Charbel Zoe: The Lebanese designer who’s conquered the world

In an era where haute couture often wrestles between heritage minimalism and avant-garde abstraction, Lebanese designer Charbel Zoe has carved out a distinct niche defined by unapologetic, high-octane glamour. In her recent Las Vegas shows, the incomparable Jennifer Lopez took to the stage in two of his dazzling, sculpted to shine designs. The pop icon Haifa Wehbe, who is like family to him, embodied passion in his custom crimson crystal-drenched creation for her Valentine’s show in Beirut.

He became an international household name when she wore his custom green bodysuit during her 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony performance. Shakira sang at the closing ceremony wearing a custom, fiery-red, fringed and Swarovski-encrusted number. The “Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry" (Second Edition) has featured the Lebanese designer next to the elite. “In 2014, Lebanese designers were fast becoming the “go to” designers on the red carpet. Saab and Acra are joined by Zuhair Mrad and Georges Hobeika, as well as emerging designers Nicolas Jebran and Charbel Zoe”, cited the dictionary.  “I was a kid, can you imagine?”, says Charbel.

The JLo effect

Charbel made a name for himself in Kuwait through Instagram when it was first launched. There were no designers on it at the time. A friend in the social media field advised him to sign up saying: “It’s going to be big”, and he did on his birthday.

Following a 2014 fashion show in Dubai, Jennifer Lopez’ stylists sent an email and asked him about one of his outfits that was luckily available in LA. They did a fitting and proposed he work for American Idol. He then drew three sketches in twenty minutes of which they chose the blue, and he sent the finished product in less than four days. One morning, he received a message saying: “Watch American Idol, you killed it”. Then they asked if he would be interested in the World Cup.

Under normal circumstances, stylists communicate with a PR company which can be a hassle. In Charbel’s case, they liked working directly with him and he never got a PR company for this specific reason. He deals with JLo, Thalia and Paris Hilton’s teams, among others. Thalia, who he met in LA, told him before Covid occurred: “I would love to work with Haifa. I love her, your friend the gorgeous star”.

The formative years

Growing up between Lebanon and Paris, and living in Kuwait, his friends made fun of him for being obsessed with anything Lebanese, his eyes sparkling whenever he speaks of his home country. “I want to introduce them to Lebanon, and I enjoy talking about it. I love how Kuwaiti people love us”. By his own admission, they are our second cousins, and they come to vacation in Lebanon.

In 2019, he held a show in Dubai, a show in LA, then Thawra happened. He’d been in Lebanon a year, and his showroom opening was set for the 7th of August 2020 before the explosion altered his plans.

During his formative years, he was among the first in his class and his illustrations and drawings revealed his skill. He’s worked with Elie Saab, Zuhair Mrad, Nicolas Gebran Georges Hobeika, and Givenchy where “they worked him to the bone”. At 21, they accepted him for a CDD contract. Riccardo Tisci told him it was his cute personality that made him stand out.

In fashion school, they immediately placed him in second year, and he worked simultaneously with Zuhair Murad between 2008 and 2009. His studies spanned Camm Lebanon then Esmod Paris.

He came to Lebanon in 2010 where he worked for a month and a half with Elie Saab, who was his idol and spotted his talent right away. When he was younger, he didn’t understand the magnitude of Elie, who had over two hundred people working in his atelier. He used to go with his aunt who was a pattern maker and seamstress. She happily dressed all the other aunts, and when she went to the States where she got married before 9/11, she wore one of the celebrated designer’s creations.

Charbel was taught couture by his aunt and his grandmother on her incredible vintage sewing machine. He learned to sew by watching his grandmother make doll dresses. “Creativity runs in the family. If a glass broke, I made a robot out of it. I turned rice into paintings”.

There is little the public doesn’t know about Charbel seeing as he’s so forthcoming. Nonetheless, what some may not be aware of is that in 2010, while working with Elie Saab, he got into a horrific car accident that mangled his face and smashed his leg. After being bed-ridden for seven months, the young designer got a new lease on life and was convinced that God spared his life so he could fulfill his purpose and become a successful fashion designer. On the heels of the accident, he accepted a job offer and moved to Kuwait.

An ethereal muse

Another little-known fact about Charbel is that he is an avid learner, reading books and signing up to online courses. He’s inherited his love for knowledge and politics from his mother who was a lawyer. “She broke me, my mom. She’s in the final stage of cancer and there’s no cure. I’m so attached to her that if I lose her, I will feel that my soul died.” His mother, his muse, sadly passed away shortly after this interview

The vision of his mother at his uncle’s wedding in a rosewood dress with her black raven hair, big eyes and sharp look ignited a love that runs deep, his love for fashion. It was satin, adorned with flowers and short, as she danced and twirled it wrapped around her and her locks flowed.

I will never forget this moment. She was really beautiful, she was Miss Jabal Sannine and won several beauty pageants while in school and university. I had put away this dress, but it was stolen.

Singing paves the way

In the world of fashion, ingenuity and whimsy can sometimes emerge from unexpected sources. “My inspiration comes from emotions, everything I find beautiful, maybe the chandelier hanging above my head, my high-pitched voice. When I sing countertenor opera, it gets my whole body vibrating”, confesses Charbel excitedly. He gets motivated to create, the cells moving in his body. “That’s why I tell people even if you don’t sing opera, even if you have an ugly voice, sing”.

The designer has many facets for his makeup. People get the first impression that he’s stuck up, when in fact Charbel is a comedian. “I’m in my Miranda Priestly era. I embody a funny character like Cruella de Vil and crack all my friends up”. When he became renowned, he supported everyone he saw on social media, showing love and commenting, even if no one did the same for him.

Charbel admits to being too nice, running to people and hugging them with all his heart. “Some may perceive it as fake. Attitude kills me, people thinking they’re too good for everyone else”, says Charbel. Even if he was hurt badly by someone, he can sit with him and joke around, driving his best friends mad.

But Charbel looks beyond the surface. “You don’t know people’s circumstances, if their parents were good or bad or divorced, their experience in school, maybe they had a horrible teacher, trauma becomes integrated in them and they’re not able to express it”, shares Charbel.

When pondering what he’s most proud of, Charbel readily declares his parents’ upbringing. His two sisters are a doctor and an engineer in France. “We’re a tight-knit family. My cousins are pretty much siblings. Although, I was always the star of the house, of school and university, always surrounded by women critiquing their looks”.

An embroidered future

With a permanent home at Harvey Nichols Kuwait and a massive celebrity following, there is one thing Charbel hasn't built yet that keeps him up at night, re-opening a showroom in Lebanon. This time around, he will see it to fruition and has firmly set his sights on Paris Fashion Week.