In the newcomer boutique in Kantari, the ladies behind 2626 will gradually reveal its secrets as you walk around and discover the miscellaneous objects and clothes that make up the store’s selection.

2626 is the work of three women, the grandmother, the mother and the daughter. The grandmother, Rosemary Jennings, half British, half Lebanese, learned to sew on her own, and set up her atelier in Beirut in the 1950’s, designing dresses for ladies evening occasions. Her daughter Nada joined, adding her own touch. She favours dressy evening clothes that embrace the shape of the body with a sexy flair. A couple of years ago, Nada’s daughter, Tiara Ghandour, came on board. After fashion design studies at Esmod, Beirut and a master at Marangoni in Milan, she started designing her own line of leggings. Ever since she was a child, Tiara liked two things, photography and fashion. She drew abstract patterns and painted on her jeans. She decided to combine her two passions; the photos she took from a multitude of sources, from music to travel or architecture, were transformed into prints, which in turn made for eclectic leggings.

On Tiara’s initiative, the three ladies set up to open a boutique, combining their visions into one space. The common thread between them was tops, which they felt in line with the times, as people attend fewer receptions requiring formal evening gowns, and go out more to cocktails and soirées pairing sophisticated tops with jeans or skirts. They applied their respective style, working essentially with a tulle basis, a light and transparent fabric, which reveals the body’s sensuality. The name 2626 is for the age at which Tiara started designing, her lucky number and also announces a futuristic vision, timeless design. At 2626, you will find on one side the lacy elegant tops designed by the mother and on the other side the more edgy patchworks or prints of Tiara’s cocktail tops. Large frames hold Tiara’s photographs of a Buddha in Seoul or Lady of Fatima’s hand found in the Chouf mountains. She also transforms her pictures and applies the energetic prints on cosy sofas on display in the boutique. The ladies’ fruitful imagination and intergenerational inspiration make 2626 a unique place for creativity and style.

Address:
Talleyrand Building, Burj el Murr
Kantari
📞: + 961 1 372614

Price: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