In the Studio with Sybil Layous

Under the FLOR:ISH label, Sybil Layous creates floral marvels that are wild with imagination.

Sybil Layous is serving up a sexy new twist to Beirut’s flower scene. In the three months since she launched Flor:ish, the budding floral designer has already gone from strength to strength, securing projects with big players in Beirut’s fashion scene, including a window display at the Vanina boutique in Gemmayze, and a presentation by Lara Khoury that debuted at Bernard Khoury’s Qusar Tower in November 2018.

When looking at the arrangements she puts together, it’s not hard to see why Flor:ish is a new darling at the intersection of art and fashion. Layous’ arrangements are artistic, modern and edgy, a world away from the saccharine arrangements of stale, predictable flowers from the neighborhood florist or your cousin’s wedding. She selects flowers you may not have seen before at all, and certainly not in the context of an arrangement. A perennial favorite of hers? The anthurium, in seemingly every color of the rainbow. (A purple ombre – lavender deepening to indigo – is particularly striking.)

“I find the anthurium fascinating and weird. It feels like it’s almost made of rubber or plastic,” she says, over green tea at Kalei in Mar Mikhael. “It’s not popular; people think it’s a phallic-looking flower, but I think it’s the ugly duckling, and I find it intriguing.”

Layous’ arrangements aren’t just flowers, though. Among the anthuriums, banana flowers and South African proteas Layous favors are dramatic feathers and broad, sweeping leaves, which she paints in metallic hues at her home studio in Rabieh, north of Beirut.

After training in graphic design at the Lebanese American University, Layous had a life many people dream of: living in Paris and managing digital communications for fashion label Maison Margiela, under the auspices of the legendary John Galliano. So when she left her job and her life in Paris to move to Qatar in 2016 (to join her now-husband, ending six years of long distance), finding a fulfilling way to apply her skills was a challenge.

After dabbling in the Qatari fashion and arts scene, she decided to change course. “I was so bored without a job that I was scrolling my phone all day,” Layous says. “I had to rethink my career. My husband and I were in Beirut on holiday and he said ‘do you think it’s time to go back [to Qatar]?’ I said ‘book yourself a ticket.’ I missed being creative and working with my hands.”

Three months into the Flor:ish journey, it’s clear Layous no longer has to miss creativity.

I find the anthurium fascinating and weird. It feel like it's almost made of rubber or plastic... I find it intriguing"

Clockwise left to right: Anthuriums are so much fun, they’re fierce, funny and sensual. They come in different colors, shapes and sizes. They’re my favorite because they are such oddballs, so under-appreciated; A buff raku vase made by ceramic artist Hana Vasak (Dáša Ceramics). Part of my personal collection of vessels, this one particularly feels like a relic, an artefact; This is a sun and moon kenzan. Not only is it a beautiful object, it’s also very utilitarian. I use it as an alternative to floral foam, a very toxic material I’ve avoided using since I launched; My husband and I have been going to Ibiza every summer for the last five years. The island is so magical and it’s become almost like a summer home. Every year, we bring back one seashell as a keepsake; This was a gift from a wonderful Qatari lady, a bottle of pure musk perfume. The packaging is so pretty, the size is perfect and the application ritual is so elegant

Clockwise left to right: When I first decided to launch Flor:ish I figured I needed to start investing in good tools. These scissors were my first investment. Even though they’re not as sharp as they used to be, I still have them around the studio; My husband and I make sure to hit the flea markets in every city we visit: mostly to buy vintage vessels, but also, randomly, we’ve been bringing back these marbled eggs in different colors and sizes. We keep them around the house in bowls or use them as paper-weights; Working with clay is so meditative. When I have the time, I go to a pottery studio to unwind. I bought these potter’s rib and ribbon in Copenhagen last year, for a pottery workshop. I keep them around the studio as a reminder to take time off; My family has this collection of vintage Art Deco lighters. Each one belonged to a family member. I use them occasionally to light incense or candles

Words Stephanie d’Arc Taylor | Photography Marco Pinarelli