Lebanese Designers Own Golden Globes Fashion

Now that we have all digested the array of gowns from the 2014 Golden Globes, we have to talk about the number of designers with Lebanese roots!

On the list we have Reem Acra, Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Mikael D, Aiisha Ramadan, Rani Zakhem and Georges Hobeika.

Reem Acra: “While attending the American University of Beirut, Acra was discovered by a fashion editor. Captivated with the ornately embroidered silk organza gown Acra made from her mother’s dining room tablecloth and wore to a party, she instantly offered to host a fashion show for Acra that took place ten days later. Following the serendipitous encounter, Acra studied at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and its Paris counterpart at Esmod.” (AnnaDeFonte.com)

Elie Saab: “Born in 1964 in Lebanon, Elie Saab, is a self-taugh fashion talent. His interest in dressmaking started at the young age of 9, already making clothes for his sisters. The talented adolescent sold his creations to the women in his neighborhood.” (ElieSaab.com)

Zuhair Murad: “Zuhair Murad is the epitome of Middle Eastern glamour, fashion and design. This Lebanese breakthrough in the International fashion scene has lead Murad to become an icon to his peers and audiences from arount the world.” (FashionModelDirectory.com)

Mikael D: “The 80s, Beirut: A natural talent at a young age, Mikael Derderian was surrounded by creativity and design. Far advanced beyond his years, when he wasn’t studying within the boundaries of school, he found himself exploring his skills within his parents’ workshop. The son of a Canadian-Armenian father and a Lebanese mother, who worked together in designing as well as manufacturing children’s clothing, the blood line of fashion ran thick within the eager, young designer.” (MikaelD.com)

Aiisha Ramadan: “Aiisha Ramadan is a Lebanese fashion designer who has launched her own clothing brand, AIISHA. She has won prestigious awards such as the Young Designer of the Year 2000 by Swarovski, and the Gr8! Women Achiever Awards 2011.” (Aiisha.com)

Rani Zakhem: “Rani Zakhem was born in Beirut, Lebanon. During a war torn Beirut, his family moved to Nairobi, Kenya where Rani was raised throughout his childhood…In 1992, after the civil war was over in Lebanon, Rani moved back to Beirut with his family…Rani graduated with an AAS in fashion studies in the spring of 2007 (from Parsons).” (RaniZakhem.com)

Georges Hobeika: In 1994, he ventured to Paris and pursued internships at prestigious fashion houses. The world of high fashion was enrapturing and proved the perfect arena for Georges Hobeika to hone his inborn talent. Shortly after, he returned home to open his own atelier in Beirut and continued to support his mother’s work by fully integrating her clientele with his.” (GeorgeHobeika.com)