Batoul Elkhatib

Introduction to Merchandising
Ms. Betsy Marietti
September 29, 2015
Elie Saab
Since I could remember, Ive spent my summers in Lebanon. While Im there I usually
spend a week or two with my aunt and uncle in Beirut. They take me around the city to all these
cute hole-in-the-wall cafes and gorgeous beaches. One year, I was about eleven or twelve, I went
shopping with my aunt and we passed this big glass building with a dress in the front window.
This dress was every girls dream: a bright red color, with a skirt that for sure wouldnt fit through
a normal sized door, and sparkles. Every single inch of the dress sparkled, and I wanted nothing
more than to put it on and wear it for the rest of my life. Above the dress, on the glass, was the
name ELIE SAAB. That was when I found my favorite designer.
Elie Saab was born in July, 1964 in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. He was the oldest of
five kids. He began sketching designs and creating his own patterns when he was only nine years
old (Vogue FR). He would take his mothers old table clothes and curtains and make dresses for
his sisters. What fascinates me is that he is entirely self taught. Everything from pattern making
to beading and sewing were all things he taught himself to do. In 1981 he moved to Paris to
study design but left shortly after and returned to Beirut, to continue his work (TFP).
In 1982, Saab opened his first couture atelier in Beirut in 1982 when he was just 18
years old (Vogue AU). Just a couple months later, he presented his very first collection to he
public. He quickly gained popularity in Beirut and then throughout the Middle East when Queen
Rania of Jordan began wearing his designs (Vogue AU).

After three haute couture fashion shows in Rome, he presented his first ready-to-wear
collection during Milan Fashion Week in 1998 (Vogue FR). He was invited by the Chambre
Syndicale De La Haute Couture to show in Paris in 2000, he presented four haute couture and
ready-to-wear collections a year, and after six years became a corresponding member (Saab).
Although he was famous throughout the Middle East and parts of Europe, Elie Saab was
not known in America until he became the first Middle Eastern designer to dress an Oscar
winner in 2002, when Halle Berry won Best Actress for Monsters Ball wearing one of his
gowns (Vogue AU). The beautiful gown got so much attention from the media that she wore
another one of his dresses to the Oscars the following year. This lead the Elie Saab fashion house
to expand globally from Los Angeles all the way to Hong Kong (Vogue FR).
In 2003, he partnered with Pronovias, a brand of bridal and cocktail dresses, to create a
line of wedding dresses called Elie by Elie Saab (Vogue FR). He is still partnered with them
today, but his most famous wedding gowns are the custom gowns he designs for anyone
important enough and wealthy enough to afford them. He is famous in Europe for designing the
wedding gowns and event gowns of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Princess Beatrice of York,
Clotilde, Princess of Venice, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Madeleine of Sweden
Princess Claire of Luxembourg, and many more (Vogue FR).
Saab opened his first boutique in Beirut's city center in 2005. That same year, he
presented his ready-to-wear collections in Paris (Vogue FR). His ready-to-wear collections have
the same feminine beauty and aesthetic as his couture dresses, using almost the same brightly
colored silks, beading, and embroidery. Since then, his ready-to-wear collections have been a
permanent part of his brand and have gained popularity because they showcase similar designs as
the couture gowns, in a more appropriate way for business and/or day to day wear. Two years

later in 2007, Elie Saab opened his boutique and couture showroomsin the heart of the
Triangle d'Or at 1 Rond-point des Champs-Elyses in Paris (Vogue FR).
Currently Saab claims he does not work with any investors, his label is run entirely by
him. He does say though in an interview with Arabian Business magazine that he was
considering an IPO in the future, saying: This could be a natural evolution of the business.
(Bhoyrul). There is no net worth published for his company, but his company continues to grow
with every passing year. His clothing line and accessories are now available for sale in twentytwo different countries (Bhoyrul). He has done what many designers struggle with. In a short
period of time he has successfully expanded his brand into handbags, jewelry, shoes, and
fragrances. Recently he even designed the interior for the BMW X Series, worked with MAC
Cosmetics and signed a deal with Weyves International to design three mega yachts (Bhoyrul).
The one thing that attracts me to his designs is his attitude towards beauty and how he
praises women. In many of the interviews Ive watched, he talks about how he wants his designs
to glorify women and make the women who wear his gowns and clothing feel like they can
conquer the world. In an interview with Vogue Australia, he was asked what his inspiration was
when he first started designing. He said I was born with this passion of creating and making
dresses and was always surrounded by beautiful women, from my sisters to neighbors, so the
desire to dress them and make them look elegant was my constant inspiration (Vogue AU).
Today, Elie Saab is a truly global empire. He has boutiques in Paris, Beirut, London and
Dubai. His clothes are sold in 22 countries around the world. After being in the business for a
short period of time, he has made himself a favorite of royalty and celebrities like Angelina Jolie,
Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and many many more.

Works cited
Bhoyrul, A. (2011, April 2). Exclusive: Elie Saab eyes stock market float of fashion empire.
Retrieved September 28, 2015, from http://www.arabianbusiness.com/exclusive-eliesaab-eyes-stock-market-float-of-fashion-empire-395707.html
Elie Saab Designer Profile. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2015, from
http://nymag.com/thecut/fashion/designers/elie-saab/
Elie Saab. (2015, March 2). Retrieved September 27, 2015, from http://en.vogue.fr/voguelist/thevoguelist/elie-saab-/1086
Elie Saab. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2015, from
http://www.vogue.com.au/celebrity/designers/elie saab,347
Saab, E. (n.d.). ELIE SAAB. Retrieved September 27, 2015, from
http://www.eliesaab.com/#/en/elie-saab/4
TFP, Elie Saab Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2015, from
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/elie-saab-5711.php