Why Fashion Designer Elie Saab Will Never Leave Lebanon, Despite the War

Elie Saab has once again demonstrated why his name remains synonymous with resilience in the world of high fashion, presenting his autumn/winter 2026 couture collection in Paris amid ongoing conflict in his native Lebanon. Despite the destruction mounting in Beirut and renewed bombardment across the country, the Lebanese designer chose to proceed with his show, delivering a collection that embodies both the gravity of the moment and the enduring power of beauty.

The presentation, held in the French capital on Saturday, March 8, 2026, was described as a masterclass in resilience, with designs that nodded to the “dressed-up joy of less frantic days” while acknowledging the harsh reality faced by his homeland. Saab’s ability to create under pressure is not new; it is a pattern forged over decades of working through crisis.

Saab launched his label in Beirut in 1982, during the Lebanese civil war, a time when the city was being torn apart by conflict and Israel’s invasion led to the occupation of parts of the country, including Beirut and the south. Rather than flee, he chose to stay, investing in his homeland and providing employment to seamstresses, embroiderers and bead workers whose livelihoods had been upended by violence.

Even after the civil war ended in 1990, Saab remained in Beirut, using the city as a springboard to seek wider recognition. His persistence paid off in 1997 when he became the first Arab and first non-Italian designer invited to join Italy’s Camera Nazionale della Moda, presenting his first show outside Lebanon at Alta Moda Fashion Week in Rome.

Global acclaim followed in 2002 when he dressed Academy Award winner Halle Berry for the Oscars, a moment that cemented his place on the international stage. Two years later, in 2006, he made history as the first Arab membre correspondant of the Paris haute couture calendar, a recognition that affirmed his standing among the elite houses of fashion.

Throughout these milestones, Saab’s headquarters have remained in Lebanon. His atelier in Beirut has continued to operate, serving not only as a creative studio but also as a source of stability for artisans whose work depends on the intricate handcraftsmanship that defines his designs — beadwork, embroidery, and fine tailoring passed down through generations.

The designer’s commitment to Lebanon was tested again in 2020, following the devastating explosion at the Beirut port, which caused widespread destruction across the city, including damage to the family home of Elie Saab. Despite the personal and professional toll, he has continued to create, framing his work as an act of cultural preservation in the face of erasure.

In recent months, Lebanon has faced renewed turmoil, with Israeli airstrikes triggering a humanitarian crisis and causing mass casualties. Hundreds have been killed, and with them, experts warn, a living culture shaped over 7,000 years stands at risk of being lost. Yet, Saab and fellow Lebanese designers such as Zuhair Murad, Reem Acra, Rami Kadi, and Sandra Mansour continue to produce work that carries the opulence and luxury of Middle Eastern aesthetics to global audiences.

Their presence on international runways, particularly in Paris, has become a quiet but powerful statement: that creativity can endure even when cities are under siege. Tony Ward, known as the “Architect of Detail,” maintains his flagship atelier in Beirut, while Georges Hobeika’s eponymous label, also based in the city, made its Paris couture debut in 2001 and has dressed figures including Priyanka Chopra and Beyoncé.

For Elie Saab, the decision to remain in Lebanon is not merely professional — it is deeply personal. By choosing to create amid conflict, he affirms that fashion is not detached from history but woven into it, offering not just garments but a testament to perseverance. His autumn/winter 2026 collection, presented against the backdrop of war, stands as the latest chapter in a career defined by the refusal to let beauty be silenced.