A meeting of two Lebanese legends: Fairouz wears Elie Saab for audience with Emmanuel Macron

Two of Lebanon's brightest stars joined forces this week, as Fairouz wore Elie Saab to make a rare public appearance.

The influential singer, 84, sported a printed tunic by the famed couturier to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at her home in Rabieh, north of Beirut.

With its intricate golden print, relaxed collar and military-inspired pockets, the flowing dress struck the perfect balance between relaxed and ornate for the intimate meeting.

The design was plucked from one of Saab's previous ready-to-wear collections, a source told Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper, and was not designed for the occasion. The source added that the tunic was already in Fairouz's wardrobe.

Read More

Queen Rania wears Lebanese-Mexican label in birthday photo

H&M donates $100,000 to Lebanon as collection with Sandra Mansour debuts

From Rami to Zuhair: Arab labels rule the red carpet at Unicef Capri event

The Ana La Habibi singer accessorised the dress with a signature beaded scarf tied around her hair and a visor, as a precaution against the coronavirus.

Fairouz later added the Legion of Honour, France's highest order of merit, to her look, after being awarded the accolade by Macron.

Although Saab is known for his dramatic evening gowns, worn by the likes of Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie, the Damour-born couturier also features ready-to-wear collections in his storied label.

As part of his Resort and Pre-Fall lines, the 56-year-old designer crafts wearable separates, well-suited for holidays or day-to-day wear.

Flowing kaftans and abaya-like silhouettes can also be spied in his catwalk collections, such as this lace-detailed number from his spring / summer 2020 collection:

Fairouz, one of the Arab world's most popular singers, has not performed publicly in nearly a decade, seldom gives interviews and is rarely seen in public.

Saab has not yet commented on the star wearing one of his designs, but is known to be a fan of her work.

In 2015, the designer played Fairouz's song Ya Ana Ya Ana during his spring / summer couture show.

You can hear the song about two minutes into this video:

Saab, whose Beirut home and atelier were destroyed in the August 4 explosion, also revealed one of the singer's albums when he gave fans a glimpse at his devastated property.

Among the debris scattered around his home, which is a few hundred metres from the city's port, was a broken vinyl record by Fairouz.