Lebanese designer

Rym Saidi was all about spotlighting vibrant modest wear at the Bulgari Majlis last night.
Photo: Instagram.com/rymsaidi
Accompanied by husband Wissam Breidy, the Tunisian model opted for a demure number by Dubai-based Lebanese designer Dima Ayad. But unlike Ayad’s trademark metallic-detailed numbers, Saidi’s pick this time spruced things up with a bold print. The bright shade of violet of her kaftan, interlocked with white in a geometric print, was enhanced by a sequined V-shaped neckline. Standing beside her, Breidy painted a dapper picture in head-to-toe black: a look that also ensured that the couple’s ensembles didn’t clash.
Rym Saidi paired her geometric print kaftan with delicate jewelry
Given the busy pattern on her kaftan, Rym Saidi decided to go with understated, yet gorgeous, jewelry pieces for her iftar in Dubai. The model paired her look with a thin necklace featuring a trademark Bulgari pendant, and the rest of her jewelry – also from Bulgari – executed this minimalist vision to perfection. A pair of pared-back heels adorned her feet, rounding out a look that will surely provide inspiration for many Ramadan nights.
Photo: Instagram.com/rymsaidi
Rym Saidi’s super sleek beauty look
To complement her look, the 36-year-old pulled her hair back in a sleek low bun, letting all the focus fall upon her glammed-up face. Rym Saidi’s glossy pink lip was accompanied by a dewy complexion and a subtle rouge on the cheeks. Her sculpted brows and bold eyes brought to fruition a glamorous yet fuss-free makeup look, perfect for everything from evening affairs to a day out in the city.

Proving her versatile style, Saidi was also spotted in another distinct look this week. For the iftar hosted by Dior in Dubai, the mother-of-two opted for a black chiffon frock from the fashion house’s Ramadan collection. So whether you are looking to go the neutral route or the playful one, make sure to keep an eye out for Saidi’s wardrobe this month for lots of festive inspiration.
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There is no arguing against the sartorial excellence of Zuhair Murad which is why it comes as no surprise that mere days into her Eras Tour, Taylor Swift has opted for another look by the Lebanese designer – a bejeweled number perfectly encapsulating the energy of Las Vegas.
Photo: Instagram.com/zuhairmuradofficial
On the opening night of another sold-out stop across America, the Grammy award-winning artist had the audience mesmerized with her performances. Of course, it helped that she looked stunning in her bespoke midnight blue Zuhair Murad bodysuit. Delicately crafted by hand, the outfit is a testament to the savoir-faire of the Lebanese couturier with 20,000 sequins and crystals embedded individually. The embellishment seems to overflow with richly beaded fringes and a matching garter. Her look was completed by a pair of knee-high boots and the quintessential Taylor Swift red lip with winged eyeliner.
The label shared a video on Instagram showing glimpses of how the sparkling number was created, adding that it was “crafted in over 350 hours of atelier handwork.”

From custom Louboutins in every show to her first look from Zuhair Murad – a romantic embellished ball gown – and every other ensemble that has appeared on stage, it is apparent that fashion plays an important role in this tour. For the 33-year-old singer who tends to be meticulously detail-oriented about everything from her shows to her music videos, this has been a chance to use as a conduit for expression, a means to highlight different eras of her music and the unparalleled growth she has been through.
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On Dubai Fashion Week FW23‘s penultimate day, Lama Jouni speaks to Vogue Arabia about her latest collection.
Photo: Courtesy of Lama Jouni
Staying true to the roots of her eponymous brand, Jouni turned the runway into a celebration of the female form, each piece infused with her signature elegance and impeccable tailoring.
The Lebanese designer and DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize 2017 finalist launched Lama Jouni in 2013 after spending years honing her craft at renowned design houses such as Balmain and Rad Hourani. Since then, she has been subject to great critical acclaim and dressed some of the most renowned celebrities in the world.

Read on to know all about Lama Jouni’s Dubai Fashion Week FW23 show.
Tell us more about your collection being showcased at Dubai Fashion Week.

For this season, I wanted to add more offerings to the essential line, showcasing new materials that are elevated for occasional wear. However, I have kept some of the core pieces that represent the brand’s DNA.

What kind of woman are your designs made for?

