Travel Retail Newsletter | July 2011

Dear Partners,

Et Pythagorici scaelestos homines in bruta deformant et, si Empedocli11 creditur, in plantas. Quas imitatus Maumeth frequenshabebat in ore, qui a divina lege recesserit brutum evadere12.

The Travel retail Marketing Teamt

A journey into the exceptional

Elie Saabhimself

The Man, The House

Elie Saab has a clear and visionary gaze

marked with a relentless determination

to serve his international fashion

ambition. Present at important artistic

and cultural events, the House of Elie

Saab shines its aura on celebrities and

women of the world.

Appointed as an associate member

of the French Federation of Haute

Couture, Saab makes Lebanon radiate

through his collections which are prized

by well known celebrities. In 2007 the

House of Elie Saab unveiled his first

Parisian boutique at 1, Rond Point des

Champs-Elysées.

This is the portrait of a man who has

come far to build an empire.

An Atypical Trajectory

If Elie Saab is the name of a designer,

it has also become that of an empire

- a universe of Couture dresses which

emerge every day from his workshop.

Twenty-five years earlier, the brand did

not exist. Let’s take a look at the atypical

trajectory of a designer who laid down

the foundation for his House of Fashion

solely with a turn of the wrist.

The prototype of the self-made man, Elie

Saab’s fashion vocation is precocious.

He was born in Beirut in 1964 - the

eldest of five children -and developed

an interest in fashion at a young age.

From the age of nine, he spent his free

time drawing sketches and cutting

patterns for his sisters’ outfits, slashing

his mother’s tablecloths and curtains.

Quickly spotted in the neighborhood

for his talents, he soon gained a small,

loyal clientele.

In 1982 at 18 years old, he founded

his own workshop, supervised a staff

of 12 and organized his first fashion

show in Lebanon. He learned to accept

challenges, overcome obstacles and

manage crises because of Lebanon’s

unstable political situation. From this

experience acquired over the years,

he adopted the following way of life:

hold tight, fight, live life to its fullest and

take on difficult situations in order to

have good reflexes. And alwvays do it

in such a way as to ensure the House’s

activity will not be affected.

Bit-by-bit, his creations appeared

throughout the country. He led in

establishing markets throughout the

Middle East. Year after year, he built

and reinforced his reputation thanks

to that loyal private clientele - still one

of the keys to his success today. He is

and always has been close to women.

Elie Saab, A Leader

Behind the designer hides a strategist

and a leader. “Elie Saab knows how to

establish his priorities and pass them

on : at the same time protective father

and company head, he guides and

trains his teams with utmost simplicity.

His office is a place of dialogue, always

open to his collaborators. Calmly, he

settles details and decides on important

questions with perpetual constancy.

He takes time for reflection and never

takes out his fears on his immediate

entourage. His temperament allows him

to forestall production, orient his teams

and give them precise tasks for both

the short and long term. Thanks to an

incredible capacity for concentration,

he is an impetus for all of us”, one of

his close

When you visit the workshops or the

backstage on the eve of runway shows,

you are surprised by the dutiful silence.

Elie Saab never yields to panic and

pumps an unequaled inner strength

for the energy to undertake - head on

and in calmness - five collections per

year couture.

A Man with Heart

ready-to-wear, and a collaboration

s ince 2003 with Pronovias, a

leader Group of wedding dresses).

He supervises all the phases of

creation and sketches a collection

of accessories, and, for his personal

pleasure, a line of contemporary

furni ture. Nothing escapes his

attentive eye : Elie Saab watches over

everything. His overall vision of the

industry always allows

And when he leaves his workshops,

Saab is inspired by his travels across

Europe and the United States.

Although he is discreet about his private

life, it is a source of daily balance at the

heart of his life. Surrounded by his wife

Claudine and their three sons, he is

profoundly respectful of family values.

He draws from his family strength, life

energy and youth. Claudine - brand

historian, loyal supporter and muse - is

in charge of communication and works

in tandem with her husband.

From the beginning, El ie Saab

developed his sartorial skills in creating

Why launch a perfume?

I had a dream, since the beginning of my career, to create my own perfume… Just as with my dresses, I want to bring beauty into women’s lives. To put a touch of exceptional into all women’s lives.

Why now?

