By Melissa Watt

Home to the showrooms and studios of internationally acclaimed couturiers, Beirut has long earned its place on the global style map. But the cultural capital is now facing its third successive crisis this year, following a devastating explosion in the city’s port on 4 August. The blast killed 178 people and injured thousands more and, with it, destroyed entire neighbourhoods and part of the city’s fashion district.

Renowned Lebanese fashion designers Zuhair Murad, Elie Saab and Rabih Keyrouz were all heavily impacted by the tragedy. Keyrouz, founder of the label Maison Rabih Kayrouz, was seriously injured and is slowly recovering from a small brain haemorrhage. His atelier, which lay less than 800 metres from the site of the blast, was destroyed. Saab’s house, situated nearby, was too gutted, while his main offices and headquarters were badly damaged.

Similarly, Murad’s headquarters were located in the Gemmayze district, less than 800 metres from the main blast. His art collection, couture pieces and bridal gowns and the company’s 20-year archive were all destroyed. His 200-strong staff had thankfully left the 11-storey building just minutes before unscathed. On seeing the devastation, Murad told Business of Fashion, “I was crying like a kid,” adding, “no words can express our sadness.”

The disaster has jeopardised an already struggling fashion industry in a country facing economic collapse. In 2019, Lebanon’s real GDP had declined by 5.6 percent, while the Lebanese pound has lost 78 percent of its value since October. The onset of the global pandemic continued to threaten the livelihood of local designers as regional and global demand for their products declined. Like many in the creative community, Roni Helou was unable to afford insurance, owing to rising inflation and a rapidly devaluing currency.

The well-documented resilience of the Lebanese people has been tested once again as they must now withstand a simultaneous economic, health and humanitarian crisis. Some fear that the next generation of designers will abandon the city because the Lebanese fashion industry has been so heavily impacted by this triple crisis.

Moving forward, Lebanese fashion industry leaders are reminding the world of Lebanon’s dynamism, strength and creativity. Elie Saab, one of Lebanon’s most internationally celebrated fashion houses, returned to its offices last week to prepare for the September Paris couture show. Speaking to Business of Fashion, Saab spoke candidly of his country’s buoyancy: “It does not become us as Lebanese to give up”.

In a similar display of spirit, Murad will be shortly returning to work in time for Paris Fashion Week. While his headquarters are rebuilt over the next year, he and his team will design his Spring/Summer 2021 collection from their homes and at temporary studio spaces.

Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton, Marzook and Also, Freedom are among the many international labels who have donated to Belruit relief funds. Fashion label, Qasimi, sold out of its “don’t shoot” t-shirt which was first released in 2017 to commemorate the 1982 Lebanon War. All proceeds were donated to the Lebanese Red Cross.

Alongside these ongoing relief efforts, Starch Foundation, Slow Factory Foundation, Fondation Saradar, Bureau Des Créateurs, Maison Pyramide, Faux Consultancy and Roni Helou have co-launched a crowdsourced campaign designed to help the creative community survive. United for Lebanese Creatives will provide financial relief to 39 participating designers and artists whose fashion ateliers, studio spaces and showrooms have been reduced to rubble. It is through these efforts that Lebanon can slowly rebuild its capital, and its culturally celebrated fashion industry can thrive once more.

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“It does not become us as Lebanese to give up”: Rebuilding Lebanon’s Fashion Industry