‘Selling stories from the Middle East’ with posters of singers, dancers Plans for a road show or pop-ups in the US, Canada and possibly London BEIRUT: Lebanese designer and artist Rana Salam continues to export Arab culture to the West with fashion and decor pieces inspired by well-known sayings, singers and dancers. The Beirut-born creative uses pictures of renowned Arab celebrities, like Egyptian dancer Tahiya Karioka and singer Umm Kulthum, to decorate cushions, trays, plates, purses, jackets and more. The designer draws inspiration from the Middle East. “(It is) very much the signature of this brand that I created which now I am calling the ‘wow and wonderful world’ of Rana Salam,” she said in an interview with Arab News. “This is specifically about selling stories from the Middle East on products, like for example when you see a cushion or the jacket that you are wearing, it is all extracted from patterns and stories from the Middle East,” she explained. Salam, who is the daughter of Lebanese artist Assem Salam, worked in branding for around 20 years. The product designer partnered with multiple eateries around the world, including Comptoir Libanais in London and Noura in Paris, to brand their interiors with pictures of Arab celebrities and famous phrases from the region. “People loved the brand to the point that I decided to create products because not everybody can afford to do branding,” said Salam, who started off her career as a graphic designer. “So when people want a little bit of (a) slither of Rana Salam, they can come and buy something that is affordable (and) not super high-end.” Her most popular products are cushions and posters. “People love to decorate their homes with our posters. We also collect them under the theme of love posters (and) Egyptian belly dancers,” she said. “People used to describe me as the ‘Cezanne’ who was in love with fashion and at the same time also food and cooking. So for me, design is a ‘mélange’ of all of that,” she explained. Now, Salam’s plans are to travel abroad and do a road show or pop-ups in the US, Canada and “maybe” London. The designer said her dream is to have her brand known worldwide and “really make it more wow and wonderful.”