REEM ACRA BIOGRAPHY
Reem Acra’s designs epitomize global glamour by offering women her innate fashion sense, European style and understanding of what looks and feels beautiful. Interlaced with her sense of luxury, her regal designs are developed with a modern aesthetic. The ready-to-wear and bridal collections evoke an ethereal quality, which appeals to a discerning clientele including personalities, royalty, and style setting women from all corners of the world.
In 1997, Acra launched her fashion business with a bridal collection that quickly became recognized for its elegance and impeccable designs. This success led to the introduction of the Reem Acra ready-to-wear collection six years later. Similar to its bridal counterpart, it features meticulously constructed designs ranging from understated chic to the ornate. It is distinctly modern but marked by rich color, lush fabrics, flawless construction and playful patterns. The Reem Acra flagship, located at 730 Fifth Avenue in New York City, opened in 2003. It is a jewel box that houses all the collections and mirrors the brand aesthetic.
While attending the American University of Beirut, Acra was discovered by a fashion editor. Captivated with the ornately embroidered silk organza gown Acra made from her mother’s dining room tablecloth and wore to a party, she instantly offered to host a fashion show for Acra that took place ten days later. Following the serendipitous encounter, Acra studied at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and its Paris counterpart at Esmod.
A short stint as an interior designer was followed by Acra’s return to her fashion roots working in Hong Kong and New York. A style-setting friend wore Acra’s first bridal design to her society wedding and it sparked international interest for the designer and Reem Acra Bridal was born. The gowns became renowned for transforming classic bridal designs through the finest silks, intricate beading and exquisite embroidery.
Celebrated for her ability to match a look to a woman’s personality, Acra has dressed global icons of style for weddings, red carpet appearances and awards ceremonies. Her following includes Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Beyonce Knowles, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Eva Longoria as well as royal families around the world.
Reem Acra’s ready-to-wear and bridal collections are carried by the world's most exclusive retailers such as Harvey Nichols, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue and at specialty boutiques in New York, Lebanon, Mexico, Canada, Morocco, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Singapore, England, Switzerland, France, Greece, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, China, Japan and Korea. For more information please visit www.reemacra.com.
Press contact: Ms Lisa Wells, 212 421 3100 ext 14, lisaw@reemacra.com
While Reem Acra’s biographical outline paints a picture of a successful designer, it’s doesn’t really show the real personality behind the brand. Her understated, calm personality hides a side of her that only those close to her really see and appreciate.
She started her business with no outside funding and no connections or fashion relationships other than a great sense of style and a belief in herself.
In terms of design and her insatiable desire for luxurious fabrics, texture, rich color and anything made by hand, Reem Acra’s exquisite pieces exude her own innate sense of style and love of fashion. Reem’s collections are a direct reflection of her design philosophy that poetically combines her appreciation for the traditional and classic with the modern fashion needs of today’s woman of style. Reem Acra’s creations particularly appeal to women who are looking for glamour and sophistication for the most significant moments. Technical acumen, tremendous creativity, and attention to detail are the overriding principles that Reem Acra combines when approaching her design. It’s no wonder that celebrities flock to her to celebrate that all important event – whether it’s an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy or a fairy tale wedding.
But that is not all…
This woman, who came to the United States with nothing more than an education and a dream, has become an ambassador and an example for Middle Eastern women who aspire to success. As the only successful international female designer to come from a male dominated society, Reem has been able to share her innate self confidence with other women; whether they are clients from ruling royal families or the wives of rich successful businessmen. Reem knows how to empower women – not just through her clothes, but through her ability to show these women how to express their personalities to their best advantage.
Reem also uses her acceptance into the milieu of successful entrepreneurs and Royal Families to open doors to the Middle East – whether it is for cultural exchanges or to build business relationships. In a world where cell phone calls are only answered if the caller’s ID is already in the phone’s directory, a call from Reem is always answered or returned.
Another secret of Reem’s is in interior design as those who have been lucky enough to see her showroom or her residences can attest to. But Reem doesn’t only keep this to herself – helping her friends find the right interior design to match their personality is something that she has slowly embarked on and plans to share with many more people as she develops a range of interior fabrics and decorations for the future.
Reem’s latest new venture will be to take her legendary parties to event planning – whether it’s a discreet affair or a Royal Wedding for 5,000.
It’s no wonder that this petite, lively young woman has become the confidante and close friend of the wives of rulers and kings.
The above biography can be downloaded here (pdf)
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Halle Berry at the Scream Awards on 16 October 2010
Taylor Swift at the 43rd Annual Country Music Awards on 11 November 2009