Today, Lebanon is recognized as the melting pot of high-end fashion thanks to some of the biggest fashion names (Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Georges Chakra, Tony Ward and Georges Hobeika) who are no less than style ambassadors of the country constantly driven by the idea of sophistication. More or less, the Lebanese identity is closely wrapped around it.
As part of this continuing tradition, the latest sensation making waves in the same degree is the young and dashing designer Hussein Bazaza. Looks like fashion is what he was born for and to make his mark on it! “It’s everything for me. I will not be where I’m today if it wasn’t for fashion and its subsequent magic that unfolded,” he says.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we sat down with him to find out what triggered his interest in fashion, what next is in the pipeline for the brand as a whole and much more.
Bazaza was creatively smart and he came to realize it at the age of 10. At this age, he used to always sketch dresses and all his school notebooks were scribbled with the images of gowns. Another motivating factor behind his success is his mother who always supported her son’s unflinching enthusiasm for fashion leading him to pursue studies in it. “My mother’s support got me here,” he says.
He then quickly enrolled at ESMOD, Beirut to study fashion design and pattern making and graduated from here in 2011. Right after his graduation, he went on to work at RabihKayrouz Atelier and with Elie Saab. “During my internship at RabihKayrouz Atelier, the main lesson I learned was the importance of paying attention to details whereas working with Elie Saab helped me to focus and truly respect the woman’s silhouette,” he says.
The reason he is being lauded today by the fashion fraternity is because his collections are constantly brimming with lace collage techniques, storytelling prints, geometric cuts, folds, layers and embroideries that are simply outstanding. “These elements are the DNA of my brand and I’ve been working on the strengthening of it all as my signature since I launched my brand,” he says.
As far as visualizing a woman’s body shape goes, Bazaza believes it’s absolutely crucial for each piece from his dynamic collections to perfectly accentuate and highlight every lady’s figure. “That’s why the most demanding part of my job as a designer is to always go beyond women’s expectations in every collection,” he says. “And this is where your ultimate skill counts the most.”
He imagines an independent woman who represents the “Ombre et Lumiere” aspect will be fitting for his creations. “She is attracted to Mother Nature’s beauty but not to its simplicity rather to the deep hidden secrets it possesses. She is a hopeless romantic but only behind closed doors with herself; to others, she is dramatic, edgy and realistic. She chooses to reveal only what she wants you to see, her femininity is her own treasure which she allows the world to see on her own terms,” he says.
In the same orderly way, his muses aren’t real though. In fact, they are the characters that he intuitively creates for his collections. Those characters are the essence of his inspiration.
In addition, Bazaza does concur that celebrity endorsement is extremely important for any brand today. It’s no wonder that the list of celebs lovingly donning his designed pieces is equally impressive with the likes of Queen Rania of Jordan, Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, Farah Abdel Aziz, Haifa Wehbe among others.
And the magnificence of his Fall/Winter16-17 collection comes out with the retelling of the story of Sophia the Alchemist which inspired it in the first place. Embroidered symbols, stars, butterflies, unicorns and nature elements plus buckle clips are elegantly introduced in the collection. The colors are metallic blue, metallic bronze, black with a hint of red, yellow and green. Fabrics used in the collection are cashmere, mix of metallic fabrics, chiffon, geometric pattern lace and first time-introduced pleats.
“I looked up to Princess Sophia from the Medieval Ages because she was someone quite supreme. She had the desirable formula for the elixir of life and kept it as her secret from all. Sophia became immortal and lived through several ages, hiding both her everlasting youth and the secret to her formula,” he says. “By faithfully believing in something and feeling fulfilled inside, anything can be possible; youth, happiness and peace. She dreamt, believed and lived her dream till the end.”
The collection absolutely suits the taste of Middle Eastern women with the inclusion of silhouettes such as long evening dresses, short cocktail dresses, A-line skirts, mini-skirts mixed with bumper jackets, shirts, fitted tops and coats. “Women of the Middle East are incredibly sophisticated. It’s fascinating to see how each one of them has her own twist, yet most of them have the same captivating style,” he says.
