Designer File: Established

Beginning dressmaking at the age of 9 for his sisters, Elie Saab opened his Couture Atelier in Beirut by the age of 18 and managed over a dozen employees himself. His perseverance, hard work and ambition are what Saab claims are the secrets to his early and continuing success. In the following months he created and presented his very first collection. Soon later in 1998 he would show his first ready to wear line in Milan, which showcased a similar aesthetic to his couture pieces. Being a master since the age of 18, Saab was invited in 2000 by the Camber Syndicale De La Haute Couture to show his collection in Paris. He later began presenting four collections a year and became a corresponding member of Haute Couture 6 years later. In 2002 Saab made history by being the first Middle Eastern designer to dress an Oscar Winner. By 2007 Saab had set up a flagship boutique in the heart of Le Triangle D’or Paris. In 2011 he launched his first fragrance Le Parfum. Although Elie Saab is sold in 22 countries and has expanded into bags, shoes, fragrance and jewelry, Beirut still remains home to his official workshop.

            Growing up dressmaking for the females in his life, Saab has a creative identity that reflects femininity. He claims he wants his name brand to glorify woman by having such a feminine aesthetic that could attract princesses. His romantic crystal encrusted gowns seek to accentuate femininity found in women from all different parts of the world. Saab’s inspiration comes from western society but also pulls from the richness of his Middle Eastern culture. Being from Beirut has inspired Saab as well but through its textiles. Its culture offers rich materials and warm colors that have been transferred into his works.

Spring Sumer 2015 

"Elie Saab." Accessed April 2, 2015. http://www.eliesaab.com/.

"Designers- Elie Saab." Vogue Australia. Accessed April 2, 2015. http://www.vogue.com.au/celebrity/designers/elie saab,347.

Phillip Lim was born in Thailand to Chinese parents who lived a hard life in Cambodia shortly and fled the civil war. The family moved to Southern California and Lim’s mother worked as a seamstress and his father as a professional poker player. Contrary to what one may think, Lim claims he learned more from his father about risk taking. Although his mother did make his clothes that he claims he dictated and was stylish from youth. In Fall 2000 Lim produced a collection titled Development that contained simple clothes with basic colors and easy shapes for girls in their twenties. Wen Zhou saw Lim’s work as a CEO of a fabric company. Zhou bought him a plane ticket to new york and the two started a company together. It was named 3.1 because both were 31 at the time and wanted to embody youth success. In 2005 Lim had created the first women’s ready to wear in New York City. Soon after in 2006 Fashion Group International awarded him Rising Star Women’s designer. The pair made 2.8 million in their first month and by fall 2007 they had made over 12 million. In April of 2008 the Tokyo store was launched and not far after in June an LA store as well. In 2009 Lim launched their first menswear collection in New York and two years later in Feb of 2011 an accessories collection was new as well. GQ China named Lim designer of the year in 2011 and following that, in December a Hong Kong store was launched. 2013 brought him the Accessory Council award for Accessory Design. In September 2013 a Target collaboration took place and Lim’s designs sold out within minutes. Lim also dressed the first lady to meet the first lady of China in Beijing 2014. Continuing, Lim claims that his 2015 Fall Winter collection was challenging and took inspiration from present.

Phillip Lim has titled his creative identity as “classic but twisted” which can be bluntly explained as updating classic patterns. Many of those who have seen Lim’s work define it as easy to understand but also directional enough but not challenging for the customer to wear. Lim is minimalistic but not overdone with tame embellishments that seem to add to the simplicity. His designs have been labeled by many as “effortless cool girl” which connects with the consumers because of its designer quality at contemporary price. Lim has shown recently he is able to play with organic forms creating an almost sculptural aspect trendy clothes.

Larocca, Amy. "Mr. In-Between." NYMag.com. July 22, 2007. Accessed April 2, 2015.

"3.1 PHILLIP LIM HANDBAGS & DESIGNER CLOTHING." Accessed April 2, 2015.

Cheng, Andrea. "My Life in Ten Seconds: Designer Phillip Lim." InStyle. February 9, 2015. Accessed April 2, 2015.

Zachary Posen was born in New York, New York but raised in Manhattan, specifically the trendy Soho neighborhood. At 16 Posen attended Parsons School for Designs’ Pre College Program. With that experience along with his talent at 18 he was accepted into Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London England. He then created a leather gown, which was displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In 2000, Posen’s connections with childhood friend Lola Schnabel lead him toward Naomi Campbell whom he was able to design a dress for. That same dress was borrowed and worn by many socialites giving it positive exposure and growing Posen’s popularity. Zac Posen then became a designer name to watch and moved back to New York to create a workshop in his family home. Posen’s Mother, who had experience as a lawyer, then became his business manager while his sister Alexandra became the labels creative director. In 2002 Posen launched his first runway show in New York Fashion Week Spring Summer at the young age of 21. The line received mixed reviews but was able to give the brand name more press. In 2004 Sean P. Diddy Combs invested in Posen’s line and celebrities began featuring his designs on red carpets. During the 2008 economic downturn, the brand dropped double digits in sales so Posen began tightening up the company’s finances. Posen made the smart decision of creating the Z Spoke line for Saks Fifth Avenue and an affordable collection for Target. At 34 years old, Zac Posen now turns out three collections per year and plans to expand to jeans, fragrances, and retail. He is also now the creative director at Brooks Brothers.

            There is a reason Zac Posen was able to catch the attention of young female celebrities right from the start. His collections consist of glamour, tailoring, and dramatic details, all these put together make the perfect attention grabbing design fit for any starlet. However, the early fame has not wavered what Posen has become known for. He is a consistent designer that is able to almost set boundaries for himself but continue to creatively work with them and make unique clothing. For example, in his most recent SS 15 collection Posen only used white, black and red as his only colors but was able to tonally show them. The construction and cut of his clothing is impeccable and is able to add touches of drama in the silhouette. Posen claims he desires to find the sweet spot between art and commerce to create newly invented artistic classics. There is a unity between all of Posen’s collections that reflects an ease of glamour in details but also a vibe of cool and futuristic.

"Zac Posen." The Biography.com. January 1, 2015. Accessed April 2, 2015.

Craven, Jo. "Zac Posen." Vogue UK. May 11, 2011. Accessed April 2, 2015.

"Zac Posen." ELLE. Accessed April 2, 2015. http://www.elle.com/zac-posen-runway/ .

D'Souza Wolfe, Nandini. "Zac Posen Spring 2015 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show: Runway Review - Style.com." Style.com. September 8, 2014. Accessed April 2, 2015.

Keltner, Jane. "First Look: Zac Posen for Target." Teen Vogue. Accessed April 2, 2015.