BEIRUT DESIGN FAIR - Key Persons
Director of the Gallery S. Bensimon in Paris for ten years, François Leblanc Di Cicilia, known as a real talent scout, also personally advises designer's studio and brands for their creative and commercial development. He founds in love with design and craft during his 4 years' mission for the Galeries Lafayette Group into the Decorative Art Museum in Paris. His life's comitment is to share know-how and creativity to build bridges between people.
Guillaume worked for over 10 years as a journalist for the largest newspapers in France, then for several years in the Reed Elsevier Group, the world's leading trade show organizer, before developing his own press group. He got over the years interested in the field of Design that quickly became a passion. He decided then to use his experience and create in 2017 the first Design Fair in Lebanon and invited Hala Moubarak to board the project as co-founder.
Nadia Jabri is the founder of Letternoon, an international platform specializing in curated Middle Eastern contemporary art and design through an online shop, exhibitions and limited edition production based in New York City.
Trained in international affairs and human rights at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, Nadia worked in various international advocacy roles in legal and public affairs. Inspired by her cultural experiences, she saw an opportunity to pursue her commitment to social progress and well-being with a lifelong passion for design and innovation. She created Letternoon to provide first time access to emerging design and content with a mission to change misperceptions about the region. It is her hope that retail diplomacy will inspire greatly needed creative connections and collaborations.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Planning & Development
Founder of ALFAC the Lebanese Cultural Festivals Association, an NGO that promotes and supports Lebanese Talents in the fields of Art, Music, Fashion and Design. Randa has over 38 years experience in developing Cultural, Artistic, Leisure and Entertainment projects and Activities that integrate in order to reposition Cities, Real Estate Developments, and Cultural Hubs in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
She created the Saifi Village Art District, the Beirut Exhibition Center, SV Gallery, Artists' Residencies and curated multiple International Art Exhibitions and Art Installations in the Beirut Central District to reposition Beirut as the Cultural Capital of the Middle East. Randa has initiated and led Marketing Strategies, Branding, Advertising, Communications & PR, and is accomplished in promoting new projects and new destinations.
Job Titles:
- Editor - in - Chief of Harper 's Bazaar Art
Rebecca Anne Proctor is the Editor-in-Chief of Harper's Bazaar Art and Harper's Bazaar Interiors, a role she has held since 2015. She has written prolifically for publications including The New York Times Style Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, Canvas, Artnet News, Frieze, BBC, Galerie, The National and The Business of Fashion as well as written several art catalogues on Middle Eastern art and culture.
In her previous life, after obtaining her M. Litt from Christie's London in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Rebecca worked at Gagosian Gallery before moving to Paris to pursue a double MA in Middle Eastern Studies and Conflict Resolution from the American University of Paris and a Master's in «Sociologie des Conflits» from L'Institut Catholique. Two dissertations later, one developed in Lebanon's Baalbek region, she moved to Abu Dhabi in 2009 where she worked at the Barakat Gallery and then at Ayyam Gallery in 2011 as an art consultant. Always hungry for new horizons and encounters, Rebecca is an extensive traveler. She travelled throughout the Middle East, Turkey, Iran, North and Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Additionally, Rebecca is regularly asked to animate panels, debates and round tables on arts, culture and media Arts in Europe, the Middle East and North America, at artistic events or on TV, in front of the most varied audiences.