Elie Saab dresses and designer biography

Elie Saab is a famous designer of Lebanese origin.
All modern women of fashion know this name and are eagerly awaiting the collection of their favorite designer on the catwalk. Elie Saab specializes in creating luxurious evening dresses. His outfits are preferred by many Hollywood stars and royals.

Elie Saab was born on July 4, 1964 in Beirut. As a child, he showed great interest in sewing. Even at the age of 6, instead of playing with other boys for children, he preferred making clothes. He liked to dress up his sisters. He created dresses for them from old curtains and tablecloths. Although his parents dreamed that he would become a lawyer or a doctor, but then they realized that little Eli had long ago decided on a profession.

The family began to encourage his venture, suggesting that Eli would make a great tailor. Father and mother were proud of their son, because in Lebanon the tailoring profession is exclusively a man's business, moreover, prestigious and respected. And the Eli sisters showed their new outfits to their girlfriends and were also proud of their brother.

According to the traditions of the East, conservatism and adherence to centuries-old traditions are inherent in the craftsmanship of cutting and sewing; design creativity and fashion shows are not welcome here. Elie Saab wanted a different attitude to his skills, so in 1981 he went to Paris. Eli wanted to get an education here, but then, on reflection, he realized that for him it would be too long a journey to the top of a fashion career.

A year later, he returned to his hometown, opened a small atelier, found himself several workers and began his education in this way. In those years, there was a civil war on the territory of Lebanon. What outfits could anyone think of? But weddings have always been and at any time - after all, love is not prohibited, and any bloody war brings sacrifices, but the world still exists, thanks to the fact that there is love. And then Eli realized that the stake should be placed on the creation of evening and wedding dresses, as well as on clothes for special occasions.

Wealthy women, like everyone else tired of the war, yearned for luxury. The stories of all countries and peoples confirm that in such circumstances, the thirst for life saves. There were times when Eli interrupted his work due to fighting and shelling, fires and riots in the street. And his clients spent their money so that beauty lived and flourished even in such a fickle world, as if confirming the formulas of Eastern wisdom:

“The world is a moment, and I am one moment in it.
How many breaths am I destined to take in a moment?
Be cheerful, live! This is a perishable building
It is not given to anyone in possession forever. "

Even then, one feature arose in his work that always distinguished him subsequently from other designers - a combination of Western and Eastern motives in clothing.

In 1982, the first show of Elie Saab's collection took place at the Casino du Liban in Beirut. The audience was captivated by the romance and femininity of soft lines. Then the press called Elie Saab "an early genius", because he was only 18 years old. And he became the king of Lebanese fashion. The richest women aspired to dress for him, and among them were persons from the royal family. Eli used the most expensive materials, precious stones, rare beautiful lace, hand embroidery in his collections.

Already in the early 90s, Elie Saab expanded his workshop. And now he began to accept orders from Europe, and even from France itself. All of Europe learned about him. It turned out that one had to have the talent of a master, patience, hard work and a little enterprise, so that, without leaving his country, he could become famous in Europe. In 1997 he became a member of the Italian National Fashion Chamber.Then he was the first foreigner to receive this honor.

At the Alta Moda Week in Rome in the same year, the Elie Saab collection was shown, which caused delight and admiration. The success was enormous. And a year later, Elie Saab's ready-to-wear line was launched in Milan. Then screenings in Monaco.

And in 2000, the first fashionable salon of the talented Lebanese was opened in Paris.

In May 2003, Elie Saab Fashion House was already part of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. In the same year in Paris, the public was delighted with one of the most striking collections of Elie Saab. What surprised the audience with the Lebanese couturier?

His collection was a fireworks display of shades, then the color “dawn over Beirut” came into fashion, the splendor of hand-finished chiffon clouds and decor of gold coins blossomed in it. And most importantly, in the fashion arena, in contrast to the political one, two cultures - East and West - peacefully met in the collection.

But then it was the delight of the audience, and fashion critics accused Saab of excessive decoration and variegation, the decoration was called vulgar, and the styles were primitive. Others believed that the Lebanese seeks only to make a profit.

Be that as it may, they started talking about him, and he received international recognition.

In 2003, the Lebanese government awarded Elie Saab the title of Chevalier of the National Order of the Republic for his contribution to the Lebanese fashion industry.

In 2005, for the first time in Paris, Elie Saab showed his ready-to-wear collection. There was no longer that luxury, the fashion designer presented a collection for everyday women's wardrobe. The designer demonstrated tight-fitting blouses, skirts, short dresses and trouser suits. But there was still an oriental spirit here - Saab's models were of a fairly complex cut.

In the same year, Eli opened his first Elie Saab brand boutique in Beirut. And in 2007, a luxury boutique appeared on the Champs Elysees in Paris. From that time on, Elie Saab boutiques began to open all over the world. Now there are more than 60 of them. Elie Saab's shops and showrooms are located in Beirut, Paris, Milan and other cities; there are representations and offices in Great Britain, America, Russia, Hong Kong.

Many stars have appreciated the designer's talent, and thus brought him fame. At the 2002 Academy Awards, when actress Halle Berry received the gold statuette for her role in Mark Forster's Monster Ball, she wore an Elie Saab gown. The outfit looked great on Holly - burgundy taffeta skirts and flowers on the bodice set off her dark complexion. Not only Holly, as an actress, was recognized as the best, but Saab's dress attracted everyone's attention and was recognized as the most striking and spectacular at the ceremony.

Eli Saab broke the record this time Giorgio Armaniwhose outfit was shown for 130 seconds and Elie Saab's dress for 331 seconds. Since then, many world celebrities have begun to follow on his heels. Among them are Sharon Stone, Queen of Jordan Rania Al-Abdula, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Angelina Jolie, Mina Suvari, Marion Cotillard and many, many others. Among the admirers of his talent were representatives of the noble families of the Middle East. Usually, after those events at which they saw a new outfit from Elie Saab, they call the office and ask first about this particular outfit, and then they want to get acquainted with the rest of the things. Thus, celebrities create advertisements for the brand, because the press loves celebrity ceremonies and with great pleasure places them on the covers of their magazines, and with them the outfits of Elie Saab.

In every collection of Elie Saab, there are always wedding and evening dresses that he loves the most. “Wedding and evening dresses are what I love and know best. They require a special approach to the choice of fabric, complex embroidery, unusual solutions. " However, he believes that one should always be creative, because fashion gives the opportunity to create new creations and styles, and this should not be missed - it is a natural change. Fashion for Elie Saab is "... the opportunity to be creative, the absence of boundaries and limits." Elie Saab's design style remains the same, but he always listens to the requests and requirements of the times and clients.

Elie Saab works with creativity. He considers the creation of the correct cut to be the principles of his design in order to emphasize all the advantages of the female figure. In his understanding, the woman for whom he creates his outfits is elegant and glamorous, so the muse for him is simply a Woman, elegant, with character. He wants her to feel feminine and sensual in his outfits.

Elie Saab finds inspiration, one might say, everywhere, it is important for him that his ideas come freely and naturally. And this is mostly happening here - at home. He is proud of his country, people, Lebanese culture, rich and diverse. It is here that he maintains his creative skills and talents. Elie Saab prefers to work with light fabrics, creating spring collections.

Every morning he makes an installation, tries to set the right mood with which he will work all day. Therefore, a certain routine and discipline is laid down on his working day. During the day, he meets with clients and develops new collections.

The designer lives in his native Beirut, where his headquarters are located, with his wife Claudine and three children. And he demonstrates his collections at the Parisian Haute Couture Week, the production of ready-to-wear clothes is located in Italy.