Elie Saab is a Lebanese fashion designer and he is best known for his specialization in Bridal Couture including expensive fabrics, lace, gemstones, Swarovski crystals, pearls, detailed embroidery, and more. Although his main workshop is in Lebanon, his business is also based in Milan and Paris. He has designed for many famous celebrities such as Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Aishwarya Rai, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Celine Dion and many more.
Sun Sign
Cancer
Residence
He divides his time between Lebanon, Geneva, and Switzerland.
Nationality
Education
Elie moved to Paris to study fashion in 1981 but later dropped out.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Buzz Haircut
- Broad Nose
- Dimpled Smile
Religion
Christianity (Maronite Catholic)
Best Known For
Being a fashion designer with a self-titled fashion label
First TV Show
Elie made his first TV show appearance in Project Runway: Middle East as a judge in 2016.
Personal Trainer
As per an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Elie revealed that he was training for one hour every day with the personal trainer usually starting at 8:15 AM. His workout mainly consisted of exercising on the treadmill and back and cable machines.
He also said that he was not a big eater so his diet was usually healthy and fruits were must. He also ate slices of cheese or Labneh bites and sometimes his diet contained fried eggs. As far as his drinking habits were concerned, he mainly drank coffee. In the morning, he generally drank 2 cups of Turkish coffee and in the afternoon, he drank 2 cups of American coffees. He likes to have desserts but tries his best not to be tempted.
Elie Saab Favorite Things
- Perfumes – L’egoiste Platinum de Chanel, L’eau Sauvage Extreme de Dior, Aqua di Parma and, Elie Saab La Collection des Essences
- Brands – YSL, Hermes
- Singer – Fairuz
- Watch Brands – Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Rolex
Source – Harper’s Bazaar
Elie Saab Facts
- Elie became the first Arab to join the fashion industry’s governing body called Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 2006.
- He has huge collections of couture and as of March 2017, his couture collections can be found in Paris, London, and Beirut, while his ready-to-wear clothes were in 160 retailers and his own boutiques.
- When he was 8 years old, he developed a keen interest in fashion. He used to create designs on old newspapers, and sometimes looked for the left-outs in his mother’s clothing and created it into his designs for which he later asked his sisters as models.
- He moved to Paris in 1981 in order to study fashion but later he decided to drop out and return to his hometown Beirut where he started his own fashion business.
- Elie opened his first atelier in Lebanon when he was 18 years old where he mainly made bridal dresses.
- He is the first non-Italian designer to be named a member of a non-profit organization called National Chamber of Italian Fashion.
- His first collection outside of Lebanon was shown in Rome in 1997.
- In 1999, he designed one of the dresses with emeralds and diamonds and that dress was reportedly sold for $2.4 million.
- In 2002, he became the first Lebanese designer to dress an Oscar winner, Halle Berry after which he became popular in the United States.
- He launched his first-ever perfume called Le perfume in 2011.
- Elie has collaborated with the Lebanese American University and London College of Fashion in order to launch a Bachelor’s Degree in fashion designing and the brand’s boutiques were in different cities including Dubai, Paris, London, Hong Kong, New York City and many more with Elie’s son Elie Saab Junior as the brand director.
- He dressed a total of 102 celebrities for different events in the year 2010.
- Some of the famous celebrities that he has designed for include , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and many more.
- He is not a big fan of products and brands and likes to experiment with fragrances. In an interview, he revealed that he prefers to wear Vetiver in the summer and Amber in the winter.
- Despite being surrounded by different colors throughout the year, Elie himself is a very basic person and likes to dress up in colors such as black, blue, white, and gray.
- He usually likes to listen to music and read a local daily newspaper while his coffee is getting cold in the morning.
- As per an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, he revealed that he drank coffee every day and that finding a cup of coffee on his desk had become a ritual.
- He also revealed that he is not at all self-obsessed and thinks more about others.
- Elie likes to collect watches and his mood can influence his choice in his favorite brands.
- He is not fond of air conditioners and the first thing he does when he enters his office is to turn it off.
- Due to his busy schedule, he likes to stay updated with his workshop progress via WhatsApp.
- He revealed in an interview that he does not stay more than a week in one country and is often on flights. The places he travels for work include Paris, Beirut, London, Geneva, and the United States.
- As far as his inspirations for designing are concerned, he is inspired by everything that seems appealing to his eyes be it a book, a painting or a sculpture. However, the main source of his inspiration has always been the women and he always aspires to make them look beautiful.
- He needs a company while he eats and the only relaxing moment he considers during a day is his lunchtime.
- Visit his official website @ eliesaab.com.
- Follow Elie Saab on , , , and .
Featured Image by Global Conversation / YouTube
Facts of Elie Saab
- Gender Male
- full nameElie Saab
- nicknamesSaab
- birthplaceDamour, Lebanon
- Date of Birth July 04, 1964
- Age 60 years 5 months
- Horoscope Cancer
- Lucky Number 4
- Lucky Stone Moonstone
- Lucky Color Silver
- Best Match for Marriage Taurus, Pisces, Scorpio
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundLebanese
- nationalityLebanese
- professionFashion Designer
- weight75 kg or 165.5 lbs
- height5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
- hair colorGray
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildAverage
- motherNadia Saab
- fatherSelim Saab