Adam - Levant - Vick Vanlian Architecture and Design

For the Man
of the Middle East
YOUNG
& SUCCESSFUL
Adam Levant seeks out the young successful men
across the Middle East
Name: Vick Vanlian
Age: 34
Education: Schooled in Beirut,
New York, Montreal
Studied Interior Architecture at
LAU, Beirut; graduating with high
distinction
Occupation: ‘A Constructor of Dreams’
‘Playing God’
Most people will associate the surname ‘Vanlian’ with the contemporary furnishings and
lighting gallery of the same name. In business for over fifty years, it is a fair assumption
to make. Today, however, it is the youngest of the Vanlian clan which has caught the attention of Adam Levant.
It is morning and Armenian-Lebanese
Vick Vanlian has arrived early at
Urbanista, a coffee shop in Beirut’s
Gemmayzeh district. He comments
on the Swatch I am sporting, an indication, perhaps, of his eye for good
quality and quirky design. His fashionable attire reveals a further clue. But it
is his impressive design portfolio that
stands as a tangible testament to his
success within the field of design.
Vick Vanlian’s face is open and
sincere. It speaks of an inner world;
one which he will grant others access
into, when, in September, he launches
‘V World’, a boutique, which will feature four collections he has designed
himself: ‘Beyond’, inspired by the
future, geometric shapes and hightech, ‘Globe Tracker’, inspired by early
twentieth century travellers, ‘Re-fused’,
which reuses everything that has
already been used, to create contemporary and unique design pieces, and
‘Private Session’, which takes its inspiration from the genre of pop art.
Armenian heritage is long and well
documented - parts of which are tragic. Vick recounts how his Armenian
ancestors, fleeing from the 1915 genocide, arrived in Lebanon. Previously
wealthy the Vanlians found themselves
bereft of their fortunes, with Bourj
Hammoud their new home.
At 34 years old, Vick has success
tucked neatly and tightly under his
belt. It is something he has worked
hard for…and still does. ‘My day is
long,’ he says. ‘It begins at 10.30 in the
morning and I work until midnight,
most nights.’
The fruits of his labour are tangible. Celebrities and notables, such as
singer Haifa Wehbe, Ragheb and Gulf
royals, among many more, top a long
list of clients who have commissioned
Vick through his company Envy Interiors, which he launched five years ago.
‘We were asked to work on a
In a ‘rags to riches’ story, Vick exuberantly recounts the time his father,
unsuccessful in searching for a new bed
in Bourj Hammoud, decided to make
his own. So successful was his father’s
craftsmanship, three more beds were
made within a month, and so the idea
of opening a furniture factory then
developed - culminating in the thriving
Vanlian Gallery that is seen today.
project for a weekend party at a palace
and to create a ‘private game room’. It
included a ‘pole room’,’ reveals, Vick,
with a knowing look. Vick continues
to reel off other unusual requests,
such as a circular bed complete with
a cage that descends from the ceiling,
and a massage room. Yet perhaps the
most extravagant request was for a
diamond-studded leather sofa.
Surely such success has rubbed
off on Vick, the youngest of the
three Vanlian siblings. ‘Well, yes,’ says
Vick. ‘But I am not where I want to
be. I want to reach as many people as
I can and get the message of design
through to them.’
From a child who dreamed of being a pop star and dancer, Vick’s aspi-
rations may have changed. But with his
sight set on a future where he envisages the global expansion of his new
store, V, it is not difficult to see why
Vic Vanlian is young and successful.