I design for women that are confident and practical but most importantly I want to provide women with pieces that will boost their femininity and make them feel empowered in their bodies.

How does it feel to be a part of the inaugural Dubai Fashion Week?

I am always happy to see the industry growing in the region, and therefore, I will always try to be a part of this growth and help expand our creativity internationally.
Name one regional and international celebrity you would love to see in your designs.

Regionally I would love to dress Nadine Labaki, and internationally, Hunter Schafer and Zoë Kravitz.

What’s next for your brand?

Photo: Nader Moussally
As we move ahead with the new normal, nostalgia for the decades gone by remains strong, and any chance to honor that time must not be missed. Lebanese designer Nemer Saade is of the same mind, as he harkens back to the joyful 80s for the latest collection of his eponymous brand.
The strong silhouettes and bold fabrics synonymous with the era collide in Nemer Saade FW22, bursting with color while being rooted in elegance. Pieces form the designer’s response to a fast-paced post-isolation time, where togetherness is celebrated as a way of slowing down and taking stock of life. To that end, the femininity and masculinity in the designs of both genders are dialed up, sometimes blurring the line between the two in a “homage to the fun and combative spirit of men and women.” Think, a grey leather jacket for women, and a hot pink suit for men, with both equally capable of sparking confidence within the wearer.
The collection’s color palette features neutrals like beige, cream, and grey with pops of purple, yellow, and blue. The designer also taps the winning color combination of bright pink and red, offering it in the form of a suit that can take you from day to night. A desert-colored cashmere wool coat is the highlight in the women’s collection, featuring Swarovski crystal-encrusted embroidery on the sleeves.
The Beirut-based label has been worn by many regional stars including singer Ragheb Alama, actor Nadine Nassib Njeim, and more recently, Nadine Labaki. The Lebanese actor-director wore a black suit by the designer to the Dubai premiere of her new Netflix film, Perfect Strangers.
Take a look at some of the key pieces from the collection below.
Photo: Nader Moussally
Photo: Nader Moussally
Photo: Nader Moussally
Photo: Nader Moussally
Photo: Nader Moussally
Photo: Nader Moussally
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Photo: Instagram.com/ladygaga
Lady Gaga is no stranger to Middle Eastern designers. Just months ago, the music icon was spotted out and about in New York post her performance with Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall in a sparkling gunmetal Georges Hobeika gown, her first ensemble by the celebrated Lebanese designer. And over the years, her loyalty to the creations of Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa hasn’t been missed either. Most recently, Gaga gave her nod to artists of the region once again via a video she shared on her official Instagram page.

On November 21, Lady Gaga took to social media to announce a new launch—the Italian Glam Highlighter Brush from her beauty line, Haus Laboratories by Lady Gaga. In the first look, a smouldering Gaga is seen showing off the results of her latest drop dressed in a risqué off-shoulder black dress by none other than Dubai-based, Lebanese-born designer Lama Jouni. Gaga paired her fail-safe ebony number with sparkling solitaire earrings, a statement cocktail ring, and a sleek beauty look. Her picks: coral lips, softly smoked out lids, and an elegant low bun. The video announcing the new highlighter brush has already earned thousands of likes and comments, with Jouni fans instantly recognizing the designer’s feminine and understated ensemble.
After attending Istituto Marangoni, Lama Jouni also studied fashion at Parsons, Paris, and went on to work with Balmain and Reed Krakoff. The designer launched her own ready-to-wear label in November 2013, and today is counted among the favorites in the region. Check out the very same dress worn by Lady Gaga below. 
Photo: Lama Jouni
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Azzi & Osta‘s SS21 collection bursts with color, hope, and optimism for the future as it harkens back to the playful 60s. For this ready-to-wear collection, Lebanese designer duo George Azzi and Assaad Osta looked to the popular vintage American travel magazine Holiday and its golden years in the 60s for inspiration.
Its bold layouts, visually pleasing art direction, and photography that allowed readers to travel within its pages, also motivated the designers to collect them, and later, dream up a 17-piece collection through which the magazines would continue to serve their purpose. “Storytelling with our creations is at the core of what we do,” share the couturiers with Vogue Arabia. “We love history, and the history of art specifically, as it makes us imagine how things were, and challenges us to modernize and bring those moments back in the form of a story that takes our audiences through our journey of escapism.”
The Holiday magazines. Photo: Courtesy of Azzi & Osta