Thanks to my ready to wear and accessory lines, and the opening of new boutiques (Dubai) the ELIE SAAB brand is now reaching an ever-broader audience. Launching a perfume was the na-tural next step, to share the ELIE SAAB brand’s femininity with more women over the world.

How did the collaboration come to be with BPI ?

I have always wanted to create a perfume, but was looking for the right partners to do it with. I chose to work with BPI, because of our common values such as high standards of excellence and requi-rements. It is a partnership based on respect and BPI’s commitment to translate the ELIE SAAB values & codes into perfumes and cos-metics.

What does perfume represent for you?

Since childhood, I’ve always loved smells; I think it comes from the fact that I grew up in a city on the Medi-terranean, where I was surrounded by many scents of flowers.

Do you wear perfume?

I do wear perfume, but I don’t wear any one perfume in particular.

INTERVIEW

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AroundElie Saab

Elie Saab stores

Elie Saab has a clear and visionary gaze

marked with a relentless determination

to serve his international fashion

ambition. Present at important artistic

and cultural events, the House of Elie

Saab shines its aura on celebrities and

women of the world.

Appointed as an associate member

of the French Federation of Haute

Couture, Saab makes Lebanon radiate

through his collections which are prized

by well .

Les ateliers de création

If Elie Saab is the name of a designer,

it has also become that of an empire

- a universe of Couture dresses which

emerge every day from his workshop.

Twenty-five years earlier, the brand did

not exist. Let’s take a look at the atypical

trajectory of a designer who laid down

the foundation for his House of Fashion

solely with a turn of the wrist.

The prototype of the self-made

man, Elie Saab’s fashion vocation is

precocious. He was born in Beirut in

1964 - the eldest of five children -and

developed an interest in fashion at a

young age. From the age of nine, he

spent his free time drawing sketches

and cutting patterns for his sisters’

outfits, slashing his mother’s tablecloths

and curtains. Quickly spotted in the

neighborhood for his talents, he soon

gained a small, loyal clientele.- utting

patterns for his sisters’ outfits, slashing.

entele.- utting patterns for his sisters’

outfits, slashing.

Beyrout: l’envers du décors

In 1982 at 18 years old, he founded

his own workshop, a unsupervised

a staff of 12 and he organized his

first fashion show oiyin Lebanon.

He learned to accept challenges,

overcome obstacles and manage

crises because of Lebanon’s unstable

political situation. From this experience

acquired over the years, he adopted

the following way of life: hold tight,

fight, live life to its fullest and take on

difficult situations in order to have good

reflexes. And alwvays do it in such a

way as to ensure the House’s activity

will not be affected.

Derrières les coulisses

Behind the designer hides a strategist

and a leader. “Elie Saab knows how to

establish his priorities and pass them

on : at the same time protective father

and company head, he guides and

trains his teams with utmost simplicity.

His office is a place of dialogue, always

open to his collaborators. Calmly, he

settles details and decides.

The Design Studio: The Heart of the CraftThe Elie Saab development pillar,

the design studio holds a unique

know-how, shared by all the sketch

drawers, the embroiderers and the

seamstresses. In the same way, the

House of Elie Saab works with the most

important craft artisans and French and

Italian suppliers.

Every year, several hundred dresses

are made-to-order, each one inspected

by Elie Saab. In order to reduce the

constraints of fittings, regular clients

toiles and bust forms are kept in the

atelier. This new form .-order, each one

inspected.

The Woman’s Designer

Elie Saab is, and always has been,

close to women.

And when asked what the keys are

to his success, Saab simply answers,

“It’s the desire for women who want

to wear my dresses.” Over the years,

the designer prides himself on opening

up fashion to seductive style and

awakening eternal femininity. Varying

styles and constantly increasing

breadth, he has drawn the most

sought-after collections : they center

around a strong concept or revisit a

period in the history of fashion through

the prism of glamour. Elie Saab’s

tastes are sure : he is answering a real

demand of women who aim to please.

The Humblest of Stars

Winning over one by one the hearts of

his clients to this day remains the best

communication tool for the House of

Elie Saab. Year after year, his creations

demand respect and through him, the

brand builds an image and notoriety.

