Elie Saab

Early years

In 1981, Saab moved to Paris to study fashion, but later returned to Beirut. In 1982, at age 18, he started working with a team of 15 employees, initially specializing in bridal couture. His work featured detailed embroidery, pearls, crystals, and silk fabrics.[6] His reputation grew locally and gradually attracted a wider clientele, including high society figures.[7]

In 1997, Saab was the first non-Italian designer to become a member of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion,[8][9] and in 1997 he showed his first collection outside Lebanon in Rome.[10]

In 1998, he started his ready-to-wear line in Milan, as well as an accessories line. During the same year, Saab held a fashion show in Monaco, with Princess Stéphanie of Monaco in attendance.[11]

In 1999, one of his dresses thickly embroidered with emeralds and diamonds was reportedly sold for $2.4 million.[12]

International recognition

Saab became more well known in the United States after he became the first Lebanese designer to dress an Oscar winner, Halle Berry,[13] in 2002.[14] In May 2003, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture invited him to become a member,[8] and he showed his first haute couture collection in Paris in July 2003.

In 2003, he teamed up with Pronovias to create a bridal line, Elie by Elie Saab.[15]

The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture inducted him as a membre correspondant in 2006.[16] His first ready-to-wear collection in Paris was the Spring-Summer 2006 collection.

Saab, Tina Knowles, House of Deréon, Giorgio Armani, Versace, and Herve Leger served as the designers for the outfits of the 2007 The Beyoncé Experience tour.[17] In 2010, Saab dressed 102 celebrities for events overall, up from 40 in 2009. That year, he signed a 10-year licensing agreement with Beauté Prestige International for fragrance and cosmetics.[18] The figure for 2011, up until March, was 88.[19] In 2011, Madame Tussauds unveiled a wax statue of Kate Winslet draped in the Elie Saab dress she wore at 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards.[20] In 2011, Elie Saab launched his first fragrance[21] Le Parfum, created by Francis Kurkdjian.

The Duchess of Cambridge wore an Elie Saab gown while attending Royal Ascot in 2019. This was the first time one of Saab's gowns was worn by a British royal.[22]

Recent projects and collaborations

In 2012, he worked with the Lebanese American University and London College of Fashion to launch a bachelor's degree in fashion design.[16] As of 2013, the brand had boutiques located in Beirut, Dubai, Doha, Paris, London, Geneva, Hong Kong, Moscow, New York City, and Mexico, with 100 retail outlets total.[6] Saab's son, Elie Saab Jr, became brand director in 2013.[16]

Saab appeared as a judge on Project Runway: Middle East in 2016.[16] Between 2015 and 2017, the Elie Saab company opened a second Paris boutique and a new location in London's Mayfair, and in Manhattan.[16] The Manhattan store that opened in October 2016 was his first in the country.[23] As of March 2017, his couture collections are available in Paris, London, and Beirut, while his ready-to-wear clothes were in 160 retailers and his own boutiques.[16] Also that month, the Elie Saab company opened a new Madison Avenue store.[24]

Real estate collaborations

Elie Saab X Emaar

The Lebanese fashion designer and the real estate development company Emaar reveal luxurious Elie Saab at Emaar Beachfront property in Dubai. The luxurious island property, Grand Bleu Tower at Emaar Beachfront, will include one, two and three-bedroom apartments as well as four-bedroom penthouses with interiors by Elie Saab. The residential tower boasts views of the Arabian Sea, The Palm and Dubai Marina.[25]

Elie Saab X Samana

Luxury fashion designer Elie Saab has partnered with Samana Developers to launch Samana Ocean Views, an exclusive residential project in the Maldives. This marks Samana’s first international venture and Elie Saab’s expansion into island living, bringing his signature design to a tropical paradise.

Samana is known for real estate in Dubai, that is building a private island development in the Maldives. The project includes beachfront villas, overwater bungalows, and ocean-facing suites. This collaboration combines Samana and design company Saab partnership.

Elie Saab X MIRA

In 2024, Saab collaborated with Dubai-based MIRA Developments on residential projects in the Caucasus region.[26][27]

Beirut explosion, 4 August 2020

Saab's main office and headquarters were left badly damaged by the explosion, his home nearby was completely destroyed.[28] Despite this, the designer and his team planned to get back to work in order to finish the collection for the September show.[28]

In April 2021, Elie Saab launched an initiative that consists in donating a portion of sales to UNICEF's "Integrated Education and Well-Being for Vulnerable Girls in Lebanon Program."[29]

The 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab, November 2024

In November 2024, Elie Saab celebrated the 45th anniversary of his fashion house with an event titled "The 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab[30]" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.