Eager to try his hand at haute couture and showcase his skill at it, Bazaza has already something great up his sleeve as he points out, “I would be launching my first Haute Couture collection at Alta Roma Fashion Week next month.”
As part of this continuing tradition, the latest sensation making waves in the same degree is the young and dashing designer Hussein Bazaza. Looks like fashion is what he was born for and to make his mark on it! “It’s everything for me. I will not be where I’m today if it wasn’t for fashion and its subsequent magic that unfolded,” he says.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we sat down with him to find out what triggered his interest in fashion, what next is in the pipeline for the brand as a whole and much more.
Bazaza was creatively smart and he came to realize it at the age of 10. At this age, he used to always sketch dresses and all his school notebooks were scribbled with the images of gowns. Another motivating factor behind his success is his mother who always supported her son’s unflinching enthusiasm for fashion leading him to pursue studies in it. “My mother’s support got me here,” he says.
He then quickly enrolled at ESMOD, Beirut to study fashion design and pattern making and graduated from here in 2011. Right after his graduation, he went on to work at RabihKayrouz Atelier and with Elie Saab. “During my internship at RabihKayrouz Atelier, the main lesson I learned was the importance of paying attention to details whereas working with Elie Saab helped me to focus and truly respect the woman’s silhouette,” he says.
The reason he is being lauded today by the fashion fraternity is because his collections are constantly brimming with lace collage techniques, storytelling prints, geometric cuts, folds, layers and embroideries that are simply outstanding. “These elements are the DNA of my brand and I’ve been working on the strengthening of it all as my signature since I launched my brand,” he says.
As far as visualizing a woman’s body shape goes, Bazaza believes it’s absolutely crucial for each piece from his dynamic collections to perfectly accentuate and highlight every lady’s figure. “That’s why the most demanding part of my job as a designer is to always go beyond women’s expectations in every collection,” he says. “And this is where your ultimate skill counts the most.”
He imagines an independent woman who represents the “Ombre et Lumiere” aspect will be fitting for his creations. “She is attracted to Mother Nature’s beauty but not to its simplicity rather to the deep hidden secrets it possesses. She is a hopeless romantic but only behind closed doors with herself; to others, she is dramatic, edgy and realistic. She chooses to reveal only what she wants you to see, her femininity is her own treasure which she allows the world to see on her own terms,” he says.
In the same orderly way, his muses aren’t real though. In fact, they are the characters that he intuitively creates for his collections. Those characters are the essence of his inspiration.
In addition, Bazaza does concur that celebrity endorsement is extremely important for any brand today. It’s no wonder that the list of celebs lovingly donning his designed pieces is equally impressive with the likes of Queen Rania of Jordan, Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, Farah Abdel Aziz, Haifa Wehbe among others.
And the magnificence of his Fall/Winter16-17 collection comes out with the retelling of the story of Sophia the Alchemist which inspired it in the first place. Embroidered symbols, stars, butterflies, unicorns and nature elements plus buckle clips are elegantly introduced in the collection. The colors are metallic blue, metallic bronze, black with a hint of red, yellow and green. Fabrics used in the collection are cashmere, mix of metallic fabrics, chiffon, geometric pattern lace and first time-introduced pleats.
“I looked up to Princess Sophia from the Medieval Ages because she was someone quite supreme. She had the desirable formula for the elixir of life and kept it as her secret from all. Sophia became immortal and lived through several ages, hiding both her everlasting youth and the secret to her formula,” he says. “By faithfully believing in something and feeling fulfilled inside, anything can be possible; youth, happiness and peace. She dreamt, believed and lived her dream till the end.”
The collection absolutely suits the taste of Middle Eastern women with the inclusion of silhouettes such as long evening dresses, short cocktail dresses, A-line skirts, mini-skirts mixed with bumper jackets, shirts, fitted tops and coats. “Women of the Middle East are incredibly sophisticated. It’s fascinating to see how each one of them has her own twist, yet most of them have the same captivating style,” he says.
Eager to try his hand at haute couture and showcase his skill at it, Bazaza has already something great up his sleeve as he points out, “I would be launching my first Haute Couture collection at Alta Roma Fashion Week next month.”
