Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Behind the Scenes at the Paris Haute Couture: A glimpse into the private world of couture’s Middle Eastern clients…

Although the fashion press regularly report on couture’s American clientele and the stars who attend the shows, it is rare that one reads of its regular customers from the Middle East, who constitute a large portion of its buyers.

Top left clockwise: Paris Couture’s Arab clientele includes Morocco’s young Queen Lalla Salma in a Valentino couture coat; Queen Rania of Jordan; the Lebanese heiress Mouna Ayoub, who is considered one of Couture’s big spenders; Suzy Menkes front row at a Lacroix Couture show in the early 90’s, while Arab clients are discreetly seated behind her; Long time couture customer Princess Firyal of Jordan; Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missnad of Qatar in Scherrer Couture; Two seats at the Gaultier Paris show read Sheikh Ahmed Al Thani and Princess Haifa Al Faysal of Saudi Arabia; A ball gown from Christian Dior’s Spring 2007 Couture Collection. Requiring yards of expensive fabrics, such pieces traditionally attract the big Middle Eastern clients; Nada Kirdar, is a prominent couture customer and the wife of Investcorp founder Nemir Kirdar, pictured here with Georgette Mosbacher.

© THE POLYGLOT (all rights reserved) CHICAGO-PARIS

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