Georges Hobeika (born 8 February 1962, in

Baskinta Baskinta ( ar, بسكنتا) is a Lebanon, Lebanese village situated at an altitude ranging from 1250 metres above sea level and climbs up to approximately 1800 meters of height at Qanat Bakish, making it one of the highest villages of Lebanon. It ...

) is a Lebanese

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

haute couture ''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became th ...

and

ready-to-wear Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...

clothing. Hobeika officially opened his atelier in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

in 1995, and has been presenting his collections in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, during the city’s official

fashion weeks Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

, for over a decade. Hobeika is officially recognized by the " Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture", as a guest member. Today, Hobeika owns and manages his fashion house which includes four lines: Georges Hobeika Couture – Georges Hobeika Bridal – Georges Hobeika Signature – GH by Georges Hobeika. Georges Hobeika operates the fashion label from his showroom on the

rue Royale Rue Royale (French for "Royal Street") may refer to several streets: *Rue Royale, Brussels, Belgium *Rue Royale, Lyon, France * Rue Royale, Paris, France See also * Royal Street, New Orleans, United States *Royal Road (disambiguation) The Royal ...

in Paris and from his atelier headquarters in Beirut.

Early years

Hobeika was born in

, a village in the mountains of Lebanon, and was one of eight siblings. His mother, Marie, was a seamstress and encouraged her children to assist her in her boutique atelier. Hobeika particularly liked his mother’s vocation and pursued it as a passionate hobby. Hobeika studied civil engineering in university, and pursued architectural design in his studies. The

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...

forced him to leave the country in order to secure a better future for him and his family. Hobeika traveled to Paris and worked as an intern for several Parisian fashion houses, including

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...

The Georges Hobeika Design Label

After returning from Paris, Georges Hobeika opened his first atelier location in Beirut, Lebanon in 1995. Around this time, his mother closed her atelier and referred all of her clients to him. They worked together to establish a fashion label. In 2001, Hobeika had his first show in Paris, at "Hotel K,". Hobeika has shown his couture collections in every biannual Paris Couture Fashion Week since. In 2010, Georges Hobeika opened a showroom in Paris. Additionally, Hobeika opened a second production facility dedicated to his Signature and GH by Georges Hobeika lines. Georges Hobeika has diversified into a décor line of couture furnishings and home accessories. The Georges Hobeika brand is currently headed from Beirut and has official PR representation branches in Paris (in-house),

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. Hobeika has partnered with

Maison Lesage Maison (French for "house") may refer to: People * Edna Maison (1892–1946), American silent-film actress * Jérémy Maison (born 1993), French cyclist * Leonard Maison, New York state senator 1834–1837 * Nicolas Joseph Maison (1771–1840) ...

Swarovski Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Austria, and has existed as a family-owned business since its founding in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal ...

, Maison Legeron, Jakob Schlaepfer, and Solstiss for the creation and production of the Georges Hobeika Couture line.

International clientele

Hobeika has designed clothing for royal families in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. He also has clients from Europe, North and South America, and Asia. On 19 December 2012, Georges Hobeika received worldwide recognition when former Miss USA

Olivia Culpo Olivia Frances Culpo (born May 8, 1992) is an American model, fashion influencer, social media personality, and actress. After winning the Miss Rhode Island USA competition, she went on to be crowned Miss USA, and then Miss Universe in 2012. ...

was crowned

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...

2012. Culpo won the title wearing a Georges Hobeika gown for the final evening gown segment of the competition. It was the first time a couture gown that debuted during a Paris Couture Week was worn for the competition.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hobeika, Georges Lebanese fashion designers Lebanese businesspeople in fashion Wedding dress designers High fashion brands Living people Haute couture Artists from Beirut 1962 births