From Beirut to the World
Few have managed to bridge the distance between traditional craft and contemporary fashion as gracefully as Lebanese designer Elie Saab. Born and based in Beirut, Lebanon, Saab has long been celebrated for his elaborate gowns, which have become cherished at red-carpet events, royal occasions, and high-profile weddings. Each gown is a unique work of art crafted from a medley of materials, including silk, muslin, lace, velvet, pearls, beads, embroidery, and more. However, the true story of his work runs deeper than celebrity glamour. In an industry that glamorizes Western culture and mystifies all others, his creations are a living tribute to Lebanese craftsmanship and the rich heritage of the Middle East. Every garment carries a piece of the Levant, transforming each gown into a work of preservation as well as a piece of art.
Central to Saab’s philosophy is the belief that couture must remain rooted in the hands of skilled artisans. In the age of fast fashion and automated production, he has built his Beirut ateliers around the talent of the local craftspeople, ensuring the centuries-old techniques continue to thrive. Among these is tambour beading, a painstaking process in which tiny glass beads and sequins are hand-embroidered onto delicate fabrics using a hook-like needle. This classic method, now widespread across the Middle East and Europe, occupies a strong position in Haute Couture. By employing Lebanese artisans who have mastered the technique, Saab not only safeguards their livelihoods but also protects a fragile cultural legacy.
Fine lacework is another cornerstone of his craft. Lebanese lace makers, many trained through generations of family craftsmanship, infuse Saab’s gowns with gossamer patterns that rival those of the finest European maisons. Rather than outsourcing this work to industrial mills, Saab keeps production slow, meticulous, and personal. While this process results in a higher price tag, it creates garments that radiate the subtle irregularities of handicraft: each gown unique, each motif a quiet testament to patient labor. Unlike the speed and volume of mass-market fashion, Saab’s ateliers focus on precision and detail. A single Haute Couture gown can require several hundred hours of labor and up to dozens of materials. This dedication is masterfully showcased in Saab’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 Collection, where ivory gowns were layered with hand-woven Chantilly lace, silk duchesse, and embroidered tulle, all created by Lebanese artisans. The lace panels—cut, pieced, and stitched entirely by hand—formed exquisite floral motifs that seemed to float across the fabric, beautifully capturing how traditional needlework can achieve ethereal modernity without losing its artisanal soul.
These materials show Saab’s unwavering devotion to authenticity. Saab is known for using high-end natural fibers—especially varieties of silk, including chiffon, duchesse satin, crepe, and organza—sourced from top textile makers around the world. Materials are gathered from specialized hubs: intricately embroidered fabrics and sequins from India, lace and tulle from Turkey, luxury silks and wool blends from Italy, and Chantilly lace with other finishing fabrics from France. These materials are often juxtaposed, as Saab pairs richer, heavier fabrics (velvet, crepe, wool) with sheer, delicate ones (chiffon, silk georgette, tulle) within a single collection to highlight the contrast between structure and fluidity. This is exemplified in Saab’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2019 Collection ‘Vida Paraíso.’ Inspired by the Caribbean’s sea life and mythological figures, this collection featured cascading silk organza gowns embroidered with crystal sequins and metallic thread. Organic forms, such as layers, shapes, and ruffles, evoked the natural movements of water and underwater plants. Each dress combined fabrics from across Europe and the Middle East but was entirely hand-assembled in Beirut.
When looking at his collections as a whole, it is clear that Lebanon’s own background, marked by trade and colonial rule, infuses Saab’s aesthetic. His works reflect a confluence of cultures: Levantine warmth, Ottoman opulence, Venetian romance, and French refinement. This cultural blend gives Saab’s work its distinct identity: garments that feel both rooted in history and resonant with modern elegance. Architectural motifs often appear in his embroidery—arabesque arches, mosaic patterns, and the intricate stonework of Beirut’s historic houses—allowing his designs to function as visual manuscripts, layering the civilizations that have left their mark on the Middle East. Saab’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2017 Collection ‘The Birth of Light,’ for example, was a tribute to Egypt’s Arabian influences, using elements such as palm trees, boats on the Nile, evil eye motifs, and delicate flowers. Shimmering gold threadwork and translucent fabrics evoked the magic of ancient temples and the desert. Through this blend of ancient symbolism and contemporary form, Saab showcased how Middle Eastern artistry can inhabit a distinctly modern couture language, summoning inspiration from history and mythology.
In a fashion world long dominated by Western artists, Elie Saab’s work brings visibility to a region often overshadowed. By translating Lebanon and the Middle East’s rich artistic traditions into contemporary couture, he gives form to a culture known for its beauty and complexity. Saab’s designs do more than just adorn—they reclaim space for Eastern craftsmanship and celebrate it on the world’s stage.
Written by Nidhi Suraparaju, Photography: Zayna Sayyed, Design: Erik Reichmeider, Social Media: Celine Nguyen, Styling: Derrick Ayala