We step inside a beautifully decorated home with a Levantine flair. ‘It’s the office’ Tarek Moukaddem corrects us. Every detail is curated with taste, a perfect blend of elegant and homey. The same can be said about the clothes hanging on the racks. Nightcomer, his newly launched brand, tells of our tales.
The slow sustainable Lebanese made brand is an ode to the Levant. Could it be the silhouettes, the prints, the colors, or a detail? Versatile, modern, inked in the present, each piece still invites a feeling of nostalgia. The reversible fara coat, with a dropped shoulder line, is inspired by chadors, worn like women in Egypt in the old days; just lift up the edge to delicately cover your hair or drop it nonchalantly on your shoulders. Nightcomer’s bestseller is a deconstructed shirt, that can be worn as a dress or a vest, choosing to show or hide skin by closing the delicate mother of pearl buttons. Flare pants with a high waist, loosely inspired by the sherwal have lightly pinched pleats or an exaggerated version. Tarek puts on a maxi coat in a vintage Fendi dalmatian shimmery silk. On the racks he shows us the piece was edited in different fabric versions from wild silk to navy bouclé wool or in a smooth tux fabric; a blend of wool and silk. The designer goes on treasure hunts across Lebanon to find highly coveted deadstock textiles. Exceptional finds; fabrics from an English designer of the 80s, cashmere bouclé from an old Italian brand, waxed 80s African textiles, night blue and silver brocade or nostalgic tartan reminiscent of high school uniforms. The golden Macramé accessories recall that random tablecloth on our grandmother’s TV set, and delicate embroideries are cue to the lining on the edge of our old homes vintage sofas. His color palette evokes natural sceneries of the Levant; olive green, mountain rust, desert beige.
Tarek mastered the lens, being a photographer for fifteen years for top notch couturiers and brands, the likes of Dior, and magazines across the globe from Vogue to his own publication. His personal photography hints at his penchant for Levantine aesthetics. He quickly became solicited by brands such as Nada Debs, Sarah's Bag or influencer Lana El Sahely to create capsule artsy accessories collections and also worked as a consultant for Made in Lebanon luxury brands. ‘Fine arts, photography, fashion, the only things that changes is the medium’. Through his experience he realized there was a gap in market offering for mid-price range brands. It seems his intuition struck a chord; his first Summer 22 collection sold out and he just launched the Winter 23 collection already a hit. ‘80% of my friends are designers, they helped me with fabric sourcing, design and production’. Passionate, Tarek collected historical garments over the years (and plenty of books, we saw in the office). The Nightcomer team has already doubled. We find Anthony in a room working on a pvc coated edgy burgundy bomber, and we roam around further to see the artisans at work, crocheting a large handbag inspired by the food bags regional travelers carried, into a fun sleek beach companion. The pieces are one size and unisex, ‘In the region we have less gender construct, look at the Abaya for instance, it’s versatile.’ With a sharp eye for detail, and unparalleled creativity, Tarek appropriates with humor that ‘orientalist’ vision of the Arab world. With Nightcomer he shares a feeling, common memories scattered here and there.
Photo credits: Tarek Moukaddem
