On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion struck Beirut, Lebanon, killing more than 200 people and injuring about 6,000. Many businesses in this creative city were among the victims, including designer ateliers, art galleries, bars, bookstores, and bakeries. Four months after the explosion, which was caused by tons of chemicals (open in new tab) that had been left in the city's port for years, life in Beirut is now focused on rebuilding.

In particular, the local community of jewelry makers, couturiers, and interior design professionals is beginning to rebuild. Many of these tastemakers are creating pieces that reflect the horrors and emotions experienced this year.

Tania and Dima Nawbar, sisters and founders of the accessories brand L'atelier Nawbar (opens in new tab), left Beirut soon after the explosion and fled to their parents' home in the mountains, 30 minutes outside the city. But amidst the mayhem, they gave birth to perhaps their most iconic collection to date: their latest jewelry collection, Fragments of Beirut, launched in September, is an ode to the Lebanese capital before August 4. The collection is a miraculous feat, considering that the explosion had destroyed the windows of their studio.

"It is not that difficult to create, especially when you need hope," says Tania Nauval.

Although the atelier has been restored, most of the surrounding stores are still boarded up, and an upscale residential neighborhood less than a mile from the explosion site looks like a ghost town. Walking through Beirut, you don't know where you are. We need to remember what it used to be, not what it is now," Tania continues.

The Fragments of Beriut collection was inspired by the architecture of three of their favorite neighborhoods: Saifi, Gemmaizeh, and Ashrafi - all heavily damaged areas. The Saifi ring (open in new tab) is dedicated to the area where their studio is located and features colorful, sun-like rays.

But perhaps the most poignant piece in the collection is the Lady Sursock Earring, inspired by the colorful stained glass windows of Beirut's iconic Sursock Museum (opens in new tab). The unique window was instantly shattered by an explosion.

Lady Yvonne Cochran Soursock, whose family once owned the museum and served as its president, died from wounds sustained that night. (A renowned philanthropist and champion of the arts, Mrs. Sursock had devoted her life to preserving the nation's cultural heritage. ) "We wanted to dedicate this to her," Nauvar said, showing me the earrings. 'She worked very hard to preserve our heritage.'

A few doors down from L'atelier Nawbar is the showroom of the recently reopened homeware brand Bokja (opens in new tab). We met the brand's design duo, Huda Baldi and Maria Hibri, at their workshop, 1.5 kilometers from the showroom, to hear about the reconstruction.

Their upcoming collection not only recalls Beirut before the explosion, but also captures Beirut as it is today. Earlier this year, due to the strict restrictions imposed by Lebanon's COVID-19, the girls had more time to roam around Beirut and see the city with fresh eyes. [It was] spring, frangipani were in full bloom, bougainvillea was everywhere. It was more painful after this time when we saw the destruction."

The two are working on a tapestry that will serve as a mood board for their next collection of homeware and wearables. The tapestry depicts the beauty of sealed-off Beirut and the destruction caused by the explosion.

The tapestry depicts the shards of glass that littered the streets of Beirut after the explosion, along with depictions of Lebanon's arched windows and blooming flowers. 'Our goal is not to move forward as quickly as possible,' Tapestry said. It is about documenting what happened and staying in the anger, sadness, and pain."

After the explosion, Baroudi and Hibri turned the damaged showroom into a community center where they could repair furniture for those affected by the blast. Any fabric was re-stitched with red stitches, similar to the red stitches used by paramedics the night of the explosion to stitch wounds on faces, hands, and feet.

For Baroudi, creating in the face of adversity has helped keep her sane during recent difficult and volatile times in Lebanon. Before the explosion, in October 2019, protests erupted across the country demanding political change (opens in new tab). This was followed by an economic crisis that was intensified by the COVID-19 epidemic. Thousands of businesses began closing, while the number of people living in poverty nearly doubled over the last year.

"We always have something to say, and Bokja is our language," she explains. 'These collections are the archives of our hearts.'

Has Idris (open in new tab), designer of his eponymous fashion house, knows exactly how Baroudi feels. His atelier, a short drive from the L'atelier Nawbar and Bokja showrooms, has reopened, but that explosion and the events of the year preceding it had a profound effect on him. Known for his whimsical dresses, he is now embarking on a completely different creative direction. Says Idris, "Right now I don't feel like making dresses, capes, jackets, or blouses."

For Idris, it is also ethically problematic to ask the tailors and embroiderers he employs to work on luxury items at this time. 'We are a family first, then a business,' he says. Luxury comes later." Now is not the time for extravagance."

"We are not going to be extravagant now," he said.

Instead, Idris and his team began working on something completely new to them: tapestries. One such tapestry is shown below, in which an image of Beirut is overlaid with pieces of debris that Idris found while walking through the affected area.

The tapestries are part of a project called Social Tapestry, which he presented in lieu of presenting his fall/winter couture collection. The project features this latest work along with photographs of Lebanese women taken by photographer Mohammad Abdouni and words about the issues affecting them." We experience much more than we can present. And we want to show what we experience," he says.

For the Lebanese designers I spoke with, creating a new collection so soon after the explosion is more than an expression of emotion. It is also an act of survival.

At the end of every month, Bokucha concentrates on making sure the 20 embroiderers and tailors they employ are paid. Says Hibri, "I have absolutely no ambition beyond that." Both Idris and Nauval stress the same thing.

Rebuilding the business and creating new products remains an uphill battle. They are determined to stay in Lebanon and hope that their new collection will carry this message to their staff and the Lebanese people. That is why we created the 'Fragments of Beirut' collection in such a short time," says Tania Nauval.

The creators are also hopeful thanks to the support (open in new tab) they have received from around the world since the explosion. According to Baroudi, Bokja has already received offers to participate in exhibitions in London, Singapore, and the Gulf states, and stores that had cancelled their orders for COVID-19 have reconfirmed them. Says Baroudi, "To me, this is huge." This is their message, "We're here for you, we're here for you, we're rooting for you."