The collection is every bit the holiday wardrobe jet-setters would travel with, had it not been for the global pandemic, and serves as a sartorial antidote after a trying 2020. Speaking of the driving force behind the collection, Azzi and Osta say, “The year 2020 with all its challenges and the devastating explosion in Beirut, triggered more and more our need to escape with our thoughts and just imagine where anyone yearns to be during such times, what they would wear on their holiday, and the carefree spirit that the 60s project.” The result? Silhouettes that are minimalistic with maximalist accents that ensure wearability while still being stand-out pieces in the wardrobe. Light, tailored separates with clean, asymmetric cuts are juxtaposed with billowing cape-like sleeves, long tunic tops are adorned with dramatic ruffles, while eyes are drawn to waistlines and necklines accentuated with flower appliqués, embellishments, straps with sparkling vintage accents, an oversized bow, as well as geometric cut-outs. Dubbed a “gelato-hued collection” by the brand, the color palette is plucked from the pages of the vintage magazine to feature shades like marshmallow pink, sherbet lemon, powder blue and Hamptons white.
The mood board. Photo: Courtesy of Azzi & Osta

Since comfort continues to be predicted as one of the the biggest “fashion trends” this year, the designers have taken it into consideration to deliver just that with the collection that is available to shop from their recently launched e-commerce site. “We adapted the collection for SS21 into a simpler silhouette; looks that are suitable for intimate day events as well as outdoor celebrations,” say Azzi and Osta. “Comfort, effortlessness, minimalism have become more prominent and our SS21 collection reflects that very much.”
George Azzi and Assaad Osta. Photography Myriam Boulos

Azzi and Osta were two of the many designers affected by the explosion in Beirut that destroyed homes and businesses. The duo now strongly feels a responsibility as creatives to offer a much-needed dose of escapism through their work, and their faith in the power of fashion has never been more important. “Fashion projects hope, something to look forward to,” they say. “You look at fashion — how it is always about the upcoming “seasons” and it offers a way of looking at things with a more positive perspective, and the notion that this too shall end. The storytelling that has always been with fashion, is now intensified with all the fashion films and is the means to disconnecting, dreaming, escaping, and living in the story of a collection for a little while.”
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Photo: Courtesy of Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Zuhair Murad is the latest designer to pull out of the Paris haute couture week schedule, which started on January 25. The Lebanese couturier was set to present his spring/summer 2021 collection on January 27.
Citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as a reason for not presenting the collection, he said, “The devastation caused by the pandemic and the drastic restrictions taken worldwide, the safety of our community and especially the wellbeing of our employees, who have participated in spreading beauty through various collections, remains our top priority. Therefore, Zuhair Murad has taken the decision to postpone the 27 January showcase of its Couture Spring Summer 2021 collection.”
Photo: Courtesy of Zuhair Murad

The news doesn’t come long after fellow Lebanese couturiers Elie Saab and Georges Hobeika also announced that they would forego presenting their latest haute couture collections. Hobeika and Saab’s decisions, like Murad’s, were also made in light of the pandemic, and to ensure public safety. “As the pandemic of the coronavirus remains strong, health restrictions are being put in place around the world: they are needed to help healthcare workers and researchers that save precious lives,” Hobeika said in a statement.
Murad continued his statement: “We thank you for your kindness, support, and understanding as we look forward to scheduling the show in a near and peaceful future.” Hobeika and Saab are also expected to reschedule their respective shows during safer, peaceful, and happier times.
The past couple of weeks have seen Lebanon a new record for daily infection rates, with more than 78,812 cases being recorded in the past 20 days. On Wednesday, January 20, the Lebanese Health Ministry’s Scientific Committee on Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic also advised extending the country’s national lockdown by two weeks
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Lebanese shoe designer Jennifer Chamandi is looking towards a glamorous future. While the women of the world may be living in sneakers or slippers, Lebanese designer Jennifer Chamandi is defiantly vouching for stilettos. “I have always been a lifelong fan of heels,” she states. “When I was young, I would wear heels around the house, even when I was studying or […]
The post Why This Meghan Markle-Loved Lebanese Shoe Designer Believes in Post-2020 Glamour appeared first on Vogue Arabia.