B.Donna: The century-old luxury brand forging the next hundred

“Bikfaya is famous for three things: peaches, ice cream and bet Bshir’s sewing, knitting and dima”, proclaims Jad Bachir, owner of the luxury fashion retailer B.Donna.

The brand has been part of Lebanon’s fashion landscape since 1927. Its story is one of Lebanese luxury adapting to the country’s ever-fluctuating circumstances while preserving the true taste for elegance.

Essential malleability

“My great-grandfather started the business and his two sons evolved the business. It was a sewing factory where they imported fabric, textile, and materials from Italy, Greece, France, and all over Europe, sewing them in Lebanon”. During the civil war, running a business became more challenging, the fashion industry changed and turned towards importing and selling rather than local production.

He gives his parents the greatest credit for rolling with the times. “It’s easy to follow in the footsteps of their parents, however, they tackled a challenge head on to make B.Donna international. They started working with Italian brands bringing in Versace, Cavalli, Moschino”, says Jad proudly. Now, the thirty-three-year-old entrepreneur is transitioning the business towards luxury while expanding into new projects, for the sole purpose of creating a community and evolving the B.Donna story.

“I don’t know if this falls under child labor”, Jad says playfully, “but I have a photo from when I was seven years old among carton boxes removing items”.

Fashion in his veins

Jad was born into fashion, with a deep fondness for it. Like many of his generation, he initially considered medicine before studying economics at LAU and finance at AUB, with an eventual pull towards entrepreneurship.

To scratch that itch, he pursued and received a Master’s in entrepreneurship from ESADE Spain which was an incredibly rewarding experience. “The Spanish and Italian people are similar to the Lebanese. The mediterranean, this part of the world, is the most interesting. Spain, Italy, Greece, and Lebanon, the seed of them all. We played a foundational role in revolutionizing how the world traded and communicated. This is history nobody can argue with”, says Jad.

In his words, the Phoenicians were the precursors, Greece becoming a powerhouse due to control over the seas and the roads. Fashion, commerce, and history compelled Jad to delve into them in Spain and the relationship between these countries. Then he studied Fashion in Marangoni Milano where he built his network.

Comes down to Lebanon

In spite of traveling the world, he wanted to build in Lebanon. He worked for an American multinational technology conglomerate, one of the world’s largest companies, in Spain. “My attachment to Lebanon, my family’s track record, my love of fashion, entrepreneurship, and business, my story led here”. Jad is involved as well in the municipality of Saqyet El Misk Bhersaf.

After nearly a century in business, one thing has remained non-negotiable: maintaining the standards his great grandfather set. For Jad, that means preserving the image of the sophisticated Lebanese, people who know how to express themselves through fashion, body language, and communication.

In navigating wars, economic crises, and dramatic shifts in retail, there were instances where Jad Bachir questioned the future of the business. “Of course, it’s a cyclical thing and it becomes harder when you’re a business owner, and even harder when it’s a generation-to-generation business, to sustain it, make it grow, and adapt to the different types of difficult times”.

What kept him going, he says, was his belief in himself and, more significantly, his relationship with God. “Jesus is everything to me. Nothing makes sense without Him. He put me on this earth, I’ll do my part, He’ll take care of the rest”, shares Jad with obvious emotion.

Exclusivity in standards

On a quest to build a community, B.Donna is embarking on the podcast world, the fitting room, and B.Donna unscripted, engaging video episodes and shorts that have proven appealing to Lebanese audiences. Jad hopes to grow the attachment to the brand itself, not simply to the selection they carry.

The second purpose of his endeavors is to elevate the quality of online content. “I saw that it’s trash in Lebanon and the world, and a lot of people like to watch material with substance”. That same standard, he says, extends across B.Donna’s social media, website, and everywhere else. “You could bring in high sales in 2026 and 2027 but you’re diluting your brand. I’m working for the next hundred years”. His ultimate goal is that a client leaves his shop saying she bought a purse from B.Donna, not a Karl or Pinko purse.

With the definition of luxury constantly shifting, fashion is going through a rough patch now according to Jad, due to the popularity of fast fashion like Zara, Bershka and H&M. Another concern is that conglomerates are buying other brands. If the same company owns Kenzo, Dior and LV, each brand will lose its own narrative.

“Fashion is part art and storytelling, and part commerce. Kering owns Gucci and Balenciaga. Prada purchased Versace in 2025, each with completely different stories: Versace is about prints and sensuality, Prada is classic leather goods. Both Italian brands, both with rich history, but divergent”.

New retail brands are budding everywhere in the world and they’re telling new stories, thus drawing attention. People don’t want to look like everyone else. “I think this is the future of fashion. Individuals are gravitating towards originality in a sea of gray”, affirms Jad.

Woven roots and laced wings

Deeply woven in Bikfaya, B.Donna now reaches clients digitally and internationally. In the process, they are maneuvering to preserve the intimacy and personal service of a family boutique. Their well-trained staff reflect their values, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

The Lebanese people were initially traders, their specialty being crafting, bringing, and selling products. “It is in our DNA, how we were brought up. We are bringing this Lebanese way of doing commerce to the entire country and region”, attests Jad.

What lies ahead for B.Donna is expanding their brand portfolio since they want to grow the offerings. Developing their social media presence with the community they’re fostering is in their line of vision, with the online shows giving people a better understanding of the brand’s identity.

B.Donna has fought its way to its hundredth year and is deliberately designing the next hundred. Many exciting projects are in store, one of which is the café and another still under wraps. “We want to tell Lebanon’s story and our own through our eyes, through fashion and the family business. The B.Donna café is coming up with the tagline: Our doors have been open since 1927 and we’re adding a place to sit”.