Known for marrying contemporary ready-to-wear with couture-like details, Swiss-born Lebanese fashion designer Sandra Mansour is a force to be reckoned with.
With the Middle Eastern fashion industry booming right now, talented Arab designers have fast become a regional specialty. Yet there’s one standout name who has truly honed the savoir-faire of her predecessors and been steadily infiltrating the global realm of high fashion since the launch of her namesake brand in 2010 - Beirut-based designer Sandra Mansour.
Rather than building her brand on super-luxe eveningwear, Mansour has made a name for herself with contemporary ready-to-wear pieces that are designed to be mixed and matched, appealing to all audiences and personalities. She does, of course, add couture-level details – think hand-stitched sequins, beading and embroidery techniques mastered during a stint at Elie Saab – making her collections perfect for both an afternoon soirée and red-carpet gala. Let’s not forget her ‘Fleur du Soleil’ collection with H&M last year either, which made her the first ever Arabic designer to collaborate with the Swedish high street brand.
Following on from her exclusive Ramadan collection of timeless and elegant kaftans she crafted for Farfetch, attentions are now turning to her AW21 collection, ‘Au Bout du Labyrinthe’, which features modern-come-classic silhouettes combined with the most delicate of fabrics and couture-like detailing.
Each piece expresses unique illusions like embroideries crawling like ants one over the other, whimsical lines on a crepe satin dress hugging the body, golden earrings that burst into tears hand-knitted ensemble adorned with anamorphic golden buttons created by the house. An imaginative collection that can be open to interpretation.
It was the best feeling ever, to be acknowledged that way, it really stood out for me. I honestly felt a sense of excitement I hadn’t experienced before.
