By Marriam N Mossalli

On the second day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the glitzy glamour of Lebanese designer, Georges Chakra, was presented to an eager audience. With Chakra’s fourth time to show at New York Fashion week, the couturier of the red carpet brought his ready-to-wear line, EDITION, to the tents of Lincoln Center, and upstaged his contemporaries by about a mile of satin and many pounds of sequins and crystals.
In fact, the celebrity front-row clientele became enamored with his structural designs that appear more couture than RTW, while fashion editors gawked at his technical brilliance. His designs are no doubt sophistication redefined, old Hollywood glamour reintroduced.
We got to catch up with the charismatic designer backstage before his show. His appearance reflected his design philosophy — flawless. Not a hair out of place, everything seemed to be intentionally in its place — just like every bead or satin strap of his creations.
The designer wore his a perfectly tailored classic suit jacket paired with a black tie and his fifties-inspired eyeglasses reflected the old-school glamour that he is responsible for reviving on the red carpet. The bottom half of him was dressed in dark denim, frayed in places and loose fitting.

“I design and create in order to expose a woman’s contradictory personality — she seduces with her discreet allure, while at the same time through her innate sensuality, she shows us her ability to rule through silent presence. The woman should be angelic and feel absolutely seductive at the same time.”

This theme of an otherwise common contradiction is apparent through yet another conflict of concepts: Linear and curved. Masterfully, Chakra is able to manipulate rigid and robust lines to create an illusory effect that highlights the curved architecture of the female body.
“The inspiration was very architectural,” revealed Chakra. “While studying in Toronto, I was always captivated by the curvature of the Absolute Tower. The towers are really curvy and sexy and they gave me the idea to make very sexy and sensual dresses … I have used the towers coiled arches as inspiration by creating a series of bands and straps to lay alluringly against a woman’s figure.”

Alluring, seductive and sensual — it’s what he does best. Even front row Chakra devotee, singer Kelly Rowland, had to give her dress and its maker praise. “For me, it’s hugging me in all the right places today.”
It’s the same reason why some many women of even the most diverse body forms can still — and love to — wear Chakra. From the queen of curves, Queen Latifa, to the waif-like Paris Hilton, Chakra’s designs are versatile in terms of who can wear them, while still looking and feeling as if the dress was custom-made for that specific body type. That’s where Chakra’s true magic lies: In making EDITION ready-to-wear collection look so very haute couture.
His universal appeal makes him one of the most sought-after red carpet designers. His sophisticated glamour is not just appealing to a mature clientele, such as Oscar-winner Helen Mirren and Monica Yunus. Carrie Underwood, Emily Blunt and Katy Perry are just a few of his young addicts who can’t seem to get enough.

In fact, Kelly Rowland couldn’t seem to wait! Just days after the runway show, she was photographed at the Cinema Against AIDS 2010 Toronto gala wearing one of his white satin cocktail dress with crystal beaded details. A Google search of Chakra gives you a series of A-list stars, from Beyoncé to Jennifer Lopez who have won red carpet awards wearing his designs.
What’s so amazing is how Chakra makes it look so easy. However, he did confess that the presence of his four-year-old in ready-to-wear could sometimes still present a challenge. “It’s exciting. It doesn’t feel like a new field as so much as a different one. I have to think in terms of budget, how to keep the woman elegant and chic despite the different budget.”
This season, his architectural constructions of crystallized cocktail dresses in eye-popping jewel tones and ombré evening gowns that mix bold colors with neutrals are the epitome of elegance and chic. They celebrate the woman’s body through their curve enhancing illusory, while allowing her the freedom of movement with their billowing cuts and diaphanous waves of chiffon and charmeuse. His collection was rich with technical panache that came down the runway in the form of braiding, weaving, and elaborate beading.
“Everything is in the detail, luxury is in the details,” proclaimed the self-confessed perfectionist.

It is this dedication to each garment that demands a second look from us — even a third study. It is why you will often turn the pages of major fashion magazines, such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Madame Figaro and find one of his designs laid out in a whimsical editorial. It is also the reason I find myself eyeing every single one of them backstage, unable to decide which to put on my Spring/Summer 2011 wish list.

Arab News article