. That your eyes, brain and taste can be developed through seeing and observing. 

To her Fabrics are her passion. She loves collecting them wherever she goes and makes use of them in bedding, furniture or curtains.

She is also a master at what she does. She showed us images of chairs that she had restored with embroidered fabrics and looked great. I always said I don't get embroidery! I can never tell if it's tacky or chic!Which is why I stay away from it.but what she does is so beautiful.

 "The piece of furniture tells you what it needs" is how she described what make her decide what fabric to use. Spoken like a true creative, because only her eyes can see how the piece should look like.

She did confess as to being over the top sometimes. but her one and only rule is Quality. "Quality will save your neck"

Another point that she shared with us, that I also liked is, that if a person doesn't like something, then it's a difference in taste, and people are entitled to that. That should be respected. But no one should be able to say it isn't  of good quality. And she personally makes sure everything she makes is of the best quality.

واضح انه ليلى موسى من الناس الصريحة.

بدأت كلامها بانها ما قد درست شي من اللي هي قاعدة تشتغل فيه الحين، وكيف انه كان جزء من تركيبة الدي ان ايه DNA حقها.

ووضحت لنا اننا محظوظين بوجود ثقافات كثيرة حولنا ممكن الواحد يكتسب منها وان الدراسة لوحدها ما تكفي. العيون،العقل والذوق ممكن يتطورعن طريق المتابعة والملاحظة.

عشقها وغرامها الاقمشة. تحب تجمع منهم من اي مكان تزوره وتستفيد منهم في شراشف ،مفروشات او ستائر.

 وهي ماشاء الله فنانة في اللي تسويه.ورتنا صور لكراسي رجعت رمَّمتهم باقمشة مطرزة وطلعت رائعة!! آنا ما افهم في التطريز!!ولا افرق القروي من  الشيك، فعشان كذا ما أجي جنبهم. بس اللي هي تسويه مرة حلو.

لما جات تشرح كيف تختار القماش المناسب لكل قطعة قالت انه: "قطعة المفروشات نفسها هي اللي تقول ايش تحتاج."طبعاً هذا كلام ناس خبرة لأن عيونها بس اللي ممكن تشوف الشكل النهائي للقطعة كيف لازم يكون. 

من اعترافتها انها اوقات تحب "تشطح". بس اهم شي عنده الجودة. 

والشي اللي كمان قالته وعجبني هو انه في ناس ما راح يعجبها الشيء والسبب اختلاف أذواق ويحق لكل واحد يتمسك بذوقه. بس لازم ولا احد يقول عليه ان جودته سيئة. وهي تحرص شخصياً على ان كل شي عندها يكون بافضل جودة.