Rasha Kahil is a creative director and visual artist based in London since 2004, and the creative director of the Financial Times’ How To Spend It magazine. She was formerly co-founder of Barbara Creative and has previously held positions at ES Magazine, British Vogue and Dazed & Confused magazines.
How To Spend It
Creative Direction—Editorial
2019-present
A complete redesign of the Financial Times’ global luxury supplement.
Working closely with new How To Spend It editor Jo Ellison, the aim was to develop an elegant and modern refresh of the magazine, reflecting the changing face of luxury and the editor’s more inclusive and expansive vision for the 25-year old magazine.
Underpinned by a solid new structure moving from shorter trend stories to longer photography-led features, the new How To Spend It champions a fresh roster of image-makers, a contemporary typographic language and elegant editorial design that makes full use of its large-format pages.
Successfully launched in February 2020, the new look was met with critical acclaim and grew How To Spend It’s readership by enticing a broader audience without alienating its loyal readers.
Featured photography by Kuba Ryniewicz, Brigitte Niedermair, William Jess Laird, Mous Lamrabat, Bruno Staub, Sean + Seng, Benjamin Bouchet, Jonathan Frantini, Aurore de la Morinerie, Max von Guppemberg, Weston Wells, Adam Goodison, Guillaume Blondiau, Rich Stapleton, Vincent van de Wijngaard, Marili Andre, Lara Angelil, Andy Price, Antoine Harinthe, Emilie Seto, Joachim Mueller-Ruchholtz, Klaus Kremmerz, Thistle Brown, Dan Bruno-Forti
NEWGEN
Art Direction
2017-2019
Art direction for the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN.
Art direction for 3 years worth of the BFC’s initiative supporting the best new British fashion designers—used across printed and digital collaterals during London Fashion Week. The portrait images are regularly picked up by international press including Vogue and i-D magazines.
Class of SS19 Photography by Annie Lai
Class of SS18 Photograph by Luke & Nik
Class of SS17 Photography by Pascal Gambarte
Milia Maroun
Branding—Art Direction
2019
Relaunch of a twenty year old Lebanese luxury fashion brand.
Milia Maroun treads the line between fashion and art. Working closely with the designer, the aim was to combine her art practice with her commercial proposition and take her successful bricks and mortar store in Lebanon to a global audience online.
In addition to art directing a fashion campaign, the design work included three harmonious logotypes, garment tags, bags and delivery boxes, and a full package of printed stationery.
Photography by Juliette Cassidy
Styling by Florence Arnold
Hair by Sarah Palmer
Makeup by India Excell
Casting by Katie Lowe
Model Mitch at Select
Production by Carley Bishop
Welcome to Frestonia
Book Design
2018
