Designer Johnny Farah’s early influences came from Copenhagen. Living there in the 70s, he developed a particular interest in the simplicity and practicality of Scandinavian architecture and furniture design, and more specifically in the way different materials like concrete, iron, wood or leather were put to their full formal and functional potential. That time was also marked by Johnny’s life-changing encounters with Architects Arne Jacobsen and Hans Wegner, after which he decided to leave mechanical engineering school and concentrate on his leather design which, up until then, was only a means to support his studies.

Whether for his main line, Johnny Farah, or his recently developed ‘JF 37 37’, he hardly ever uses embellished leather. His products are consistently molded from pieces of Italian-imported vegetable tanned saddle leather, ensuring the best quality for his practical and modern designs. ‘JF 37 37’ is an entirely hand-made line of handbags, belts, shoes and accessories, cut and sewn in his own workshop in Beirut. Leather and brass hardware are custom-made for every single item, and the result is a set of unique pieces belonging to a collection of meticulous craftsmanship and a distinct signature style.

Portraying the process of leather making, a process requiring bodily strength and the use of raw and rough materiel, the space is conceived with pure and noble materials. A 7 m long metal table, lightly stands on a dark gray concrete floor. Paralleled by a massive wood furniture on the side, the table is on the backdrop of a red wooden wall shaped by panels assembled from the ruined scaffolding of Paris buildings’ facades.

The whole space, along with the natural leather designs exhibited, emulates an earthly character reminding us of one of Bacons paintings.