Sandra Mansour shares her experience of working with couture genius, Elie Saab and how it has influenced her in certain ways. Her choice of diaphanous fabrics and delicate embroidery bears the mark of Beirut’s most famous fashion son, but time spent working in his atelier also inspired her to set up her own workshop in the city. “Working with Elie Saab was a life-changing experience because it showed me all the facets of the profession. I received first-hand experience with fabrics, textiles, embroidery ornamentation, prints and cuts – and it allowed me to transfer my art into prints on fabric and create my drawings of embroidery on patterns. The creativity; the team spirit; the haute couture client relationship; the fashion shows experience: all those aspects were enlightening and gave me the confidence to launch myself. Opening a boutique in the coming five years is one of my objectives. I plan to branch out into various product lines, and am currently working on tailormade bridal gowns and am considering creating a capsule bridal line. Moreover, we’re expanding in terms of points of sale, especially in the UK and the US,” Mansour said.
