Lebanese designers shine on Cannes red carpet: Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Georges Chakra and Rami Kadi

The National

15-05-2025

The Cannes Film Festival is famed for its glitz, glamour and camera-worthy red-carpet moments. This year is no different. Given the Middle East's love of polished dressing, it comes as little surprise that many international celebrities turn to regional – specifically Lebanese – designers for out-of-this-world looks. With their sharp instinct for melding elegance and high-octane allure, these designers all but guarantee a show-stopping entrance. So far, we've spotted looks by Elie Saab, Georges Chakra, Rami Kadi and Zuhair Murad on the red carpet. With the event running until May 24, more regional designers are expected to follow. Heidi Klum arrived for the opening night in an Elie Saab gown with a train that went on for a few metres, and that immediately broke the new Cannes red-carpet rules. The dress-code section of the festival website now includes the following: 'For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival. Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre are not permitted.' Having already expressed a bit of healthy rebellion against the fun police, Saab reigned things in for the premiere of Mission Impossible – Final Reckoning. He dressed Eva Longoria in a fully sequinned halter gown in deep sea green. He also styled Heidi Klum a second time in a sleek, panelled dress of molten silver – this time staying well within the rules. Georges Chakra made a return to the Cannes red carpet with long-time client, Lebanese TV personality Raya Abirached. Wearing a gown from the designer's autumn/winter 2024 couture collection, Abirached arrived in an off-the-shoulder dress the colour of molten demerara sugar. The look featured a flowing skirt and sheer, cathedral-length train, with a deft interplay of high sheen and matte textures. The bodice was adorned with micro-pleats and framed by draped silk chiffon sleeves. She completed the ensemble with a scattering of asymmetrical diamond jewellery by Cartier. Lebanese couturier Rami Kadi dressed Egyptian actress Amina Khalil and legendary singer and actress Youssra at Cannes. Clad in all red, Youssra wore a regal, asymmetric column dress with one draped shoulder that became a stole. She completed the look with a set of white diamonds and emeralds by Chopard. Khalil, meanwhile, arrived in custom-made Rami Kadi in a delicate shade of pink. Feminine and romantic, the drop-waist gown came with a three-tiered skirt edged in matching marabou feathers. Zuhair Murad showcased his versatility on the opening night of the festival, dressing four women in distinctly different styles. Ukrainian model and entrepreneur Anna Andres wore a sensual, romantic gown in grape chiffon, while Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio opted for a sultry teal dress, detailed with pleats, a high slit and a dramatic stole of densely packed ruffles. French model Chloe Lecareux arrived in a barely-there gown traced with lines of dense beading, layered under a billowing black cape. Angolan model Maria Borges took a different approach, exuding quiet elegance in a sculptural gown designed to resemble a single piece of fabric twisting around her body and trailing into a court-length train. The result was poised, refined and striking.