Their ateliers and offices may have been shattered by this month's devastating explosion in Beirut, but the resolve of the city's designers is unshakeable.
Following the tragic blast on August 4, which killed at least 177 people and left thousands more injured or homeless, many of Lebanon's couturiers have found ways to support those affected.
From Zuhair Murad creating a limited-edition T-shirt to Marzook pledging to donate a portion of profits, a number of labels around the country have come up with initiatives to benefit charities working on the ground.
The latest is Rami Kadi, the Lebanese designer whose eponymous label has been worn by Kendall Jenner, Rachel McAdams and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
The Esmod-trained designer has announced proceeds from sales of a couture dress will go towards Bebw’shebbek, an organisation focused on rebuilding the doors and windows of some 80,000 homes in Beirut.
A pale-blue, ornately embroidered gown from Kadi's autumn / winter 2020 collection has been reduced from $16,000 (Dh58,770) to $12,000 (Dh44,078), with the designer vowing 100 per cent of proceeds will go to the charity.
Couture is process by which designs are crafted entirely by hand, hence the high price tags attached to collections.
Womenswear label Mira Mikati has also pledged to donate 100 per cent of profits from its spring / summer 2020 collection to Bebw’shebbek.
This week, Kadi gave a glimpse of his Clemenceau showroom, revealing the boutique's broken windows, with glass and debris strewn across the floor.
"Fall down seven times, get up eight," the designer captioned the video.
"Beirut was destroyed seven times and rebuilt, we will build it again. We’re all in this together, hand in hand."
The designer is one of a number of Beiruti couturiers whose ateliers were affected by the explosion.
Zuhair Murad's 11-storey office was devastated, claiming the designer's archives and collections, while Elie Saab's home and office were wrecked.
Design duo Azzi & Osta's atelier was ripped open by the blast, leaving the building's facade with gaping holes. Couturier Rabih Kayrouz, meanwhile, suffered a small brain haemorrhage and two clots as a result of the blast, as well as needing 22 stitches.
Kayrouz's atelier was fewer than 900 metres from the site of the blast.
"Words are not enough. We will not forget. We will judge. We will rebuild ... And we will dance," the designer wrote in a poignant social media post following the disaster.
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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