The various designers who created all those over-the-top high fashion moments for Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion’s highly-anticipated music video for “Wap” have been on a high since the US rappers recently dropped it. However, for Nicolas Jebran, the emotions have been mixed. What should have been an estatic moment became a poignant one for the Lebanese designer, who had his studio destroyed during the explosion that ripped through Beirut’s port area.
The creative, who has dressed some of the biggest stars in the Arab world, as well as A-listers like Zendaya, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Priyanka Chopra, took to his Instagram after the video’s release to write a resilient and moving message.
“Today, we were supposed to be excited! To celebrate a project in which we defied Covid19 to achieve!” Jebran, who established his eponymous label in 2000, wrote. “However, our country is mourning and our faces can’t even smile! Among the wreckage, the broken glass and shattered offices lie the glowing colours of hope,” he added, finishing with a positive, “For better tomorrows, we pray, we hope, we aspire.”
Jebran also posted a picture of his sketch of the “B.A.P.S.” inspired designs, which lay between debris and broken glass. For the music video, which included cameos from the likes of Kylie Jenner, Rosalia and Normani, he created two coordinating looks for the mega stars’ first collaboration. The matching yellow and pink/salmon one-pieces come with corseted bodices, semi-detached trains and extravagant feather trims on the cape and sleeves. The music video, also replete with head-turning visuals, actually opens with Cardi B and Meg wandering through a mansion wearing the custom off-the-shoulder bodysuits, which Jebran accessorised with matching feather-embellished opera gloves and matching pumps.
The designer, who is inspired by nature, architecture and futurism, is just one of the many world-renowned couturiers who has been deeply affected by the explosion that killed around 200 people, left approximately 5,000 wounded and 300,000 homeless. Zuhair Murad, Roni Helou, Rabih Kayrouz, Sandra Mansour and Azzi & Osta have all been reeling among the devastation and damage at their shops or ateliers, caused by the horrifying mushroom-shaped blast.
Watch the video here.
