It’s not often these days that I come across a shop sign that I love but I saw a great one recently, while walking through the souks of Aleppo. It wasn’t your average enseigne but rather a beautiful young boy sitting on a stool by the entrance of a rather elegant shop, decked out in almost every single item of traditional Syrian clothing, from the sherwal (baggy trousers that have been translated for westerners at different times by great couturiers), to the embroidered cap, to the striped gilet and striped tunic. He sat there quite impassive, neither ushering people in nor doing or saying anything to encourage would-be buyers to go inside. I looked at him quite intrigued, wondering why he was dressed this way then it dawned on me that he must be advertising the clothes and fabrics inside the shop. And he was!

I asked him about his ‘job’ and where I could have a sherwal made for me. Then the owner of the neighbouring shop (who was also sat on a stool by the entrance of his stall though not looking so pretty!) butted in saying it was time Hussein (the boy’s name) stopped being his father’s shop sign and started thinking about marriage, which made Hussein giggle. He looked a little young to get married and of course he was at age fourteen, but he could easily end up like my lovely driver, Abd, who married at seventeen and already has four grown up children at age thirty one!

I loved Hussein. So sweet and so obedient although I am not sure I would have been so compliant if my father had decided to use me in the same way. Luckily he never threatened to, perhaps because he didn’t have a shop selling fabrics, nor anything else for that matter!

Sebastian — 2 old souk of Aleppo, Khan el Sabun, tel: +963 21 332 3672, email: mimo_aka@yahoo.com, www.sebastianaleppo.com. They also have a shop at 1 Citadel Street.

Ps. I went back today and my beautiful boy had a Hoxton fin which is not a welcome development. I told him to wash the gel off and go back to his beautiful curls but more interesting is that the shop does not belong to his father as I was told, but rather to Sebastian himself who employs the boy to be his shop sign. Rather sad really but Sebastian explained that the boy’s family is very poor and that he is helping him by employing him as well as paying for him to learn English. At least that.

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It’s not often these days that I come across a shop sign that I love but I saw a great one recently, while walking through the souks of Aleppo. It wasn’t your average enseigne but rather a beautiful young boy sitting on a stool by the entrance of a rather elegant shop, decked out in almost every single item of traditional Syrian clothing, from the sherwal (baggy trousers that have been translated for westerners at different times by great couturiers), to the embroidered cap, to the striped gilet and striped tunic. He sat there quite impassive, neither ushering people in nor doing or saying anything to encourage would-be buyers to go inside. I looked at him quite intrigued, wondering why he was dressed this way then it dawned on me that he must be advertising the clothes and fabrics inside the shop. And he was!

I asked him about his ‘job’ and where I could have a sherwal made for me. Then the owner of the neighbouring shop (who was also sat on a stool by the entrance of his stall though not looking so pretty!) butted in saying it was time Hussein (the boy’s name) stopped being his father’s shop sign and started thinking about marriage, which made Hussein giggle. He looked a little young to get married and of course he was at age fourteen, but he could easily end up like my lovely driver, Abd, who married at seventeen and already has four grown up children at age thirty one!

I loved Hussein. So sweet and so obedient although I am not sure I would have been so compliant if my father had decided to use me in the same way. Luckily he never threatened to, perhaps because he didn’t have a shop selling fabrics, nor anything else for that matter!

Sebastian — 2 old souk of Aleppo, Khan el Sabun, tel: +963 21 332 3672, email: mimo_aka@yahoo.com, www.sebastianaleppo.com. They also have a shop at 1 Citadel Street.

Ps. I went back today and my beautiful boy had a Hoxton fin which is not a welcome development. I told him to wash the gel off and go back to his beautiful curls but more interesting is that the shop does not belong to his father as I was told, but rather to Sebastian himself who employs the boy to be his shop sign. Rather sad really but Sebastian explained that the boy’s family is very poor and that he is helping him by employing him as well as paying for him to learn English. At least that.

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