The fashion brand rebuilt from the ruins is bursting with vitality.
According to Fashion Business News, Lebanese haute couture brand Elie Saab announced it will hold a major fashion show during the Riyadh Season. Elie Saab has named the show “1001 Seasons of Elie Saab,” drawing inspiration from the Arabic classic “One Thousand and One Nights,” and will reinterpret the classic story through a modern luxury perspective to celebrate the designer’s 45-year career.
The grand event will last about 90 minutes, starting with the red carpet segment of the Hollywood movie premiere, featuring a new haute couture fashion show designed specifically for the event, styled by former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld. Additionally, the brand will present a live performance led by dancer Blanca Li, integrating elements of music, fashion, and performance.
For a fashion brand that experienced a crisis in 2020, such a grand brand celebration is hard-won.
Elie Saab will hold a large fashion show during the Riyadh Season
In the August 2020 Beirut explosion, the local luxury retail and fashion industry suffered heavy losses. The headquarters and studios of Elie Saab and another representative haute couture brand Zuhair Murad, as well as Elie Saab’s nearby home, were completely destroyed. The new boutique of high-end jeweler Ralph Masri in downtown Beirut was also damaged. Additionally, many luxury stores on Weygand Street collapsed due to the explosion.
The office of Elie Saab located in Beirut, Lebanon was destroyed by an explosion
Afterwards, Elie Saab’s long-time assistant Johnny Zeinoun stated in an interview with AFP that they would not move the headquarters to a new location, but would rebuild on the original site.
Elie Saab is the most iconic Middle Eastern haute couture fashion brand today, receiving widespread attention at international fashion weeks and global red carpet events. Elie Saab was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1964, and after briefly studying at a design school in Paris at the age of 18, he returned to Beirut to establish his own brand. Despite the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, which displaced many people, including Elie Saab’s own family, he persisted in setting up a clothing studio in his homeland.
Initially, Elie Saab focused on bridal gowns, then he combined Western silhouettes with Middle Eastern decorative details. His dress creations quickly won the favor of the global affluent, including Middle Eastern royalty. Queen Rania of Jordan wore a dress designed by him at her coronation in 1999.
When Hollywood star Halle Berry accepted the Oscar in 2002, she wore an Elie Saab gown adorned with floral details and a deep red taffeta skirt. That night, Halle Berry became the first African-American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress, and her photos circulated worldwide, making Elie Saab famous and opening the doors to American Hollywood fashion.
Halle Berry, wearing Elie Saab, opened the door to American Hollywood red carpet fashion for the latter
Elie Saab also gained recognition from the authoritative fashion systems in Europe and America early on. In 1997, Elie Saab became the first non-Italian member of the Italian National Chamber of Fashion and released his ready-to-wear collection there for the first time. In 2003, he was invited by the Paris Haute Couture Federation to become an official member, and subsequently began showcasing in Paris.
Like many haute couture brands, custom-made dresses on the red carpet have always been a major source of income for Elie Saab. Accompanying this are the unavoidable controversies surrounding celebrities, as well as disputes arising from celebrities’ pursuit of exclusivity.
In 2017, when actress Meryl Streep received her 20th Oscar nomination of her career, she chose Elie Saab to attend the Oscar ceremony party, which led to a public spat with Chanel’s then creative director Karl Lagerfeld.
Meryl Streep wore an Elie Saab dress and abandoned Chanel
The incident began when Meryl Streep communicated with Chanel to customize a dress before the awards ceremony, but during the dress-making process, she abandoned Chanel and switched to Elie Saab. Karl Lagerfeld then publicly accused Meryl Streep, claiming she switched to Elie Saab because they paid her to wear their dress, while Chanel never pays any celebrity to wear their clothes to events.
Subsequently, Meryl Streep countered the accusation, stating that she never discussed payment. Karl Lagerfeld issued an apology, pointing out a misunderstanding in the communication process, but Meryl Streep refused to accept Karl Lagerfeld’s apology.
The “Chanel vs Elie Saab dress incident” once sparked intense industry discussions about celebrities charging fees to wear sponsored brands on the red carpet. Industry insiders pointed out that it is a common practice for celebrities to receive a certain fee from sponsored brands, and stylists also receive some compensation. However, some believe that the incident reflects a long-standing principle and bottom line upheld by Chanel, which is different from other luxury brands, refusing to pay celebrities to wear their clothes for promotional purposes at events.
With the rapid development of social media over the past decade, celebrities on the red carpet have garnered more attention, leading to a competitive trend in the Chinese market for celebrities to wear haute couture gowns on the red carpet. This trend has intensified, with borrowing haute couture gowns seen as a hallmark of a celebrity’s fashion resources, and obtaining a current season haute couture gown is considered a higher level of influence certification.
In 2020, Elie Saab once again became the protagonist of a star controversy event.
A fashion blogger posted that Elie Saab’s PR contacted them to delete previously published photos of actress Bai Bing wearing an Elie Saab haute couture dress, stating that the dress was borrowed by the artist’s styling team through improper channels. Subsequently, the related topic trended on Weibo’s hot search list, and public opinion continued to ferment. It is reported that the dress worn by Bai Bing is from the brand’s latest haute couture series released just a month ago, originally lent to a magazine for a photoshoot.
Actress Bai Bing’s Elie Saab dress sparks controversy
However, various disputes have objectively helped Elie Saab increase its visibility and strengthen its high-end brand positioning, placing it in the same league as fashion houses like Chanel, thereby gaining the continued favor of affluent people worldwide.
In 2019, the designer brand Zac Posen, also known for its red carpet gowns, closed its business, sparking widespread discussion in the industry about the business model of haute couture brands. People began to realize that even though red carpet and celebrity customizations can create significant brand exposure for haute couture brands, it may still not support the sustainable commercial operation of the brand, with some brands unable to make ends meet.
