Life works in cycles, and catching up with talented designer illustrator Timi Hayek reminded us to take things as they come, and do what we love.
Our first question for Timi was ‘where does your brand stand today?’ and her answer was a simple and honest ‘Timi is a mom today’. The designer has always embraced a slow, sustainable approach to her craft and now more than ever she reminds us to be gentle to ourselves. Creativity and passion are two things that never leave her, and she admits that going back to her work whenever she has a moment is extremely gratifying. At dawn, in the refreshing mountains of Naas in Lebanon, or in the streets of Ashrafieh dotted with beautiful old houses hidden among constructions, Timi finds inspiration to sketch. Her appreciation for medieval aesthetics and fascination for constellation maps that guided navigators, foliage and motifs from floral manuscripts and textiles, has led her over the years to assemble a library of books from which she gathers images and narratives for her designs. Some illustrations are straight away keepers, which will be framed or transcribed on scarves and dresses, while others take weeks to rework until she is satisfied with the final result, but this part, the creative process, is what she loves most.
Timi has just received her latest designs, a collection of hand rolled scarves, sewn in Como, Italy, featuring her sketches inspired by old tapestries, celestial maps, as well as traditional architectural details encountered during morning walks in her Beirut neighborhood. ‘They arrived exactly at the same time my baby was born’ she laughs, so she did not get around yet to organize her photoshoot, prepare the packaging and labeling, but will soon be putting this collection ‘out there’. She reveals a predilection for silk, a natural fabric that flows, breathes and is soft to the touch. She is also exploring the possibilities of printing her whimsical sketches on linen. Timi handles everything herself, from sketch to packaging and marketing, and relies solely on word of mouth. Her talent led her to be noticed by Harvey Nichols, who commissioned a special edition of scarves for their Dubai store, a large-scale window installation in London for their Holly Nichols month-long celebration, a tribute to great women, and more coming soon. The designer and her brand evolve hand in hand, navigating life’s moments and letting things happen organically.
