H&M donates $100,000 to Lebanon as collection with Beirut's Sandra Mansour debuts
01 September, 2020
H&M's ground-breaking collection with its first Arab designer was set to be unveiled on August 6 - and then the explosion struck.
The devastating blast at Beirut's port on August 4, which claimed a lot more than 170 lives and left thousands more injured and homeless, also put pause to the high-street retailer's collaboration with Sandra Mansour.
And now, weeks after the tragic incident, the Swiss-Lebanese designer's collection for the Swedish clothing giant has finally landed in stores and online.
To mark the occasion, and pay tribute to Mansour's home city, H&M has donated $100,000 (Dh367,000) to the Lebanese Red Cross.
"As Lebanese, we are collectively and tirelessly attempting to rebuild our beautiful city and country," Mansour said on Instagram.
"We are profoundly touched by H&M and the whole team's support and understanding of these unprecedented times. Their generous donation of $100,000 will go directly to the Lebanese Red Cross to support first responders and victims of the tragic event. We are truly touched and thankful."
The Beirut atelier of Mansour, who established her eponymous label this year 2010, was severely damaged by the explosion, with windows smashed, fabrics destroyed and debris strewn across workshops.
The couturier's 15-piece collection for H&M comprises delicate lace dresses, ultra-feminine ruffled tiers and romantic flowing silhouettes.
Mansour named the collection Fleur du Soleil after she became captivated by just how a sunflower follows sunlight from day into night. That inspiration is seen in dot, floral and sunflower motifs throughout the designs.
In the past two decades, H&M has produced lines with famous brands Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Sonia Rykiel, Erdem, Versace and Alexander Wang, but its collaboration with Mansour marked the first collection helmed by a designer from the spot.
"During these dark times, we are heartened by both H&M and the world's support for Lebanon," said Mansour in another Instagram post as the collaboration launched.
"We believe in the energy of light and spreading it."
Source: www.thenational.ae
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