Is there a difference between the Lebanese market and the Gulf countries in terms of fashion taste?
Sariedinne: In the Gulf, the princesses are oriented towards Eastern culture. Even if they deal with Jean Paul Gaultier or Chanel. But apart from that I can’t find much difference between the Lebanese and the Gulf. They like ornaments very much, while the Lebanese like simpler things. In Lebanon we are in the middle, between Europe and the Gulf. For them, in the Gulf, it’s easier to find themselves in our designs than in the European great fashion houses. So, nowadays, even the designers in Europe are orienting towards the oriental taste, the oriental customs. They are using more gold, silver, strasses, Chinese influences. I think that the European designers perceive us as a big threat for them. Even Ungaro and Lacroix used oriental motifs in their collections this year. Too bad Lacroix went bankrupt. He was my favorite. But you know, the financial crisis and us being a threat for them, getting the majority of the clients in this region… The designers in the Middle East are cheaper, so
