Barbara Walters chats with Forward Syria
Swaying between art and seduction
Discussing monetary policy with the man in charge
Where the earth screams in horror
05/11/2010 - Issue 39
Georges Chakra: Giving international haute couture an Arab twist
The life of one of Lebanon’s top designers around Parisian catwalks and Hollywood's red carpetsby Karim Shukr
From humble beginnings in 1980s war-torn Lebanon, Georges Chakra has been an unstoppable force in his rise to worldwide recognition. Dazzling the walkways of Paris, the red carpets of Hollywood, and the wardrobes of celebrities such as Mariah Carey, his upbeat, colorful designs have captured the hearts of the fashion elite, returning the attention of the young to haute couture.
Do your Middle Eastern roots ever influence your design choices?
My style tends to be more Western, but you can tell my Oriental roots in the colors I choose to use. I like strong colors, ones that encompass the sun and the beach, which comes from my Lebanese side. The Lebanese, living so near the coast, have openness to new things and a brightness of spirit that shines through in my designs. This is not only my opinion: if you take a look at the difference of Italian fashion, another coastal people, and the Parisian inland styles, you can see the latter goes for a darker mood, with contrasts between black and white, as opposed to the fresher, more colorful Italian designs.
Your latest show in Paris has been an attention-grabbing success. What were you trying to accomplish in this show?
In my latest Paris show, which was Spring-Summer 2010 Haute Couture Fashion Week, I wanted to hark back to the Roaring 1920s, when the world was also in crisis, but people’s fashion reflected a rising above the crisis and taking refuge in luxury, a great parallel to the current global response.
Some dresses had removable sleeves, or parts of the body that could be altered by the wearer, giving the same piece a different look every time you put something on or take something off. This suited the theme of the 1920s, where people may want the same dress to perform in different ways.
You’ve been designing for nearly 25 years now; what were the roots of the operation that you now head?
I started designing in wartime Lebanon, around 1985/86, and despite the gloomy atmosphere, people were still holding small dinners where they could escape the drudgery for a little while, and they needed clothes. There wasn’t the advertising you have today, from magazines, satellite television or what have you: Everything was word of mouth. Still, I slowly grew from a one-man operation to the 30-strong group I manage today.
After the country opened up and people started coming back, I got a lot of regional attention that made me consider moving on to the world stage. That move happened in 2001, when I started showing my lines twice a year in Paris. This created contacts in the US, who encouraged us to set up a PR office in New York.
What has this move to the international stage meant for the Georges Chakra line?
Although I’m fiercely proud of my Lebanese origins, I’m glad I moved abroad. I was originally convinced to hold fashion weeks in Lebanon, but felt after a few that whenever we put on a show, everyone was complimenting everything, and no one was very critical. I needed to take a step outside my comfort zone, and starting in Paris was a good way. It wasn’t material considerations that made me take this step, because the shows I made in Beirut were pretty much at the same value as those I made in Paris. It was the coverage of the events, however, and the feedback I got from the people and press that really made all the difference.
Recently Paris Hilton visited Beirut and everyone was thrilled that she was in Georges Chakra dress. In what way have celebrities influenced the evolution of your brand?
I only make styles that fit my work, not something that suits a certain person. When Helen Mirren wore our dress to the Oscars, we made something for her inspired from our collection that would suit her and her age, but otherwise, the stars come to us, and choose something from our collection. We do have certain celebrities, such as Mariah Carey and Tyra Banks, who commission work from us that meet certain specifications. Mariah Carey likes the form-fitting, short, cache-court dresses that really emphasize her inherent sexiness; Tyra Banks, on the other hand, goes for a little more coverage, and likes the dresses to add to her shapeliness.
