Marina Sarruf*
São Paulo – Apart from importing fashion, the Arab countries are investing in its creation. An example is the six higher education art and fashion technique schools, present in five Arab countries. Esmod International, a traditional French education institution, has schools in Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Esmod has 22 schools in 14 countries and should also open units in Jordan and Bahrein in future. "They have already shown great interest," stated the president of the French school, Nino Satoru.
According to him, the units in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, are the most recent in the Arab world. In Tunisia, for example, where there are two schools, one in Tunis, the country capita, and another in Sousse, Esmod has already been present for 15 years. "Presence in Arab countries is important for cultural exchange in the schools," stated Satoru, who was in São Paulo last week for the annual global meeting of Esmod school representatives.
According to him, Tunisia has always had a tradition of textile production as the country produces for Europe. "But they are now starting to create fashion," stated Satoru. To him, when a country starts creating its own fashion, greater demand for clothes and accessories connected to new tendencies arises. Satoru also stated that with the opening of Esmod in Saudi Arabia there was a movement at the school to make Arab women more independent. "The course is a way of opening space for Arab women," added Satoru.
He also recalled that the Arabs are great consumers of luxury products. Beneath the abayas (the black robes Muslim women wear) they wear haute couture. "Saudi women are the main consumers of luxury lingerie in the world," stated Satoru.
Another example is Lebanon, where women are very vain and connected to fashion. "Lebanon is the Arab country that purchases most fashion," stated the director of Esmod Beirut, Maroun Massoud, who was also in São Paulo. According to him, about 16 students graduate a year in styling or modelling in the Arab country. At the end of this year, there will be another 25 new graduates. "The course prepares responsible professionals with a capacity to create and produce fashion in Lebanon and other countries," he said.
The course at Esmod lasts three years and in Lebanon it costs US$ 5,000 a year. "It is an expensive course, therefore there are not many students," said the director.
According to Massoud, there are already stylists graduated in Esmod Beirut working in China, Thailand, France, Brazil, Morocco, Dubai, Tunisia and other Arab countries. An example is Najah Hojeije, a stylist graduated in the school in Beirut, in 2004, who is currently working in São Paulo.
Annual meeting
Last week, representatives of Esmod International met at the Senac University Centre, in São Paulo, an institution that has had an agreement with Esmod since 1994, to exchange experiences and discuss new projects. Last year the meeting took place in Lebanon and next year it will be organized in Germany.
At the end of each meeting a fashion show takes place showing the garments made by recent graduates from all Esmod schools. In São Paulo, the event counted on fashion shows with garments developed by students from France, Japan, Norway, Korea, Germany and Brazil. According to the manager at the Senac São Paulo, Otavio Cordioli, the partnership with Esmod strengthened the teaching of fashion in the country and brought international concepts to the area.
Pioneer
Esmod was inaugurated in 1841 by Frenchman Alexis Lavigne, who set up the first fashion school in the world. Over the years, the school has trained generations of professionals who stood out working for international stylists like Dior, Saint-Laurent, Kenzo, Rabanne and Gaultier. The course at Esmod offers from lessons about the history of fashion to computer studies, cutting and couture, and the presentation of different fabrics and materials.
*Translated by Mark Ament
