Rooted in “craft, time, tradition, and humor,” sisters Laila and Nadia Gohar founded their immersive “tableware universe” Gohar World in 2020. Crafted by family-owned ateliers from across the globe – from Vietnam and Egypt to Austria and Italy – and designed in their New York City studio, Gohar World deems itself “design for the table,” where just as much care is applied to dressing the table as it is to dressing oneself.

“No object has been as meaningful to family and community as the dining table, where simple acts of hospitality become rituals,” Gohar’s website notes. Marrying elevated design with culinary influence – and a tasteful amount of well-placed humor – Gohar World whimsically “reimagines rituals for the present day,” through its captivating assortment of surrealist tabletop objects. In Laila’s own words, the design universe is “inspired by the past, but always looking to the future.”

While Gohar World nears its third year, Laila has devoted ample time to the culinary space from the ground up for over 15 years now – up until recently, “culinary work” in the fashion and design spaces existed merely in the forms of dinners and catering. Laila worked full-time at a restaurant and began experimenting with culinary design, fleshing out Gohar World on the side. “It’s really evolved over the years,” she tells Hypebeast. “People started to trust me more and engage with my work more and so it’s grown very organically.”

Laila describes the world she and her sister, a skilled painter, have created as an “alternative universe,” somewhere otherworldly and fanciful. “I imagine it to be an entirely different universe, a world in which all of these objects come to life, full of exciting dinner parties and conversations.”

These objects span the funky (baguette and sausage-shaped candles, garlic sponges and egg chandeliers) and the functional (embroidered linen tablecloths, mouth-blown glass silverware and hand-painted plate sets.) The intentional interplay of wit and upscale craftsmanship is something Gohar World has carefully mastered, as their “Egg Dresses” and “Chicken Slippers” are only sewn from the finest linens. “People take themselves too seriously and we never wanted to fall into that trap,” Laila explains. “We make tableware and dining objects, and so much of that stems from lightheartedness, joy and celebrations.”

But at the same time, Gohar World’s goods are, in Laila’s words, “precious,” crafted from high-quality porcelain and cotton and linens sourced from Egypt and sewn in the family’s Cairo atelier. Many objects tap into what Gohar World calls “disappearing traditions,” such as intricate needlework and hand-dipped candles.

Gohar World is amidst a collaboration with Champagne Lallier, one of Laila’s favorite champagne brands which she personally prefers to pair with Uni, in which the duo crafted a trio of striking Mother-of-pearl spoons alongside a corresponding dish. Each iridescent item was meticulously designed to “enjoy the perfect bite.” Gohar believes there is ample space to consume both the imaginative and the practical – so why not order both?

Bringing Gohar World’s eccentric ethos to life was essential for its first physical foray. Located on Lafayette Street in the heart of New York City’s Soho neighborhood, the label’s downtown outpost could not feel any less New York City; designed by architect Rafael Prieto, the space is engulfed in layered, textured wallpaper. Guests walk into a stone entryway and are drawn to a hyperrealistic garden in the back if their eyes aren’t captured by the captivating presentation of home goods. “We wanted to design a space that actually transports you into another dimension,” says Laila.

When Gohar World began to grow, Laila and Nadia started hosting intimate, invite-only events to immerse others in the universe they created. For a label that immensely values in-person interaction, laying physical roots has been monumental. “It’s been so amazing to be able to literally pull more people into our world,” Laila explains. Gohar has already been able to host a slew of open-invite dinners, tastings and other events at their New York City storefront.

While Gohar World’s NYC store is temporary, it’s for good reason – the label, which also just opened an outpost in Korea, has big plans to continue bringing its tableware universe around the world, drawing more and more residents into its contagious, culinary ether.

Mexico City, you’re next.

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Stop by Gohar World’s NYC store at the below address, and shop the Champagne Lallier collection on Gohar World’s webstore now.

181 Lafayette Street
New York, New York 10013

Monday – Saturday: 11 a.m. EST – 7 p.m. EST
Sunday: 12 p.m. EST – 6 p.m. EST