French fine leather goods house Berluti has joined hands with Lebanese designer Nadine Kanso’s brand, Bil Arabi, to give its logo a Middle Eastern spin in celebration of its re-opened stores in Dubai. Find out more below.
Photo: Courtesy Bil Arabi x Berluti
To celebrate the re-opening of its boutiques in Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates, Berluti has given its logo a Middle Eastern spin. And for this project, the French fine leather goods house, which has built a reputation of offering the highest quality of mens’ shoes and accessories, looked to none other than Nadine Kanso to collaborate with. For the uninitiated, the Lebanese jewelry designer is a trendsetter in her own right, and has come to be known for her unique aesthetic, relying on Arabic calligraphy and a selection of precious metals, vibrant gemstones and enamel to conceptualize her eclectic pieces. Under her much-loved jewelry brand Bil Arabi, Kanso transformed Berluti’s age-old logo by fusing her trademark calligraphy with its iconic B sign.
Photo: Courtesy Bil Arabi x Berluti
For this collaboration, the designer worked closely with the maison, choosing the Arabic character Kunn (which translates to “to be”) as a wordplay around Berluti’s B logo. The final result: a unique new motif that brings English and Arabic together to create a new pattern within a circle, a symbol of unity and exclusivity.
Photo: Courtesy Bil Arabi x Berluti
“Working closely with Berluti and delving deeper into the essence of the brand was an immensely inspiring experience,” Kanso says. “Their unparalleled craftsmanship and unwavering commitment to the art form are qualities that I deeply admire and can draw valuable lessons from as a designer.” Speaking on her creative process of choosing Kunn for the logo, she explained, “Berluti’s connection with its clients is nothing short of extraordinary, akin to an exclusive members’ club or a tight-knit family. This connection serves as the inspiration behind the creation of the iconic Kunn symbol, elegantly rendered in a circular form.”
For those who love the new logo, there’s more good news. The new, Arab-inspired motif features in a dedicated capsule collection of leather goods by the brand, comprising of T-shirts with leather patches, and Venezia leather goods — from the Bambou card holder and Makore wallet, to the Tersio pouch, Un Jour briefcase and Time Off backpack — all of which have been embossed with the same. Also in the capsule collection are the Formula 1005 rolling suitcase, and as a nod to Nadine Kanso’s igar connoisseurship, a special cigar box. The collection has been released as an exclusive edition, but does give Berluti loyalists the option to recreate the collaborative logo on selected styles by special order.
Photo: Courtesy Bil Arabi x Berluti
