Elie Saab opened his atelier in Beirut in 1982, seven years into Lebanon’s civil war. Couture here is a working industry rather than a revival, staffed by embroiderers who count their careers in decades.

Four of the six Lebanese houses on Coveti are couture houses first, and the ready to wear carries the same hand. Tony Ward works from an atelier founded in 1952. Zuhair Murad has been beading eveningwear in Beirut since the 1990s and keeps a second atelier in Paris. Gemy Maalouf founded her house in 1996 and says it was the first in Lebanon to sell couture à porter.

Coveti carries six Lebanese houses: Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Tony Ward, Gemy Maalouf, Saiid Kobeisy and Alexandra Hakim, who works in jewellery rather than cloth. The weight of it is eveningwear and bridal, cut for rooms with photographers in them. Elie Saab dressed Halle Berry for her Best Actress win at the 2002 Academy Awards, and both he and Zuhair Murad show on the Paris couture calendar. Sizes run on the UK ladder. Country of origin is listed on every product page and it genuinely varies: Zuhair Murad’s ready to wear splits close to evenly between Lebanon and Italy.

Coveti stocks 6 Lebanese houses and 1,859 styles, priced in USD with express delivery worldwide.

The Lebanese designers at Coveti

  • Saiid Kobeisy is a Lebanese evening couture house founded in Beirut by the couturier of the same name, who began with private clients in 2000, opened his atelier in 2002. 678 styles in stock at Coveti.
  • Gemy Maalouf 557 styles in stock at Coveti.
  • Elie Saab 295 styles in stock at Coveti.
  • Zuhair Murad is a Fashion Designer. 216 styles in stock at Coveti.
  • Alexandra Hakim is a British-Lebanese jewellery designer who builds her collections out of things other people throw away. 74 styles in stock at Coveti.
  • Tony Ward is the Beirut couture house that builds eveningwear the way an architect builds a facade. 39 styles in stock at Coveti.

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Frequently asked questions

Which Lebanese designers does Coveti carry?

Six Beirut houses, all stocked today: Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Tony Ward, Gemy Maalouf, Saiid Kobeisy and Alexandra Hakim. Four of them, Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Tony Ward and Gemy Maalouf, are couture houses working mainly in eveningwear and bridal; Saiid Kobeisy sells couture technique at ready to wear prices, and Alexandra Hakim makes jewellery.

What is Lebanese couture known for?

Hand embroidery and beadwork, applied to eveningwear and bridal. The embroidery is worked by hand, so the surface of the garment is built rather than printed on. Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad and Tony Ward all made their names on that technique, and Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad both show on the Paris couture calendar.

Are Lebanese designer clothes actually made in Lebanon?

Often, but not reliably, and origin is set per product rather than per house. Elie Saab and Tony Ward produce in their own Beirut ateliers, and their pieces read Lebanon. Zuhair Murad is the clear exception: across the ready to wear Coveti carries, the split between Lebanon and Italy is close to even, and it varies inside a single collection. Every Coveti product page states the country of origin for that style, which is the line to trust rather than the nationality on this page.

Which Lebanese designer should I wear to a wedding?

For black tie as a guest, Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad both cut beaded column gowns. Gemy Maalouf sells what the house calls couture à porter, meaning couture technique at ready to wear prices, which is useful across a long wedding season. Tony Ward is the more sculptural of the group. Elie Saab also runs a bridal line, if you are the one getting married.