Chef-turned-designer Laila Gohar – featured in the Wallpaper* USA 300 – is best known for transforming the act of sitting down to dinner into a surrealist performance; whether that is through her food – a block of butter made to look the eye of Michaelangelo’s David, a hard-boiled egg candelabra, a juicy aubergine that is actually a cake – or her collection of tableware created in collaboration with her sister Nadia – Gohar World – which features lace bonnets for fruits and vegetables and a tablecloth made to look like a dress shirt for ‘dressing’ the table.
Now, Gohar is collaborating with The Luxury Collection, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 hotel brands, to create a new range of barware with complementing cocktails. It’s a natural extension of the Gohar World creations, this time highlighting global craft traditions that are disappearing – mouth-blown glass, porcelain, needlework, and silversmithing.
Part of the collection is inspired by the Prince de Galles hotel in Paris – a hand-stitched cocktail napkin and a champagne coupe mouth-blown by traditional glassmakers at Lobmeyr nod to the glamorous hedonism of the city in the 1920s, as well as the art deco features of the hotel and the Arc de Triomphe (the hotel was built with the same stone as the landmark).
There is also sake cup and bamboo oshibori tray inspired by Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Kyoto, that Gohar worked to create with Japanese artisans. And finally, a martini glass and cocktail pick inspired by the modernist architecture of Beverly Hills.
‘My favourite way to discover a destination is through the senses,’ says Gohar. ‘Enjoying a meal or drink while travelling is an incredible way to learn about the local culture.
‘Often the way a table or bar is set, and the objects used, are just as important as the food and beverage offerings themselves. I am thrilled to be working with The Luxury Collection to highlight the beauty of epicuren discovery and celebrate the local craftspeople that bring these experiences to life around the world.’
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