True Beirut kid, Joe Arida is a multifaceted creative. His sharp eye took him from advertising to creative direction, interior design to fashion on which he is now focusing with his label “LA TERRE EST FOLLE” (“the world is mad”).
Part of the fashion incubator “STARCH” founded by Rabih Kayrouz, “LA TERRE EST FOLLE” is a deeply hedonistic brand, like Joe Arida, finding beauty everywhere but strongly attached to the B City, its geography and underground culture. From revisited traditional Lebanese Abaya to patched jeans jackets or his latest collaboration with L’Armoire de Lana, Arida’s planet is crazy but always stylish.
1/THECONFUSEDARAB: Hi or Bonjourr?
JOE ARIDA: Bonjouuuur
2/TCA: Uber or Service?
JA:Service - love it, but Uber
3/TCA: Fairuz or Sabah?
JA: Fairuz’s Lunar grace and Sabah's sunny vitality - but definitely Fairuz’s music, it is the essence of Lebanon.
4/TCA: Kibbé Ma2liyé or Kibbé Nayé?
JA: Kibbé Nayé.
5/TCA:Turkish Coffee or Café Blanc?
JA: Turkish coffee to speed up, café blanc to slow down.
6/TCA:Skybar or BO18?
JA: BO18
7/Khayé or Bro?
JA: Khayé
8/TCA: Cigarette or Arghilé?
JA:Cigarette
9/TCA: Sporting or Faraya?
JA: Both on the same day.
10/TCA: What's your favourite Lebanese word?
JA: YALLA!
GLOSSARY:
*SERVICE: Traditional Beiruti taxi taking several passengers at the same time. It also refers to the taxi driver himself. Service generally chooses your itinerary and they are source of million urban stories.
* KIBBE MA2LIE: Fried kibbé, mix of minced meat and bulghur.
* KIBBE NAYE: Raw kibbé, with raw meat.
*SKYBAR: Used to be an institution of Beirut commercial night on the top of Biel.
* FARAYA: Ski station located 46 km North from Beirut.