Once, both vegetables and high fashion could be had in Downtown Beirut. Before the war and the bulldozers came, the so-called Paris of the East was a luxury destination and a bargain lover’s paradise.
Now, shoppers are more likely to find Chanel than a cucumber, and Prada than a potato – barring a visit to an upscale supermarket. Beirut has once again become a luxury fashion destination, to the delight of businesses and shoppers, or at least those who can afford the wares on offer.
In 1989, before the country’s Civil War had ended, Lebanese luxury purveyor Aishti opened its first store in Jal al-Dib. As Aishti grew and the city built its way back from the wreckage of war, other high-end brands eventually returned or arrived for the first time in Beirut.
Tony Salame, CEO and owner of Aishti, says that now, with his store and its spin-off Aizone across the country, “the luxury market is still progressing in Beirut. There is a trend worldwide of spending on luxury fashion brands ... the number of stores is increasing, and overall there is an evolution.”
That evolution has brought most of luxury fashion’s big names to the capital. The iconic leather goods of Louis Vuitton, the tailored aesthetic of Celine, as well as Dior, Lanvin and Gucci can all be found here, as are relative newcomers to the high-fashion scene like the understated Stella McCartney and the avant garde Alexander McQueen.
The eponymously named Alexander McQueen who burst onto the fashion scene in 1992 arrived in Downtown Beirut in 2008. Known for its extravagant runway presentations and unusual evening dresses, Elias Abi Khaled, managing director of McQueen in Lebanon, said this season’s collection was “all about embellishment and celebrating women’s beauty. There was a dominance of lightweight materials like silk chiffon, organza, and tulle. The palette of colors had shades of white, shell pink, silvery lilac and peach tones ... and strong coral red.”
Khaled says the brand came to Beirut because “we couldn’t aim better than having the trendiest brand in the world in Beirut, the image for the whole Middle East.” But Beirut’s trendiness hasn’t left its shops immune to either the global economic downturn or regional events. Khaled says “the luxury market in Lebanon has declined since the boutique’s opening in 2008.” He pins this to “the political and economic situation that has been prevailing in the surrounding areas, which has impeded the luxury market, among others.” But he adds that “our faith in the brand remains stronger as it expands from the niche market to be recognized more globally.”
As do economic fortunes, tastes and trends change too. Aishti’s Salame says that “every season there are trendy designers that are more in vogue, however more established brands like Prada, Dior, Gucci and Burberry for example, remain in high demand.”
All this magnificence comes at a price. At McQueen the least expensive accessory is around $300, and an evening couture gown goes for $50,000.
So who is buying these frocks, bags, and shoes? Although estimates vary because of the lack of statistics in the country, the average yearly Lebanese income is roughly $7,000, a sum that could easily be blown on the perfect red Valentino gown and the right heels. But purveyors insist that much of their clientele is Lebanese. At Aishti, Salame says the customer base is “mainly Lebanese,” plus expatriates, and visitors from other Middle Eastern countries, as well as Turkey and Europe. He says that people from “around the world enjoy shopping in Beirut because of the big choice and great selection from the collections.”
At McQueen, where the unconventionally beautiful reigns supreme – a recent Paris runway show included lace balaclavas – Khaled says 60 percent of the shop’s customers are foreign. But he doesn’t chalk this up to income. “The fact that foreigners are more up to date in fashion makes them better aware of what is in trend ahead of time,” he says, “while the Lebanese customers are usually a bit late in acquiring the trend.”
One thing Lebanese do well is heels, and at Christian Loboutin, known for its signature red soles, business is thriving. Its Downtown Beirut store opened in the summer of 2010, and buyer and store manager Dahlia Koborsy says it was the brand’s first store in the region. She adds that the store opened earlier than scheduled at the request of designer Loboutin himself, who regularly visits Lebanon and “loves to spend time here.”
The average pair of shoes at the Loboutin shop goes for $900, and the most expensive pair sold was $5,000, covered completely in crystals. Koborsy says 75 percent of the customers are Lebanese, while the remainder hail mostly from the Gulf. Those customers prefer flashy colors, she adds, while the Lebanese tend towards “classy, sexy, elegant styles,” and some “like the very high heels.”
“We are increasing in terms of sales,” she says, adding that compared to the rest of the Lebanese market, “we are doing very good business.” When it first opened, Loboutin’s average customer was over 40. Now the average shopper is between 25 and 40, she says, and the brand is considering where to open its second store in the country. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when it comes to Lebanese luxury, the heels have it.
