THE BEIRUT EXPLOSION

The Beirut Explosion and its Effects on the Lebanese Fashion Industry

Downtown Beirut

A corrupt government, a failing economy, decades of war and now a demolished capital city, the Lebanese fashion industry has been rocked by one too many disasters.

When people think of fashionable locations, cities such as Paris, New York, London and Milan will usually come to mind, however there is one gem in the Arab world that is often forgotten about. The city of Beirut has long been known as the ‘Paris of the Middle East’, due to it being the hub of economic, social, intellectual, and cultural life in the Arab world, and despite decades of war and the negative impacts of a corrupt government, the city continued to be a unique and modern destination in the Middle East.

Dominated by a Haute Couture aesthetic and French influence, the city has established itself as a fashion capital in the Middle East and, over the past decade, Lebanese Fashion has been a main focus on the ready-to-wear and couture runways and on the red carpet all over the world. Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Georges Chakra and Tony Ward are just some of Lebanon’s natives, that also just so happen to be some of the world’s most celebrated designers, who annually show their collections during Paris fashion week and have dressed celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez. Many of Lebanon’s most recognisable designers are based in Beirut, and despite having such success internationally, still have their headquarters and atelier in Beirut.

The city has a uniqueness compared to many other popular fashion cities that makes it stand out thanks to the mix of the modern and Westernised components. With the old fashioned and traditional styles, Beirut is definitely an unmatched fashion destination. With the Lebanese fashion industry continuing to grow stronger in the city, there has even been talks of Beirut having its own Fashion week in the future. It seemed like Beirut had a bright future ahead of itself in terms of Fashion.

However, 2020 brought devastation for Beirut. Not only has the country had to deal with the impacts of the coronavirus, but a corrupt government and collapsing economy had already been disastrous for the city and its fashion industry. In August an explosion in the city’s port devastated the country, and caused severe damage and destruction, and killed over 200 people. What started as a small fire in Warehouse 12 at Beirut’s main port, caused by ammonium nitrate, soon turned into two massive explosions that instantly ruined the city. The blame had been put on the government, who had already been viewed in an extremely negative manner by the public due to their neglect and lack of care for the country. The Lebanese people were in extreme rage, rightfully so, as not only was the city completely overwhelmed and damaged beyond repair, but Beirut’s once thriving fashion sector had been annihilated. A majority of Beirut’s most celebrated and up-and-coming designers had either their offices, boutiques or atelier completely wrecked. Years of hard work and dedication had been destroyed within moments.

Zuhair Murad, one of Lebanon’s most successful and recognisable designers, had headquarters located just under 800m from where the explosion occurred and although the designer and his hundreds of staff, working in the building at the time, were lucky enough to avoid injury, Murad lost almost all of his archive of 20 years, his future couture and ready-to-wear collections and bridal gowns for clients. He took to his Instagram to show his followers the ruins that were left of his headquarters, and expressed his sadness and devastation He showed his appreciation for all the support of his family, fans and admirers, but was still left in absolute shock at what had happened to his years of hard work and dedication, and how the lives of hundreds of members of his staff had been put in danger.

Probably Lebanon’s most globally celebrated fashion house Elie Saab was also extremely affected by the blast. Despite being located on Wadi Abou Jmiel Street, almost 3 miles away from the blast, Elie Saab’s headquarters, studio and the homes of Elie Saab and Elie Saab Jr. also faced serve damage and destruction, taking almost a month to repair. Again, the employees of Elie Saab were lucky and only suffered minor injuries, however this

wasn’t the case for eveyone.

After showing several collections at Paris Fashion Week, couturier Rabih Kayrouz opened his headquarters including an atelier, couture salon and ready-to-wear store, just last year on Rue Gouraud, however, now the building has turned to rubble, and the designer took to his social media to show video footage of the destruction of his building and the extreme head injuries he sustained from the explosion, including a brain haemorrhage, 2 blood clots and 22 stitches.

During an already extremely tough and trying year for the country and its Fashion industry, the blast that occurred on August 4th pushed the country over the edge. The collapsing economy, that made the Lebanese Lira loose 80% of its worth, had already made the demand for Lebanese designer goods drop severely, both in the country and worldwide, and now with the damage caused by the explosion, it would seem impossible for the Lebanese fashion industry to recover, especially in a city where creative businesses are such a key component of helping keep the country’s culture alive.

But Lebanon is no stranger to having pull through from such disasters. Decades of war and foreign interference, corruption and their capital city being rebuilt seven times have taught the Lebanese to persevere through the toughest times and come together to show the beauty and history of the country despite all the hardships they’ve faced.

So what does this mean for the future of Beirut and its internationally acclaimed fashion industry? Not only is the city trying its best to get the city to back to its former beauty, but the members of the Lebanese fashion industry are looking to move forward from this disaster to an even brighter and more successful future, reminding everyone of the Lebanese people’s strength and dynamism.

Elie Saab Jr, the CEO of his Father’s company has said that despite all the suffering and destruction, the Elie Saab brand would always remain in Lebanon, and the company will go on making all the amendments to help get business back to normal and help give the people of Beirut hope that their city will be great again, despite having virtually no help or support from the Lebanese Government. In his own words, “It’s how we function and how we have lived for the past 30, 40 years. At the end of the day, we have a presence and important craftsmanship. We want to do whatever we can to support the Lebanese people and maintain our cause and mission, to be inspired by Lebanon, to see it grow and to keep nurturing the talent and

craftsmanship we have there.” Saab Jr’s father built his company from the ground up during the Lebanese civil war, so it seems he is following in his Father’s footsteps in continuing to be strong and brave no matter the circumstance. Zuhair Murad is also playing a large part in helping the industry get back on its feet. He has stated, despite all the “We want to do whatever trauma, he will be prepared to launch we can to support the his spring summer 2021 collection, and him and his team will continue to design

Lebanese people...” from their homes and temporary studios, whilst their headquarters are rebuilt. He has also been making effort to help and show signs of solidarity with the citizens of Beirut by donating large amounts to the Lebanese Red Cross and other charities who are helping to rebuild their city. Unity and hope is something that all of these designers “...to be inspired by Lebanon, to keep nurturing have, regardless of everything they’ve been through, and the talent and craftsmanship everything else they we have there.” may possibly have to endure in the future. Despite the political situation and destruction, the Lebanese fashion industry is showing they don’t give up easily, and they are extremely dedicated to helping the fashion industry and country. No matter what gets thrown at the people of Lebanon, it’s clear they will never give up their pride and unity. By Alia Bedawi

Beirut’s port after the explosion