Sandra Mansour has come a long way, and she is continuing on her quest to success. The young designer, born and raised in Switzerland, moved back to Lebanon where she created and developed her fashion line. Mixing her love of painting with her passion for creation, Mansour built a fashion career that’s unique and innovative.
We sat with the designer to learn more about her, the brand, the art behind it, and the future of her maison.
On why Sandra Mansour is the designer she is today…
“Fashion design was not my first choice, art was. I did not know that back then, so I graduated with a business management degree after which I prepared a portfolio to apply to painting academies. I got accepted in Beaux Arts, Geneva. Nevertheless, something was still missing. I came to Lebanon on vacation, and that was when I met Elie Saab and told him I was studying to become a painter. He proposed a two-week internship, which turned into a whole summer. I never went back to Geneva to continue my painting degree. It just felt right; I could create, draw and wear it at the same time. It was like piece of a puzzle put back together; it just fit.”
On her design and brand aesthetic…
“I would say the DNA of my brand is soft and delicate, but has a lot of character at the same time. We create our own fabric, print, drawing and embroidery. The brand is very personalized. The business is actually divided in three: the pret-a-porter which has a summer and a winter collection, the bridal that deals with one-on-one clients because we are very exclusive when it comes to wedding dresses, and finally the customized wear for clients. What I want mainly is for my collections to evolve and have shops and more points of sales. We are currently working on the strategy to allow each side of the business to grow.”
On how to maintain her success…
“I have two key words: organized and disciplined. The secret is to move forward and keep doing what you do. In this business, we are always confronted with deadlines, so discipline is crucial. I come early in the morning to deal with the business side of my company such as attend meetings, sign on orders, and check fabrics and so on. In the afternoon, I work more on the creative side and meet with my clients. But I have to be honest; it can never be this perfectly organized. In fact, it all depends on my clients; I have to be ready whenever they choose to book an appointment with me and that takes a lot of time. I draw at night and on weekends, but rarely during office hours. We are a team of 17 people and each one of us has a specific task, from the commercial director, to the sales representatives, as well as the tailors, the accounting, the managers and artistic directors. It is all very structured.”
On the Middle Eastern female designers…
“I think the influx is good for competition; we need it in the Middle East. People always ask me why I came back to Beirut and I always answer because I am Lebanese, and I am proud to be, it feels like a statement. I always remember that it was the right decision to come bacl and be based in Beirut. Nonetheless, I am definitely working on expanding my offices abroad. I travel a lot for work anyway so it’s the same wherever I go.”
On being based in Lebanon within the fashion industry…
“I love the energy in Beirut. I am actually happy being secluded from the major big cities; in Beirut I can be more creative, more focused and more in my element. Also, it’s always nice to wake up every morning with the sea view in front of you; it’s an advantage.”
On her most surprising inspiration…
“Everything inspires me. Art inspires me, of course, because it was my first love, you could say that. For example, for my fall/winter collection I was inspired by Rudolf Bauer-he is German surrealist painter. But mainly everything can be an inspiration to me.”
On the “Sandra Mansour woman”…
“She is chic and sure of herself. If I have to describer her in three words: boundless, elegant and sophisticated.”
On the importance of social media in the fashion industry…
“I believe social media is very important. In fact, I never did big events to promote my brand. Our main communication was social media. It varied from Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter… It was very effective for the brand in order to promote, communicate, show our designs and even sell. We have a global reach so it is very practical. I believe there is no limit to social media’s scope. It targets anybody at any given point.”
On showcasing around the globe…
“I am currently part of Moda Operandi, which is very exciting and it has a great exposure. Next I would say my aim be either Barneys or Bergdorf Goodman!”
On her favorite pick from the latest Sandra Mansour collection…
“There is actually one piece that I particularly love because it was the first of the collection and the last of the look book. It’s dark purple and has geometric distorted forms. It is representative of my whole collection and it’s actually the piece that turned out exactly how I dreamt it. It’s nice to imagine something in your head and then get to touch the exact same design in reality.”
On her proudest designer moment…
“I obviously hope I will have many more… But I am currently very proud of how the brand has evolved in quite a small amount of time. I am also proud of my team’s work and how we put it all together. The company started from scratch with a very small budget, and here we are today.”
On her dream celebrity spokesmodel…
“I love the actress Diane Kruger; her style, her beauty and her story. I believe any independent strong woman could be the line’s spokesmodel.”
A message to her ten-year-old self…
“I would tell myself to be proud of who I am. In fact when I was younger, I always thought I wanted to have my major accomplishment by the age of thirty, and I did I have something of my own.”
By Dana Mortada
