In a world where music, style, and storytelling collide: where high fashion meets underground music, and nostalgia melds with futurism, Andrew Makadsi has done it all. Raised in Zahle, Lebanon, and shaped by a background in Film and Communication, his path has been anything but conventional. From working at luxury fashion houses like Chanel and Alexander Wang to serving as Beyoncé’s Creative Director and as co-founder and Sonic Architect of Function NYC, Makadsi’s journey is a testament to creative fearlessness.Parkwood Entertainment

Today, we’re hyped to have Makadsi (Andrew Makadsi) on the PAPER decks. The busy NYC creative wears many hats: he’s a DJ, producer, the mad mind behind his party series, Function, and (no big deal) Beyoncé’s creative director. With his hands in so many pots, Makadsi’s signature flavor could easily become diluted, but his diverse creative life seems to only heighten his senses. He brings a roving, sharp and unflinching ear and eye to all his endeavors, merging history with the current moment to create works of culture that always break through.

Outstanding Production Design For A Variety Special - 2019

Andrew Makadsi, Art Director

Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé

Netflix

Parkwood Entertainment

“As an artist, I always say I do energy work — which I know sounds very hippie and spiritual,” Andrew Makadsi says with a laugh. “Consuming music in real life, on the dance floor with the people you love, is such a valuable experience.” It is Saturday night, and we are in a car on the way to a Bushwick club called Paragon. 

The 36-year-old DJ-producer and creative director, who plays his sets under the mononym “Makadsi,” flew into town just for the weekend to play the closing set on the upstairs dance floor. By Monday, he will be back in Los Angeles, where he is temporarily based for work on an undisclosed project. In a couple of weeks, he will repeat this 48-hour coastal swap for a set at BASEMENT, a beloved techno club underneath the Knockdown Center in Queens.

Function is the queer party New York was missing—so say its organizers, resident DJ Andrew Makadsi and superhost George Najm. On its dance floor, gays, theys, and dolls twist their hips to the sharp pops of a derbekeh, a Middle Eastern percussive instrument, overlaying thrumming techno and pulsing house tracks alike. At Function’s outdoor space, groups of friends lay out in a sumptuous lounge setup, whispering hot gossip as they pass the nozzles of gurgling hookahs between them. People from every corner of the city’s queer nightlife scene converge at Function’s changing venues.

Born in Zahlé, Lebanon, an always curious Andrew Makadsi grew up with a deep love for storytelling. Despite coming from a family background embedded in the car industry, he charted his path toward music, breaking away from conventional norms and embracing his artistic impulses.

The 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards are in full swing, with stars set to hit the red carpet in Los Angeles, tonight. The men and women behind the magic started making their appearances Friday evening with Beyoncé‘s art director, Andrew Makadsi making his Emmy debut in the category of outstanding production design for a variety special for Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé. Gongs are not at the forefront of his mind. Instead, he’s focused on channeling his gratitude, manifesting it in a way that serves a higher purpose–others. “When I put my head on the pillow at night, I think, ‘Man, I’m not giving back,’” he starts. “We all have a destiny to fulfill–just like Beyoncé does, or anyone in this world.”