With the opening of the new Parisian

location, the brand shines. For Elie

Saab, Paris is the fashion capital and

the most beautiful store front.Seducing

more and more public figures, as well

as numerous crowned heads, the

brand is built on true legitimacy. And

the unavoidable VIP events of the world.

are the occasion to demonstrate it.

Whether they are going up the steps

of the Cannes Film Festival.

crowd Hollywood’s red carpets or

are receiving prestigious awards.

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From coutureto perfume

An artisan of the sublime

Couture is the raison d’être of the ELIE

SAAB fashion house, a passion driven

the designer for more than 25 years.

An instinctual designer, Elie Saab has

an innate sense of cut; he adjusts his

creations directly on the female form,

draping fabric on the body, without

drawing, without patterns.

Tucked away in the heart of Beirut,

the designer’s studio hides a priceless

know-how, one shared by all his stylists,

embroiderers and seamstresses. Over

one hundred prodigious seamstresses

are employed by the Couture House in

his Lebanese workshop, including more

than 50 embroidery fairies with lynx like

eyes who stitch the amazing silks. Each

year, between 800 and 1000 dresses

are made to measure, including

the luxurious wedding dresses.

The art of magnifying femininity

“I like ‘womanly women’, women who

twirl their dresses with desire and

pride” Elie Saab says. “Ever since my

childhood in Lebanon, I’ve examined

the way they dress, I’ve always wanted

to please them by flattering their

curves.”

This is where his consummate talent

for sharpening women’s sensuality

while respecting their elegance comes

from. Never let the magic waiver. The

couturier admits that “his sole ambition

is to inject beauty into the lives of

women.”

And women know it. The world’s most

demanding women are almost cult like

in their admiration for him; they know

that with their favorite designer, their

beauty, as much as their dreams, will

be magnified.

A marriage between a fabulous

imagination and pure lines

His incredibly rich imagination feeds off

of many things, from 1950’s glamour to

the creations of architectural masters

such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd

Wright. An object, a piece of cloth, or

even a movie can be the inspiration for

a runway show…

Elie Saab is a genial alchemist who

disti l ls in his creations as much

simplicity as he does splendor. His

luxurious signature embroideries and

luscious draping are always offset

by his impeccable cuts and rigorous

architecture, which make for such

modern silhouettes. A sense of

measure and a passion for architecture

can also be seen in his minimalist

boutiques. Under his guidance, East

and West, splendor and simplicity,

curves and rigor play off each other,

giving rise to universal balance, a place

where elegance is king.

The promise of the exceptional

Elie Saab is a magician. He doesn’t

just make spectacular dresses, he

makes women’s dreams come true;

he brings to life the universal childhood

dream of being a princess among

The perfume launching

Paris, FRANCE

Couture is the raison d’être of the ELIE SAAB fashion house, a passion driven the designer for more than 25 years. An instinctual designer, Elie Saab has an innate sense of cut; he adjusts his creations directly on the female form, draping fabric on the body, without drawing, without patterns. Tucked away in the heart of Beirut, the designer’s

Paris, FRANCE

Couture is the raison d’être of the ELIE SAAB fashion house, a passion driven the designer for more than 25 years. An instinctual designer, Elie Saab has an innate sense of cut; he adjusts his creations directly on the female form, draping fabric on the body, without drawing, without patterns. Tucked away in the heart of Beirut, the designer’s

Paris, FRANCE

Couture is the raison d’être of the ELIE SAAB fashion house, a passion driven the designer for more than 25 years. An instinctual designer, Elie Saab has an innate sense of cut; he adjusts his creations directly on the female form, draping fabric on the body, without drawing, without patterns. Tucked away in the heart of Beirut, the designer’s

Paris, FRANCE

Couture is the raison d’être of the ELIE SAAB fashion house, a passion driven the designer for more than 25 years. An instinctual designer, Elie Saab has an innate sense of cut; he adjusts his creations directly on the female form, draping fabric on the body, without drawing, without patterns. Tucked away in the heart of Beirut, the designer’s studio hides a priceless know-how, one shared by all his stylists, embroiderers and seamstresses. Over one hundred prodigious seamstresses are employed by the Couture House in his Lebanese workshop, including more than 50 embroidery fairies with lynx like eyes who stitch the amazing silks. Each year, between 800 and 1000 dresses are made to measure, including the luxurious