Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

The art of creating art from waste

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Recycling waste materials is her forte. She believes all items in our daily life can be used twice for practical purposes or for fun of making it look more decorative. If you have any wastes to give away she will be the too happy to collect and give them a ‘second life.’


A French expatriate lady in Oman, Cécilia Pitré, is a brand development specialist who works with major hospitality groups making the best decorations from waste materials.


From recycled mannequins, jackets and bags, Santi flowers, wall paintings or ceramic jewellery she does it all. Through her works she makes people know how beautiful the Sultanate is updating visiting tourists about her amazing creativity.


The recycled art is usually used for theme events, promotions, parties, functions, or as floral decorations.


Having lived in 5 different countries and travelled over 35 others, Cecilia arrived in the Sultanate by chance two years back.


A famous personality in Asia having featured in over 100 magazines, she has appeared on TV shows and radio speeches. She first came to Oman in 2017 as an interior design consultant and supervision for decorating a majlis in Al Khabourah.


“I arrived in Oman by chance and decided to stay on as I love the country and the citizens here. Professionally, I see myself doing something that I love namely recycling wood, clothes or small furnitures. It’s all about open mind as I am gifted with a creative mind.”


Cecilia stocks on materials which she assumes will one day be able to use them. Upon enquiry with her clients, she checks at the ‘cave’ to see what items can be used or reused. As soon as she receives a work proposal from companies or individuals, she begins to put the waste to best use.


For the last 15 years she has been mainly active in Asia and India.


She is the brand ambassador and a pre-opening specialist appointed as F&B Business Developer for the pre-opening of Royal Tulip Hotel and works for the Al Kalbani Group.


It was in Phuket, Thailand, where she had her best phase handling several facets of hospitality. Living in Thailand from 2005, Cecilia primarily worked as a hotel opening specialist for leading international brands, as F&B business developer and involved in marketing events and MICE travel. She also handled educating Thai staff to European standards regarding food manners, service and culture.


From 2013, where she was settled in Phuket, opened and ran Le Versace, a French fine dine restaurant, until her Oman call. She took care of several brands monitoring marketing, guest relations, events, PR and social media. During the same year, she was instrumental in launching the popular Phuket Professional and Fund Ladies Club, now with over 1,500 members. She left Thailand after staying for 13 long years as she loved taking up new assignments.


In Muscat her work involves more as brand consultant after she decided to go back to her ‘official job’ in hotel management and branding.


BCBG Party Style by Cecilia from the French phrase ‘bon chic, bon genre,’ a Parisian slang for ‘good style, good attitude’ is her registered company in Oman. This was born from her massive network. When people did not know about something, or had no clue, they usually get in touch with her as she had solutions to their problems.


She recollects her most impressive and memorable works relating to 2018 Halloween wherein she created decorations from recycled items. Many others followed later for BAB Lounge Shangrila, Zale Beach Club & Lounge, Kempinski Hotel Muscat, Horror Haunted House at Dolphin Village Muscat, Muscat Hills Resort and private parties.


Her job in marketing was different where she needed to re-create a public image. “The type of tourists in Thailand was also not the same as the Thai people are different. So the job is the same in different situations and context but not harder. “I just need to adjust my strategy and work configuration,” she mentions.


Cecilia says Muscat though laid back offers immense potential. Here, she does not do much of public or networking events and feels the city misses out on networking, events and themed get-togethers.


“I still coordinate charity events in Thailand for the orphans where I am still looked as a god-mother sponsor. In Muscat I helped a collection of books for Dar al Attaa’s ‘Let’s Read Oman’ and hopes much more to happen and willing to go all out to support as much as I can.”


She recalls her accessories and costume shops in Bangkok which was very successful because she was famous for and also because they had events to wear all of those, that here people might call ‘crazy.’


As a youngster she was very much interested with art history and loved art expo mainly because of her creative tastes.


“I can do it on my own and as I like, it is not that I want to stay away from people but all my work life was in hospitality with zero privacy. So art is my secret garden and way of expression, and is excellent for my work.”


Cecilia’s future plans include opening her own castle in France with her life-partner, hosting events with a big garden and a massive art studio.


But for the present, she has set her eyes on Muscat with plans to launch a ladies club like the one she started in Phuket for Professional and Fun Ladies. “It was a fun with ladies in Phuket in chic places and also provided for networking and a way of enjoyment.”


Hailing from Rennes, northwest of France, Cecilia anticipates changes before the end of the year and is confident 2020 will prove to be exciting when she plans to open an art studio for the public.


Right now she is busy working on wall art painting for the Boulevard Boutique Mall in Shatti al Qurum and designing uniforms for Royal Tulip Muscat Hotel. Her favourite past-time involves travelling solo, recycling, painting, reading or even spending time with her pet cat.


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