Halle Berry wore a sheer crimson gown designed by fashion designer saab when she received an Academy Award for Best Actress in March 2002. Both Berry and Saab were celebrating a milestone. Having dressed an Oscar winner for the first time, he became the first Lebanese designer. Following that, his fame spread to American celebrities and Middle Eastern royalty. In Lebanon, as well as in Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world, Saab’s fame and power have grown as a result of his first set of designs. CNN described his style as “Arabian Nights’ fantasy.”
HISTORY OF THE FASHION DESIGNER SAAB:
Saab fashion designer was born in Beirut, Lebanon on 4 July 1964. The young man began his fashion career when he was six. Because Saab self-trained, fashion experts consider him a child prodigy. Saab’s parents expected him to become a tailor when he was a boy, even though he loved to sew and design clothes. During his studies in fashion in Paris in 1981, Saab relocated to London. The Lebanese Civil War forced him to return to Beirut one year later. At 18 years old, Saab started his own design studio, making wedding dresses and evening gowns blending western and oriental designs. A few months later, Saab debuted his first collection under his own label at the Casino du Liban. Media attention was drawn to him as a result of the triumphant event. As a result, he had many clients, including princesses, due to his use of lace, beading, pearls, gems, crystals, silk threads, and rich fabrics like chiffon. His reputation grew even stronger in 1990 when Saab acquired a larger studio to handle orders from other countries, such as Switzerland and France.
In 1997, Saab became the first non-Italian designer to join the Italian Camera Nazionale della Moda. During Roma Alta Moda in Rome, he presented his first haute couture (a high fashion, exclusive, and trendsetting look) collection outside of Lebanon. At the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monaco, he held a fashion show attended by Monaco’s Princess Stephanie the following year. At the time, he was the sole non-Italian designer presenting his prêt-a-porter collection at Milan Fashion Week that year.
Following 2000, Saab began doing off-list shows in Paris during haute couture season, although not as a featured designer. His membership in the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 2003 made him an invitee and part of the official schedule, a high honor within the design industry. 2003 marked Saab’s first haute couture collection in Paris, where he had a permanent pret-a-porter runway.
A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF FASHION DESIGNER SAAB:
- 1981:Studying fashion in Paris,
- 1982:Opens design studio in Beirut, which produces wedding dresses and evening gowns
- mid-1980s:He launches his first collection under his own label at the Casino du Liban
- 1990: Commissions from international clients and business growth require studio expansion
- 1997: First non-Italian to join Camera Nazionale della Moda; Rome debut of first haute couture collection
- 1998:Organizes fashion show in Monaco . Princess Stephanie of Monaco attends show. Launches prêt-a-porter collection in Milan.
- 2002:Wears Halle Berry’s Oscar-winning gown
- 2003:Becomes a member of the Chamber Syndicale de la Haute Couture following his debut collection in Paris.
Saab has achieved flashy fashion’s peak with glaciers of silver sequins abounding on icy gowns. As Berry did, Knowles chose Saab as her designer of choice, following the high-heeled footsteps of Berry. Saab’s career is likely to continue to flourish and inspire other Lebanese fashion designers, given that it has already attracted the attention of the public, the fashion press, and high-profile celebrities worldwide.
IMPACTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS:
Saab was deeply influenced by the style, elegance, and beauty of his native Beirut, for which it is well known. By blending Middle Eastern cultures with European styles, especially French and Italian, he remained true to his culture and influenced Lebanese fashion in particular. His designs are known for their seductive yet elegant quality, as if they were directly taken from a fantasy. He is considered to be a modern and international designer. With elaborate detailing, Sab’s fashions complement women’s curves. Romance and femininity are his recurring themes. Through his work, Saab fashion designer may have brought the fashion world together. his work. While blending many international fashion styles, he remains true to his native Lebanon’s historical and contemporary fashions.
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE:
In 2002, when Saab dressed Berry for the Academy Awards, he became the first Lebanese to dress an Oscar winner. Since then, Saab’s international reputation has been overwhelmingly positive. Since then he has designed clothes for numerous celebs, including singer Beyoncé Knowles, actresses Teri Hatcher, Nicolette Sheridan, Jessica Simpson, Salma Hayek, Patricia Heaton, Debra Messing, and Queen Rania of Jordan. He has used his design skills to bridge the gap between East and West, reducing cultural misunderstandings between the two. There are sixty Saab outlets and boutiques worldwide, offering elegant evening gowns. In addition to its headquarters in Beirut, ES also has offices in New York, Paris, and Milan. In addition to dazzling clothing, Saab also produces products that are classy and sexy. The designer uses luxury fabrics with lines and flourishes.
BEIRUT EXPLOSION:
The explosion severely damaged Saab’s primary office and headquarters, as well as his nearby home. Despite this, the designer and his team plan to put the finishing touches on the collection in time for its September runway presentation. Elie Saab launched an initiative in April 2021, called “Integrated Education and Well-Being for Vulnerable Girls in Lebanon”, in which a portion of sales will go to UNICEF.
