Some of the most fashionable people on the planet, the Lebanese are also very concerned about what people think of them. But the lovely Yasmina Sawma of Tchensol is shaking things up a bit with an intriguing new line of re-purposed accessories. The trained interior architect converts LEGO pieces into chunky earrings and rings, strings stuffed grape leaves together into a bracelet and even chops off the tips of coloring pencils to make bright and cheerful rings.
The locals approach Sawma’s more unusual pieces with some suspicion until they see their own icons (including Fairouz and Kahlil Gibran) depicted on the face of funky pendants and brooches. Then they cheer up a little and begin to imagine themselves wearing the designer’s bold pieces.
Yasma has featured a host of famous Lebanese on her pieces that are recognizable to both older and younger generations. This helps to endear skeptics to her unconventional line of accessories that she churns out in a living-room turned studio in Adma, Lebanon.
In a mind that places no limits on the imagination, any object is fair game for jewelry, including this adorable mini tea/coffee set. The photography is also impressive, so major kudos to the photographer Tony Raad and Judy Yazbek, who makes Tchenshol look as good as Tiffany!
This is probably one of our favorite rings in the line: pencil tips! Bear in mind that this is what Sawma does to pass the time while she searches for a job as an interior architect. What would happen if she turned this into a full-time enterprise? Obviously, we would grow to expect great things.
What’s not to love about the argileh broach – especially if you’re a devoted shisha smoker?
There are dozens of other pieces available so be sure to check out the Tschenshol Facebook page for more information. And in case you were wondering, the name Tchenshol is an apt and playful name for these affordable, earth-friendly accessories. It refers, in Arabic, to the sound of jewelry clinking together.
:: Daily Star
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
