“I was always attracted to the artisan world," explains Frank Luca, co-founder of the Lebanese boutique, Orient 499. The boutique has been a pillar of the Beirut cultural scene since 2006, when it was opened by Luca and his business partner Aida Kawas. The pair have now opened the first international outpost at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai. “I grew up in a family of antique dealers for three generations, So, I always paid attention to details, always finding amazing techniques.”
Since its foundation, Orient 499 has run on a simple concept – to be a curated space that celebrates and champions artisanal skills. Having started with traditional Lebanese soap making, copper work and hand-blown glass, these have all been translated into functional objects for a modern audience. As with many great ideas, however, it came about almost by accident.
The pair met in Istanbul and while chatting, they realised they have many shared interests. Kawas invited him to open a boutique offering artisanal treasures in the Turkish city, and while Luca was intrigued by the proposition, he was unconvinced by the location. "I love Istanbul, but I live in Lebanon. I barely knew her, but I thought about it, and three weeks later we signed the papers in Beirut."
Over the years, the products have expanded to encompass ceramics, trays, artworks, antiques and clothes, all carefully designed and chosen by themselves. "Aida has a very strong knowledge of fashion, so she is designing clothes, as she used to work with tailors and the people doing the embroidery," he explains.
Today, the new Alserkal space is populated with beautifully displayed treasures, including Levantine glass; furniture inlaid with mother of pearl, which is a Syrian speciality; embroidered suzani wall hangings from Uzbekistan; Ethiopian silver crosses; and kaftans cut from the finest Varanasi brocade. Elegantly sparse, each piece is given space to be been seen and admired.
About to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary, Luca is reflective about the journey it has undertaken. "We work with craftsmen and craftswoman who used to come to our shop by bicycle," he explains. Over endless coffees, the pair would sit chatting with the makers, who would discuss their hopes for the future of their craft, which often felt uncertain. As the company has grown, it has, in turn, secured a financial lifeline for so many of the craftspeople. "After two or three years, we saw them coming with their own car, and now we work with the children,“ explains Luca.
These strong bonds have been sorely tested over recent years, he explains. First by Lebanon's financial crisis, then Covid-19 and then the Beirut explosion. Most recently, they have had to navigate how to remain safe during the Israeli invasion. “All the orders were halted, but we are like a big family, and were there to support everyone, and find shelters for them from the bombs," Luca says.
Coping with disaster is ingrained deep within the Lebanese psyche, yet he admits to being frustrated at times. “We are in a country that has zero support for the crafts. In India, they have a Ministry of Crafts. In Lebanon, of course, we don't expect anything like that, but at one point I saw the figures of the financial volume of crafts being made in Lebanon, and realised we are doing one-third of it. Orient 499 represents one third of the crafts being made. Now, when I go and renew my passport, I say, ‘You should give me a medal for what I'm doing for the country',” he laughs.
In recent years, the pair have started to source expensive cloth from around the world for select clothing. With high prices per metre however, they were apprehensive. "We started to work with very elevated fabrics, but worried what clients are going to pay this price? But we said, 'let's try it', and it became one of the best-selling items. Even though the budget is high, the quality is amazing. So now we have cashmere from Europe, the most beautiful linen from Belgium, silk from Italy, and brocade from Varanasi, and we have our own atelier of couture, so we add embroidery or beading."
Working with very limited numbers enables the company to stay true to its manifesto of only offering the unique, steering well clear of anything mass-produced. "This is luxury now," he explains. "The handmade and unique. And I think now more people are turning to very niche brands that really produce in limited quantities. When we have a fashion design, we do a maximum of six pieces, so imagine the chance to cross someone in a party and to have the same dress. Impossible!
"But its exhausting. In terms of business it's not the most clever thing to do, but it brings us joy and at the same time, a client knows and is willing to understand the price point and the uniqueness of it. Searching out the most beautiful fabrics, but only making two pieces with it."
Describing the Beirut space as "poetic", Luca admits creating the right atmosphere in Dubai was difficult. Situated in a warehouse, they needed to make it softer and more human. "We teamed up with Mariagroup Architecture founder Michele Maria, who with her brother Georges runs the respected practice in the Lebanese capital," he explains. "She did my apartment in Beirut, and I always loved what she was doing. She decided to create a warm box inside the warehouse." The effect is a soft framework of lighting, that shows each piece to perfection.
Now that other Lebanese companies are moving into Alserkal Avenue, alongside Orient 499, Luca is delighted. "It's like a little Beirut," he laughs.
