This Lebanese fashion school allows its students to study for free

Five years ago, designer Sarah Hermez left New York to start a free school for people in Lebanon who couldn't afford fashion degrees. Today, she's speaking at Fashion Forward Dubai about her brainchild, Creative Space Beirut, and how far it's come

Sarah Hermez has always had a taste for the unconventional. When younger, she didn't know she wanted to be a designer, but she was always ripping apart old clothes and restyling them anyway. Spurred on by a cousin who handed her a book on design - and her family who supported her decision - she found herself moving out of Kuwait, where she was born and raised, and settling into New York. There, the Lebanese national did a double major - studying fashion design at Parsons School of Design, and media and cultural studies at Eugene Lang College. It was a whirlwind couple of years, and she found herself travelling to Tibet to study the country's politics and Cambodia, where she worked in an orphanage. And then there's the time she travelled to India, living in Dharamshala - all as part of her course. The experiences changed her - and there was no looking back after that.
"When I graduated, I didn't want to just make clothes - suddenly, it didn't make any sense," she explains. "My experiences had changed the way I looked at the world, and I wanted to find a way to merge my two passions - fashion design and social justice."
Two things that don't necessarily go hand in hand, but Sarah was adamant. She turned to her mentor, Caroline Shlala-Simonelli, who taught at Parsons School of Design and, like her, had Lebanese roots. Caroline's advice changed her life forever.
"She [Caroline] just seemed to understand everything I wanted. And she said, 'Why don't you start a free fashion school in Lebanon?' It was a lightbulb moment when I realised that that was exactly what I wanted to do.
"There are no free fashion platforms in Lebanon that I know of. And an education in fashion is expensive - not just in Lebanon, but all over the world. It's a very exclusive world that is hard to get into if you don't have the money. Earlier, if you wanted to be a designer, you could just work within the brand to the top. Now, you need a degree and a lot of talented people are left out of the loop because they can't afford it. I believe in free education and equal opportunities for all."

(Looks by brand CSB)

GETTING STARTED
Caroline agreed to cofound and teach at the school, and a friend who worked at Donna Karan was ready to donate material. The only thing left to do was actually go to Lebanon - a country Sarah had only visited once or twice a year since she was born - and start an institution that would provide students there the experience they needed - completely free of cost.
As you can imagine, it was an uphill battle all the way. One of the hardest parts was finding the right students. Sarah wanted to give opportunities to students who came from difficult backgrounds but have the talent and the passion for the design industry. Which meant months of doing her research, and knocking on doors of orphanages and refugee camps. She was eventually able to find five students. Some had master's degrees. Some hadn't even graduated from high school. Getting the school accredited was impossible for this reason, so Sarah decided to set it up as a non-profit instead - and Creative Space Beirut was born.
Getting funding for the operation wasn't easy either. After an initial collaboration with an NGO didn't work out, Sarah decided to go another way. "We got the material from Donna Karan, and over the next three months, the students made clothes out of it. At the end, there was an exhibition where the designs were sold, and all the profits went back into the school. We wanted to see if the idea could work, and the minute we saw what the students had to offer, we knew we had made the right decision." Needless to say, the event was an immediate success.

MAKING THE CUT
It's been five years since their pilot project, and today Creative Space Beirut is a fully functional institution with an extensive curriculum. It takes only five students every year in order to ensure every student gets the attention he or she deserves. Designers from all over Lebanon give workshops and lectures and sometimes third year students teach first year students. Furthermore, all the students have to complete projects, with the second and third year students designing complete collections as part of theirs. Everything, including transportation costs for the students, is free.
Creative Space Beirut also helps its students with internships and job placements, and when their first batch graduated last December, every student was placed.
One of those students is Roni Helou, who was selected by Starch Foundation, a non-profit organisation that showcases the talent of Lebanese designers. Through them, he was able to launch his first collection. In fact, as this article goes to press, he is scheduled to display this collection at Fashion Forward Dubai, which is being held this weekend.
"I did a fashion show with Creative Space Beirut and after seeing it, Tala Hajjar, the co-founder of Starch, asked me to send in my portfolio. I was hired soon after. It's such a great opportunity to showcase my work," says Roni.
Did he ever feel like not having an accredited degree put him at a disadvantage? Not in the slightest, he says. "Creative Space Beirut is so well-connected that everyone knows who we are and the level of education we get. When we enter competitions, we often come out first. I think the school has reached a level where others don't have to ask for a degree."
Amir, a Syrian refugee who is part of the programme, also expressed great appreciation for the school. He had always dreamt of being a designer but never had the right platform. "I was very much a loner before I joined," he admits. "I was worried about my future all the time. But Creative Space Beirut believed in my talent and trusted me. They provided me with a nurturing environment and a free education and all they asked in return was for me to be successful. The faith they have in me has helped my self-confidence and made me all the more determined to constantly challenge myself."

(Behind the scenes at their fashion show last December, held by the graduating class)

BUILDING A BRAND
One would think that managing a free fashion school would be a full-time job in itself, but Sarah wanted to take things one step ahead. In 2015, Creative Space Beirut launched its very own brand - CSB Ready To Wear, comprising elegant-yet-comfy one-size-fits-all pieces. Designed by Sarah and Caroline, as well as some of the students, the pieces are sold in Klok Boutique in Lebanon. All proceeds from their sales go straight into funding the school.
"The idea is to build the brand to ensure that it can sustain the school," says Sarah. "We want to keep expanding and sell all over the world, honestly. That way, we won't have to rely on sponsors - and we can make sure the school grows."
It's been a long but satisfying journey for Sarah, who will be speaking about the experience at Fashion Forward Dubai later today. "We started out not knowing anyone. But it all worked out for the best - people are so happy to see positive things happening in Lebanon."
Her advice to others in the fashion industry is to dream big - but make sure you're also ready to put in the effort. "If you're in fashion, you realise that it's not really as glamorous as it looks. It's a journey and it takes people who are really passionate, hardworking and talented to get to the top."
She's living proof of that.
janice@khaleejtimes.com