Top Arab Fashion Designers

Dubai Fashion Week celebrates the budding fashion industry in the Arab world and paves the path for emerging talent from within the region. This event is also a chance to highlight Arab designers who have been globally renowned for their designs and collections.  Their dresses have not only adorned various international celebrities, but also royalty. These designers have contributed to the fashion industry internationally as well as in the Arab World.

Here are some of the top Arab Fashion designers:

Elie Saab

Elie Saab is a Lebanese designer who runs the eponymic label Elie Saab. His main workshop is in Beirut, but he also has workshops in Milan and Paris. In the 1980s, he started his first atelier where he focused on bridal couture, and in 1998, he started his ready-to-wear line as well as accessories line. In 1997, Saab was the first non-Italian designer to become a member of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture made him membre correspondant in 2006. He has dressed royalty including Queen Rania of Jordan and Princess of Wales Catherine as well as countless celebrities.

Zuhair Murad

Pictured: Zuhair Murad. Image source:@zuhairmuradprivate Instagram page. 

Zuhair Murad is a Lebanese designer who owns the eponymic design label, Zuhair Murad.  He designs couture, ready-to-wear, and bridal as well as accessories. Murad opened his first atelier in Beirut in 1997 and now he has boutiques and showrooms in Beirut, Paris, and Milan. He first debuted his collection in Rome in 1999 and he debuted at Paris Haute Couture Week in 2001. He has dressed many celebrities including Gemma Chan, Mila Kunis, and Kaley Cuoco.

Reem Acra

Pictured: Reem Acra. Image source: @reemacra Instagram page.

Reem Acra is a Lebanese designer who founded the eponymous brand Reem Acra New York in 1997. After the success of her brand in the bridal market, Acra launched Ready-to-Wear in 2001. She is a globally renowned name in bridal, haute couture, and ready-to-wear fashion. Her brand can be found in more than two-dozen countries and she has dressed royalty and celebrities. Her fashion is a wonderful blend of traditional and modern fashion, simultaneously creating something new for fashion.

Rami Al Ali

Pictured: Rami Al Ali. Image source: Ram Al Ali website.

Rami Al Ali is a Syrian designer who owns the eponymic label Rami Al Ali, which he launched in 2001 in Dubai. He debuted in Europe with the Alta Moda Show in Rome in 2009 and he debuted in Paris at Paris Couture Week in 2012. He designed mainly for couture until 2020 when he launched Rami Al Ali in White, which includes both ready-to-wear and bridal designs. He has dressed many celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Julianne Moore, and Helen Mirren.

Madiyah Al Sharqi

Madiyah Al Sharqi is an Emirati designer who founded her eponymous brand Madiyah Al Sharqi in 2012. She is renowned in the Middle East as well as internationally for her designs that embody everyday luxury with soft colour palettes and delicate fabrics that is well suited for the independent woman. She collaborated with Lebanese influencer Karen Wazen in 2021 and produced two collections. Her designs have been worn by celebrities Zendaya, Khloe Kardashian, and Kourtney Kardashian. Forbes Middle East named her amongst “30 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022”.

Marmar Halim

Pictured: Marmar Halim. Image source: Marmar Halim website. 

Marmar Halim is an Egyptian fashion designer who owns the eponymic brand Marmar Halim, which is based in Dubai and London. She has dressed various celebrities from the Middle East and Bollywood as well as dignitaries. Halim has presented her collection at London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. She designs evening dresses, bridal, and kaftan using materials like charmeuse, silk, rayon, and chiffon. Her designs utilize vivid colors, yet are minimalistic designs that give the dresses a romantic appeal.

Faiza Bouguessa

Algerian-French designer Faiza Bouguessa founded her brand Bouguessa in Dubai in 2014. Bouguessa designs three collections every year from her office in Design District Dubai. Celebrities like Beyonce, Priyanka Chopra, and Melissa McCarthy have worn her designs. Bouguessa’s designs and collections are minimalistic and elegant; they are inspired by modern art, architecture, and design.