We took out our notebooks and pens, to
learn about the ups and downs of the journey of our designer Tony Ward as he shared
his knowledge and experience with the passionate students of Istituto Marangoni
during his masterclass ‘An Insider Look’ in Dubai. Precious advice…
The movie ‘Tony
Ward, the Legacy’ just ended, it narrates the tale of a young boy, who at just
nine years old started working in an atelier and ended up becoming a renowned
couturier dressing high society ladies of Beirut and an international clientele
who would visit the bustling capital at the time. That boy was Tony Ward’s
father, Elie who remains a building block of the couture’s house atelier even
after his passing last October. With his father, teenage Tony learnt the craft,
but then felt the need to fly with his own wings. He tells the students of his
journey to Europe, where he studied at Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in
Paris then worked with Claude Montana at Lanvin, Gianfranco Ferre at Dior and
Karl Lagerfeld at Chloe. He remembers his teacher, a doyenne with 25 years of
experience, telling him, that a designer has to have ideas all the time. He
recalls sleepless nights looking at the ceiling of his student bedroom,
wondering if he had what it takes, did he have enough ideas? He also recalls
being inspired by his mentor Claude Montana who told him, a stone, even an ugly
one, could be shaped, broken, remolded into something beautiful. From that
advice he understood the power of positivity, of choosing something, going
ahead with it, trying, and if that idea doesn’t work, ‘you try something else.’
The designer
told the student that at some point he felt ready to move back to his own
country, Lebanon, and establish himself independently from his family. He
mentioned his first show ‘about 23 years ago’ in Dubai. How at the beginning he
managed to collect money to fund his enterprise, and did what he knew best ‘how
to sew and cut.’ ‘I did a lot of mistakes at the beginning, some clients where
not happy, but I knew I put it all in something I believed in, and eventually
clients were happy.’ His business grew, he opened his boutique in Beirut then
his showroom in Paris, launched his ready-to-wear and bridal lines, and an
in-house magazine. He met a lot of people along the way; princesses, first
ladies, friends, he learnt that ideas come from the people you meet, from the
women who inspire him, and also from his team. Tony particularly appreciates
working with his team, developing a brand, visualizing his ideas in 3Ds, sketching
them, imagining the colors of a collection, innovative shapes, ‘I am stubborn
but I also listen’. During the lecture he went over some key moments; imagining
an underlying story for each collection, the bustle of the photoshoots, a
recent tribute to his father where the design team upcycled some tailoring
pieces from his father’s collections into new couture wonders, and dressing
celebrities on the Red Carpet. He told the students he embraces the joy in his
work and is more than ever motivated to create more magic in the future,
inspiring them to pursue what they love.