Beirut Is Under Attack, But Its Creatives Endure: The Reality For Designers In Lebanon Today 

Beirut is once again torn apart by violence. Once hailed as the Middle East’s most fashionable city, it now bears the scars of war: over a million people have been displaced and almost a quarter of the country’s buildings have been destroyed by Israeli bombardment. Yet Lebanon endures. People continue to work, a sentiment that resonates deeply within the design community. The Lebanese have come to accept that meaningful intervention is unlikely, leading many to assert, “What else is there to do but work?” 

In early October 2024, I meet jewellery designers Maya and Meena of Mukhi Sisters at their downtown showroom, while the whir of a drone continues above us – an unwavering background noise that has become the new rhythm of the city. “Doesn’t it seem louder today?” Meena asks, and both sisters laugh.  

Humour is a key defendant against psychological trauma for the Lebanese people. I was surprised to see the sisters at the showroom, considering central Beirut was bombed so recently, but Maya says: “We grew up in the war, our parents grew up in the war. If you wanted to get bread, you had to go to this side of the city. Then there’s no electricity, what to do? There’s no water – you adapt and look for a solution. This is central to our company also.” 

The Mukhi Sisters’ message of empowerment is echoed in their latest collection Harmony Guard – a personalised symbol of hope derived from the power of Lebanese women. “We continue the fight,” says Meena. “We saw what our parents went through and cannot give up now.” 

There is a tribal attitude for women in Lebanon, they look to empower and support at the most difficult of times. Sarah Beydoun, the creative director and founder of Sarah’s Bag, tells me how she was first inspired to create the handbag label by a visit to a women’s prison 25 years ago, while documenting women in the sex industry and the violence they faced for her university thesis. “I couldn’t just turn my back on all these stories I’d heard,” Sarah recalls. “[I thought] maybe I can do something to help.” She now trains and employs at-risk and ex-prisoner women for her brand, which brings together traditions of Lebanese embroidery and a variety of crochet from all over Lebanon.  

“The simple permit that I was given to enter the prison not only changed my life, but it changed the life of so many women, some of whom I’m still in contact with. You see how empowered they become, how they raise their kids, how their life changed just because of working with Sarah’s Bag,” she explains. 

Entering the competitive design industry is challenging globally, but in Lebanon it’s conflict before clothing, due to the constant political instability.  

Lebanon has become a shadow of itself since the economic collapse of 2019: services have been incapacitated; the education system paralysed. Wanting to develop a refuge of creativity for students, Sarah Hermez set up Creative Space Beirut in 2011, providing free education to those who were not able to afford it.  

She explains how economic decline and the recent bombardment has impacted them. “The last five years have been… it’s difficult on a human level – constant building and rebuilding. Every time, you take 20 steps forward and then 30 steps back.” 

However, among the bombings and destruction, Sarah’s students – from the LGBTQIA+ and refugee communities across Lebanon – have experienced many achievements. “One of our students, Amir, joined us when he was 16 years old. He’s a Syrian refugee. He had just come from the war. His commitment to CSB from the outset was 500%. He graduated and was hired by a well-known couture designer. And in 2023, he applied to the Fashion Trust Arabia and he won.” 

The continued operation of these ateliers is a journey of personal strength, and coordination. Currently, 1.2 million Lebanese people are displaced out of a population of roughly 5.5 million; their daily routine upended overnight due to escalation in bombing.  

Maya recalls a moment during the recent Israeli onslaught when she was unable to find strength to come to the office, but an employee from the south in Jezzine – where hostilities have escalated – still travelled in. “She said, ‘Morning, I’m here!’ This is how we lift each other up.”  

I met Farah, an employee of Sarah’s Bag, who lived in Dahiya in south Beirut, the scene of disproportionate number of attacks against civilians. “All of the families from Dahiya were displaced,” she says. “My sister has 35 people at home, and it’s the same for me.” Farah has continued to come to work, although she is one of the 40% of Sarah’s Bag staff who have been displaced. But amid the bombing, the employees launched the new collection Serpentine, symbolising transformation and power. Many at the atelier say their work has helped them to keep going, despite many having lost homes and loved ones. 

Some might ask: why these creatives remain in a country that has given up on its citizens? I meet Sarah and her colleague Waleed at the Creative Space. In attendance are new students watching a video of shows and smiles from the previous school year. 

As a drone echoes above us, Sarah says: “As an institution, we are in survival mode. For me, it’s so important to safeguard our culture. If you erase these institutions, this is how you erase us.” Meanwhile, the students in the room laugh at the fond memories they’re watching, despite the knowledge that nowhere is safe in Beirut. 

Suddaf Chaudry is an investigative journalist, and producer currently based in Beirut. She covers conflict, politics and humanitarian issues for titles including Al Jazeera, Vice, CNN and more