Elie Saab

Elie Saab is a fashion designer based in Lebanon who established his business in the early 1980s, specializing in bridal couture. His garments frequently feature detailed embroidery and materials such as lace, gemstones, crystals, pearls, and silk fabrics. He holds the distinction of being the first Lebanese designer to become a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

Born on July 4, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saab was raised as the eldest of five children in a Maronite Catholic family. His father worked as a wood merchant in Damour, a coastal suburb south of Beirut. Saab developed an interest in sewing during his childhood, experimenting with fashion around the age of eight by using materials found at home and involving his sisters as models.

In 1981, Saab moved to Paris to study fashion, returning to Beirut shortly after. At age 18 in 1982, he began working with a team of 15 employees, concentrating on bridal couture. As his local reputation expanded, he attracted high society figures. In 1997, he became the first non-Italian designer to join the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and presented his first collection outside Lebanon in Rome. In 1998, he launched an accessories line and a ready-to-wear line in Milan, and held a fashion show in Monaco attended by Princess Stéphanie.

Saab achieved wider recognition in the United States in 2002 after becoming the first Lebanese designer to dress an Academy Award winner, Halle Berry, at the Oscars. In May 2003, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture invited him to join its ranks, leading to his first haute couture show in Paris that July. That same year, he partnered with Pronovias to create a bridal line called Elie by Elie Saab. The Chambre Syndicale inducted him as a membre correspondant in 2006, the same year he presented his first Paris ready-to-wear collection.

Throughout his career, Saab expanded his operations globally and entered diverse industries. In 2010, he signed a 10-year licensing deal with Beauté Prestige International, releasing his first fragrance, Le Parfum, in 2011. He partnered with the Lebanese American University and the London College of Fashion in 2012 to launch a bachelor's degree in fashion design. His company also expanded into luxury interior design for residential projects in Dubai, the Maldives, and the Caucasus region.

Despite his main office and home being severely affected by the August 2020 Beirut explosion, Saab and his team maintained their schedule to finish their upcoming collection. In April 2021, he launched a charitable initiative donating a portion of sales to a UNICEF program supporting vulnerable girls in Lebanon. In November 2024, Saab celebrated the 45th anniversary of his fashion house with an event titled "The 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Over the decades, his brand has dressed numerous high-profile figures, including members of royal families from Jordan, Sweden, Luxembourg, Greece, and Great Britain, as well as political figures and entertainment celebrities. Saab continues to live in Lebanon with his wife, Claudine, and their three sons.