In a 2016 interview, Elie Saab stated that he was looking for new market opportunities in Asia and the United States, as retail channels already contributed 50% to the ready-to-wear business, with plans to open 20 flagship stores in the future. He also revealed that the brand’s average growth rate over the years reached 35%, while haute couture remained the brand’s core business, accounting for 25% of sales revenue.
In 2017, news emerged that Elie Saab was actively seeking external investors in hopes of accelerating its global expansion process. Since then, Elie Saab has clearly accelerated, launching an eyewear series, children’s clothing series, and watches in addition to fashion and accessories collections, and signed a long-term licensing agreement for perfumes with Swiss perfume and cosmetics manufacturer Brands Beyond Beauty, continuously increasing its product range.
It is noteworthy that in order to accelerate its development in the accessories field, Elie Saab recently appointed Marina Raphael, a sixth-generation member of the Swarovski family and designer, as the creative director of its handbag department.
Sixth-generation member of the Swarovski family joins Elie Saab
Marina Raphael has her own eponymous leather goods brand. She will work closely with Elie Saab to design and launch six handbag collections each year, four of which are ready-to-wear handbag collections and two are haute couture handbag collections. The first collection will debut at the Elie Saab haute couture fashion show in Paris in January 2025.
In 2019, Elie Saab also ventured into the field of interior design, developing a home collection and participating in international real estate projects, luxury residences located in Dubai and Cairo, responsible for interior design.
In 2021, Elie Saab announced a collaboration with the global financial services institution Gulf Islamic Investments to enter the European private residential market. They plan to create a private residential area named Elie Saab Residence next to Hyde Park in the UK, featuring a Victorian style throughout, with products from the brand’s home line displayed within the residences.
Elie Saab is responsible for the interior design of the luxury residential project next to Hyde Park in London
Behind the expansion of Elie Saab’s territory is also the evolution of Elie Saab as a family business. The eldest son, Elie Saab Jr., is leading the company’s strategic vision as the group’s CEO and vice chairman of the board.
In July of this year, he disclosed that since 2020, the company’s annual compound growth rate has reached 45%. The first half of 2024 achieved a year-on-year growth of 31%, while 2023 was the best-performing year in the brand’s history.
After graduating in 2012, Elie Saab Jr. joined the company as Brand Director and became the Group CEO in 2019, playing an important role in the company’s development over the past 12 years. Currently, he is driving the transformation strategy of the Elie Saab brand, redesigning the organizational structure to pave the way for the development of brand image and global influence.
Founder Elie Saab and his eldest son, who is currently the CEO
He is focusing on re-optimizing the brand’s internal processes and launching a digital transformation plan. Currently, the brand’s online sales are continuously growing, contributing 10% of the retail sales in 2023.
Since 2020, Elie Saab has opened 12 stores in 12 different countries and plans to open up to 30 new stores globally in the next five years, with five set to debut in Miami, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia’s NEOM in the next two years, and two more located in the United States.
It is not difficult to find that Elie Saab follows in the footsteps of wealthy people.
In July last year, Elie Saab also opened its first boutique in Monaco. Elie Saab Jr. stated that Monaco is a destination favored by affluent people, and opening a store there allows the brand to better provide a unique experience for its target clientele.
The picture shows the Elie Saab Monaco store
The reason Elie Saab was able to grow against the trend despite the impact of the pandemic on the luxury goods industry and even the unexpected impact of the Beirut explosion crisis is mainly due to the brand’s close ties with its target consumer group.
The polarization of global wealth after the pandemic has had a more limited impact on affluent people. As mainstream luxury giants become more popular, affluent people increasingly seek niche brands with true exclusivity and a sense of limited availability. The latest Lyst hot list featuring brands like Alaia and The Row confirms that consumers are shifting from mainstream luxury brands lacking innovation to smaller fashion brands.
The potential of Middle Eastern luxury consumers has also begun to explode after the pandemic. Beyond the stable European market, the increasing uncertainty in the U.S. and Chinese markets has prompted luxury brands to urgently seek emerging markets and consumer groups with potential.
A survey report released by Boston Consulting Group in collaboration with the Italian luxury goods association Altagamma shows that the size of the Middle East luxury market is estimated to be close to 15 billion euros in 2023, and it is expected to double by 2030, growing to 30 billion to 35 billion euros, with the UAE, especially Saudi Arabia, being the main driving force.
The Middle East is one of the untapped territories for luxury goods, especially Saudi Arabia, which has made slower progress in developing luxury commercial spaces compared to Qatar and the UAE.
Saudi Arabia has been committed to enhancing its national image and achieving modernization in recent years. The country is striving to promote luxury tourism to diversify its national income, which primarily comes from oil.
The Riyadh Season event hosted by Elie Saab is one of the cultural and entertainment festivals established after Saudi Arabia opened to tourism in 2019, and it has received widespread attention in recent years. The season is held throughout the city of Riyadh, including concerts, art exhibitions, entertainment performances, food festivals, shopping festivals, and more. The grand event lasts for several weeks, attracting millions of tourists from around the world.
The McKinsey report states that Saudi Arabia’s luxury goods sales are approximately 3 billion euros and are expected to reach 6 billion euros by 2030, with an annual growth rate between 10% and 12%. Saudi spending on luxury goods domestically and abroad is expected to increase from 6 billion euros to 12 billion euros.
In recent years, the Middle East has also become a haven for many Russian tycoons, with many global billionaires quietly moving to Dubai and Abu Dhabi amid complex geopolitical situations. The wealthy local residents and high-end tourists who visit annually will bring opportunities to luxury brands like Elie Saab, which have both regional characteristics and global influence.
The luxury goods market continues to reshuffle in places unseen by people.