Creative Space Beirut 2012

One year since its inception, The Creative Space Beirut launched its third collection, Seascape for Fall 2012 designed and sewn completely by their most recent group of student designers.  Founded in 2011 by Parsons graduate Sarah Hermez and Parsons faculty, Caroline Simonelli, The Creative Space Beirut promised from the very start to be a democratically principled space for open dialogue, creative work and at the forefront, provide education in fashion design free of charge to promising young struggling talents, in exchange for commitment, passion and drive.

Starting out with five students, the team worked together in a creative environment over three months in Beirut under the counsel of Hermez and Simonelli, the students coming from different areas of Lebanon five days a week, seven hours a day. Employing alternative approaches to education, Hermez and Simonelli express their belief that if given the proper environment and tools, there are many ways to guide someone in discovering the roots of their creative ideals.

With a third successful collection launched, exhibited and sold by silent auction (the proceeds are divided between the students and the program), the team is well on their way to individually growing as designers and graduating on to greater possibilities. Talks of collaboration with designers, investors and more teachers are keeping everyone at ‘The Space’ on their toes. Until they make changes, the team continues to grow humbly, introducing one or two new students a term, using donated fabrics from Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenberg and Derek Lam, and congregating every day in their energetic atelier in the heart of Beirut.