Endeavor Lebanon conducted in-depth interviews with 57 fashion and accessories designers who established their companies in Lebanon and with five experts from the fashion industry. Lebanon is a regional hub with a particularly strong reputation in fashion. The country is home to a myriad of talented fashion designers who aspire to establish successful businesses. While a handful of fashion designers have succeeded in creating flourishing enterprises and globally recognized brands, many others are struggling to do so, prompting Endeavor Lebanon’s analysis of the sector.

Successful ecosystems follow a growth cycle that consists of four steps. First, entrepreneurs seek to establish their companies. Then they develop their business by accessing key elements such as talent, markets and funding. In the last two steps, successful entrepreneurs remain engaged in the ecosystem and give back by mentoring, investing or inspiring other would-be entrepreneurs.

Lebanon’s fashion design ecosystem has strengths and weaknesses which sometimes depend on the subsector: couture, ready-to-wear or accessories. Strengths include talent and strong cultural support while weaknesses consist of failures in the supply chain, difficulty accessing local and foreign markets, scarcity of support organizations and lack of funding.

Read the full report by clicking here or the embedded link below.