30 Years of Georges Hobeika: A Tale Of 30 Dresses Told By Harper’s Bazaar Arabia
Newly-opened at Studio 152 on Marsa Boulevard, Bazaar Arabia’s first ever exhibition traces three decades of couturier Georges Hobeika’s success, now renowned as the king of savoir faire and the sublime
Just six short years after establishing his eponymous brand in the heart of Beirut in the mid-nineties, Georges Hobeika announced himself on the world stage – presenting his first Haute Couture collection in Paris, in 2001. The collection succinctly summarised its founder’s unique alchemy; a master of architecture, a wizard of draping, and a conjurer of seamless, spellbinding sparkle. Put plainly, there’s clothes, then there’s couture, and then there’s Georges Hobeika.
This was the beginning of an ongoing dialogue between the maison’s extraordinary artisanry and Haute Couture’s hallowed circle, a relationship that culminated in an invitation to join La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture as a Guest Member in 2017, an honour exclusively reserved for the houses that embody the highest standards of couture métiers d’art. The Lebanese luminary is, in fact, one of just a handful of Middle Eastern designers in history who have been offered such an invitation.
Now, thirty years on since its ambitious beginnings, the maison is synonymous with the most opulent and exquisite creations on the haute couture schedule. Each season the maison translates the Middle East’s lavish spirit and unadulterated glamour into a collection that broadens the scope of a traditionally Europe-centric echelon of high fashion. There is precision and poise, brilliance and beauty, rarity and reverie, stitched into every single look.
Master of Light, 30 Years of Georges Hobeika pays homage to this legacy. One of the exhibition’s earliest pieces proves the maison’s mastery of merging historical motifs with the utterly modern – a strapless mini dress with an embellished buckle neckline features a Jacobean detail that pervaded the maison’s Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 collection. Its ingenuity speaks to Georges Hobeika’s skill for storytelling, where meticulous craftsmanship and playful innovation combine in a striking, concept-driven creation. The Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2021 “MOD” collection is similarly determined in its vision, featuring glamorous gowns inspired by the 1960s Mod movement. One plunging gown is meticulously hand-embroidered from delicate straps to its fringed hemline: a modern homage to vintage glamour.
A remarkable piece from the Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2022 “Eternal Gifts” collection emphasises the maison’s ‘Mains Precieuses’ approach to exceptional métiers d’art, comprising a corset top and skirt featuring hundreds of strands of iridescent beads that are hand-strung to create a dazzling display of kinetic sparkle, like fireworks brought alive upon the body – a living vision of theatricality.
Meanwhile, a look from the Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 “Small Talks” collection features a bustier dress and cardinal-collared coat that draws inspiration from Andalusian Moroccan motifs. Fully embroidered with silk cords of varying sizes, the voluminous ensemble is adorned with sparkling sequins and brocade, highlighting its maximalist patterns. The dramatic overcoat, edged with sky-blue trimming, proves that Hobeika doesn’t only deal in wispy visions of delicate ballgowns – there is deep substance, as well as ethereal elegance.
As is so typical with haute couture, pictures barely do justice to their incredible in-the-flesh magnetism. These are gowns that must be seen to be believed. So we invite you to witness their beauty up close. In the dark, the quiet and the still, this is where George Hobeika gowns smoulder with splendour.
Master of Light, 30 Years of Georges Hobeika, takes place from Friday October 31 until Monday November 3 at Studio 152, Marsa Boulevard, from 4PM until 1AM.
Photography by Fredya Ro
