Founded in 1891, L’Atelier Nawbar is now in the hands of fourth generation Nawbars – sisters Tania and Dima – who say they’re looking to reinvent history by mixing the brand’s heritage with snippets of their own life stories.
What makes your vision of L'Atelier Nawbar so unique?
[Dima Nawbar] Coming from a family of jewellers, we remember growing up playing dress-up with our father’s and grandfather’s designs. I think that created a lasting love for jewellery. So, many years later, Tania and I wanted to share our heritage and create a similar experience for our clients. That's why we opened a boutique in Saifi Village in the charming cobblestoned streets of Downtown Beirut as a place where people could enjoy every facet of jewellery-making. A place where hammers, callipers and shears shine alongside diamonds and gold.
[Tania Nawbar] Absolutely, it's a space where design, manufacturing and showroom merge into one. And by placing our workshop within our showroom, we were able to introduce our Abracadabra services that include design and craftsmanship, upcycling, remodelling and repairing along with our gold exchange service, all of which are meant to promote a culture of sustainability, where nothing goes to waste.
What are your roles in the business?
[Dima Nawbar] You know we've never actually made a clear-cut division of what we do. We both design the collections, and the rest of the time we manage our business as best we can. Tania does more of the finances and I do more of the travelling and trade shows. But that too is circumstantial. Essentially, L’Atelier Nawbar is our baby, so wherever it needs nurturing, one of us is on it.
We will always keep our flagship store and production in Lebanon, but we are aiming to open up to new markets in the US, Europe and Asia so we can share our designs and love.
— Dima Nawbar
What is it like to work side by side with your sister, every single day?
[Tania Nawbar] We've been best friends ever since we were little so we're kind of inseparable and we complete each other. Personally speaking, I love that we work side by side, especially that we see eye to eye on the big picture.
[Dima Nawbar] And that we have the same taste and vision.
Your design studio was devastated by the explosion at the Port of Beirut on August 4th, yet, a week later you decided to channel this trauma and make jewellery out of the masses of shattered glass splayed across the city. Can you explain how this idea came about?
[Dima Nawbar] Following the tragic events that happened in Beirut this summer, we decided to make art from the scraps through handmade charms created from the shattered glass of Beirut, upcycled with coloured Murano, and set in an 18-karat gold mosaic of love. They are perfectly imperfect little flags and a tribute to our beloved city. They'll also be a help in the rebuilding effort, as all proceeds are being donated to Arc-en-Ciel, a Lebanese NGO.
[Tania Nawbar] We will rebuild our Lebanon, quietly, efficiently and swiftly like little ants, rebuilding one business at a time.
Where are you selling your designs now and what are your plans for the future?
[Tania Nawbar] Our boutique in Beirut and our website at lateliernawbar.com, plus internationally, the brand is carried by Harrods in London, Mad Lords in Paris, Harvey Nichols in Kuwait, as well as Rosark and Just One Eye in Los Angeles.
[Dima Nawbar] We usually do a lot of pop-ups worldwide, but since the onset of COVID-19 we have had to rely more on our online platform and website to reach our international clients. We have a lot of plans and one might materialise very soon since Lebanon has taken a turn for the worse. That being said, we will always keep our flagship store and production in our dear country but we're aiming to open up to new markets in the US, Europe and Asia so we can share our designs and love. We're jewellers by blood not profession.
