New Style Idea

When the chemical explosion hit the city of Beirut’s port on August 4, it destroyed Andrea Wazen’s nearby flagship and offices. The Lebanese designer posted shots on social media of the shop’s ceiling caving in, wires everywhere, the front nameplate torn from the facade, laying on the ground. “Everything was on the floor. It was like an apocalypse,” Wazen told FN shortly after the event , which killed at least 200 people and injured more than 5,000. “As soon as I walked on the street, I could remember every single day, walking from my office to my store. And suddenly I’m just walking on glass.” Wazen was already in the middle of sample production on her spring ’21 collection, which she usually shows by appointment during Paris Fashion Week. But the designer decided to quickly pivot, shelving the existing samples and starting from scratch. The result was a collection inspired by and dedicated to the city of Beirut and all of the architectural legacy that its residents are now work