Words By Allegra Salvadori | Photography By Stefane Minnesota

Saint-Tropez, July 12 — The sun-drenched Place des Lices, long a gathering place for fishermen, travelers, and artists, recently welcomed a new language of design: one whispered by waves, translated by hand. “Low Tide – Marée basse à Saint-Tropez”, presented by House of Today and curated by Cherine Magrabi, founder of House of Today, with the scenography by Simon Basquin, marks a poetic evolution in the work of Lebanese architect and designer Shaha Raphaël.

Invited by Chérine Magrabi, visionary founder of House of Today and curator of the exhibition, Raphaël created a limited-edition collection inspired by the quiet geometry of seashells—objects she’s long collected and revered. Her pieces hover between artifact and art object: an aluminum Spine Table unraveling like a sea creature’s skeleton, fossil-like stools carved in marble, and a suite of metal mirrors and tableware that appear shaped by invisible tides.

In this show, function and fiction blur. Are these fossils or furniture? Relics or revelations? Each piece pulses with geological memory and Mediterranean soul—rooted in Lebanese craftsmanship, yet fluid enough to belong anywhere.

The exhibition also marks a shift in Raphaël’s palette—from monochrome minimalism to subtle infusions of color—while preserving her signature delicacy and artisanal intimacy. It’s a moment of expansion, both creative and cultural.

“There’s a mysterious modernity to them,” Magrabi reflects, “yet they feel ancient, like they’ve always been here.”

Held under the patronage of Mayor Sylvie Siri, Low Tide is more than a design exhibition—it’s a dialogue across shores. A love letter to the Mediterranean. And a testament to how Lebanese design, like the tide itself, travels, transforms, and always returns with stories to tell.