The Arab world has birthed the world’s brightest and boldest names in the fashion industry, and this season’s Paris Couture Week is evidence of exactly that. To present at Paris Couture Week is not as simple as some may assume; designers and maisons must apply for approval from The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, which is the governing body for the French fashion industry. Prerequisites and requirements to be able to present a couture collection during Paris Couture Week are stringent, to say the least. And yet, Arab designers have been recognised for their impeccable and well-deserving talents year after year. This season, Georges Hobeika gave us an ultra feminine and glamorous catwalk, Tony Ward merged couture with geometry, and Rabih Kayrouz proved that minimalism is here to stay. Below, see all our favourite looks by Arab designers during Paris Couture Week Autumn/Winter 2022-23.
GEORGES HOBEIKA
Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika has made a name for himself not just in the region, but on a global scale. For his Couture Autumn/Winter 2022-23 show, he redefines the use of colours in the winter season. The collection was designed and created by Co-Creative Directors Georges and Jad Hobeika, marking the first collection co-created by the father and son duo. Vibrant colours ablaze the runway, with baby blues and glistening greens. Not only were we transported into Georges and Jad Hobeika’s bright, bold and beautiful world filled with colour, but the intricate detailing of each and every piece, from microscopic crystal-embellished gowns to perfectly plucked majestic feathers, perfectly embodied the power of life and Mother Nature, which was their entire inspiration for the collection. Hobeika’s ultra-feminine and chic designs have become so distinctly unique and irresistibly stunning. Every piece showcased was not merely only a gown, but truly a work of art that deserves the highest of accolades, and ensembled by seamsstresses in the House’s Beirut atelier.
TONY WARD couture
Tony Ward, a Lebanese designer dear and near to our hearts, presented his Couture Autumn/Winter 2022-23 collection in Paris and broke barriers yet again. named ‘Flowing Lines,’ Ward reinterpreted exactly that within each piece of the collection. Whether in a geometrical and parallel-jeweled high-neck mini dress, pleated three dimensional texturing or bandage-like embroidered embellishments with cut-outs, Ward certainly delivered ‘Flowing Lines’ in a multitude of ways, only showcasing his immeasurable talent. Just in time for the Couture house’s 25 year anniversary, Tony Ward has just added another impeccable collection and show under his belt (and into our closets).
MAISON RABIH KAYROUZ
Rabih Kayrouz has yet again proven that couture does not have to be over-the-top to be show-stopping. For its Couture Autumn/Winter 2022-23 collection, the Maison dedicated its entire collection to the quiet and subtle sophistication of minimalism. The Lebanese designer brilliantly and modernly dressed his models in voluminous monochrome gowns, proving that black will never go out of style. One of the looks that certainly grabbed our attention was a matching glistening silver over-sized top and shorts, paired with colourful sneakers. The look was refreshingly contemporary, and merging sportswear with Couture could not be more relevant for any other time as we all witness the influx of sportswear references into ready-to-wear, and now, into Couture.
