Watching his grandmother create elegant designs, a young Charbel grew inspired and designed dresses for dolls. Charbel honed his sewing skills under the watchful eyes of his grandmother, and continues to add his own finishing touches to his present-day designs. From dolls to dazzling starlets, couturier Charbel Zoe has come a long way and is now one of the most sought after designers in the region. With an atelier in Kuwait and LA, Charbel Zoe has now found a permanent home for his couture and ready-to-wear collections at Harvey Nichols Kuwait!

Cutting cloth and sewing it together into something beautiful wasn’t enough for Charbel, “I wanted to see if I really did love fashion, so I went to study in Paris!” And because Paris is always a good idea – not to mention, an excellent place to start – Charbel studied Fashion Design, Marketing and Photography, making him a true jack-of-all-trades. Art directing his own design shoots and sometimes stepping behind the camera, Charbel is a very hands-on couturier. Moving between Paris and Lebanon, Charbel’s training was extensive and his career promising from the start. “As a creative, I wanted to show that I’m different from all other designers in the industry, and this is what made me unique,” he explained.

It was earlier on in his fashion career that Charbel found himself working alongside some of the industry icons. Scooped up by Givenchy, Ungaro, Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad, his apprenticeships benefited his career. “You teach yourself to do things, they [the design-houses] take your designs and offer you techniques and tips that you need to improve on,” Charbel started, “When you take up an internship somewhere, they take you because they know you have something that you can offer.” Of all the greats, Charbel found that his favorite design-house to have worked with was Givenchy. “Givenchy implemented many of the designs I created and I’m very proud of that,” Charbel elaborated, “I feel like it was the design-house that had the same style-spirit that I have.”

Having gained a lot of experience in the industry from his studies and apprenticeships, Charbel kicked off his career and launched Charbel Zoe Couture. His immediate shot to stardom though came after Miami Fashion Week back in 2013 where he won the Emerging Women’s Wear Designer award! Boasting an impressive clientele list, Charbel is making waves internationally and locally. JLo, Shakira, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and the Queen Bee (Beyonce, of course) are just a few of his international clientele while regionally, Haifa Wehbe is a huge fan of his. “My favorite celebrity to dress has to be JLo,” Charbel smiled, “I love them all, but JLo has the perfect body and she wears them very well!” Still, his dream is to one-day dress Monica Bellucci, “Oh my God, she’s the woman of Charbel Zoe – her style I mean, she’s sexy, glamorous, elegant and fierce – I love her.”

When asked why his headquarters is based in Kuwait as opposed to anywhere else in the world, Charbel simply said, “I officially started here, and I wasn’t going to leave my work and life behind, they also love my work here so it made sense.” He added, “Kuwait, I feel is the place that appreciates couture the most. It is also  central in the region and the demand here is higher than most places.” With already a sold-out ready-to-wear collection, he decided to appease the demand and branch into the prestigious Harvey Nichols Kuwait. Acting as the medium between his couture and ready-to-wear designs and the public, Charbel Zoe has now become much more accessible with this stellar new location! Home to many several designers, Harvey Nichols Kuwait has welcomed Charbel Zoe Couture into their growing retail family.

You can now find Charbel Zoe’s designs at Harvey Nichols Kuwait! Alternatively, you can visit his atelier on Blajat Street, Salmiya. Follow Charbel Zoe Couture on Facebook and Instagram @CharbelZoeCouture, and on Twitter @CharbelZoe. Email him at info@charbelzoe.com or visit his website www.charbelzoe.com for more.

Harvey Nichols Kuwait is located at Grand Avenue – The Avenues. Please call 2228 3008 for more information. Get social with Harvey Nichols Kuwait by following them on Facebook and Instagram @HarveyNicholsKuwait.