Tony Ward

The house

The Ward atelier opened in Beirut in 1952 under Elie Ward. His son Tony Ward, born in the city in 1970, enrolled at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne at eighteen, then worked with Claude Montana at Lanvin, Gianfranco Ferré at Dior and Karl Lagerfeld at Chloé. He came home and launched Tony Ward Couture in 1997, taking first prize at the Société des Artistes et Décorateurs competition in the same year.

He is known as the Architect of Detail, and he draws the shapes from contemporary buildings. After ten years of showing in Rome the house moved to Paris Fashion Week in 2014. Whitney Houston wore Tony Ward to the BET Honors in 2010 and that gown later appeared in a Grammy Museum exhibit. A Tony Ward dress worn by Pink at the Grammy Awards was shown at AltaRomAltaModa in Rome the same year.

The craft is the reason for the price. Luneville embroidery is worked with a hook from the reverse of the cloth, so the beads go on blind and the surface stays flat against the body. Fabrics come from Italy, France and Switzerland. Cutting and finishing happen in Beirut.

The Luxury Handbags edit

Luxury Handbags carries 18 Tony Ward pieces, from $5,840 to $20,240. The centre of it is the gown: beaded tulle, crepe cut clean and asymmetric, muslin capes that fall straight from the shoulder. Around that sits a smaller group of mini dresses, a puff sleeve midi, a sequin skirt and jacket set, and a pleated top with wide leg trousers.

Editor’s styling guide

Black tie and gala

The Gold Degradé Beaded Gown and the Water Green Beaded Corset Gown are built to carry a room on their own, so let them. No necklace. A small hard earring, and a clutch that disappears. These are the pieces worth booking a fitting around.

Weddings and the mother of the bride

A cape gown solves the shoulder question without a jacket. The Quartz Pink Muslin Cape Gown and the Skylight Blue Beaded Cape Gown both give coverage that photographs cleanly in a church and still moves at the reception. Quartz pink reads as a soft neutral in daylight, which keeps it well clear of the bride.

Ceremony and red carpet

Column shapes hold a straight line under a camera. The White Beaded Tulle Column Dress works on nude illusion tulle under dense crystal, so it reads as light rather than white. The Gold Beaded Column Gown is the warmer version of the same idea.

Cocktail and dinner

The shorter pieces are the quiet end of the house. The White Crepe Mini Dress with Brooch and the Mauve Crochet Mini Dress are couture construction in a dinner length, and they take a flat sandal far better than the gowns do.

Evening separates

For a woman who does not want a dress, the Black Sequin Skirt and Jacket Set and the Deep Blue Pleated Top and Wide Leg Pants cover black tie without a hem to manage. Both split across a wardrobe afterwards, which the gowns cannot do.

Sizing

Tony Ward cuts to European sizing. Luxury Handbags lists the UK equivalent on every product page, so use this conversion when you shop the house.

The house publishes no blanket sizing instruction, and in our reading the pieces run true to size. The corsetry is the exception worth thinking about: a boned bodice sits closer than a soft one, so if you are between two sizes on the bust, take the larger and have it taken in.

Common questions

Is Tony Ward a luxury brand?

Yes. Tony Ward Couture is a Lebanese couture house founded in 1997 on an atelier that dates to 1952. It shows at Paris Fashion Week, works in Luneville hand embroidery, and prices on Luxury Handbags run from $5,840 to $20,240.

Where is Tony Ward made?

In Lebanon. The house cuts and finishes in Beirut and sources its fabrics from Italy, France and Switzerland.

Who is the designer behind Tony Ward?

Tony Ward, born in Beirut in 1970, son of the couturier Elie Ward. He trained at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and worked at Lanvin, Dior and Chloé before launching his own label.

Does Tony Ward do custom sizing?

The house works to order and offers custom sizing. Contact a Luxury Handbags stylist before you buy and we will take it up with the atelier.

What is Tony Ward best known for?

Cape gowns, corseted bodices and dense hand beading worked in the Luneville technique, where the beads are sewn from the reverse of the cloth with a hook.

Which celebrities have worn Tony Ward?

Whitney Houston wore the house to the BET Honors in 2010, and Pink wore a Tony Ward dress to the Grammy Awards. Both pieces later went on public exhibition.

How are duties handled?

Most regions ship Delivered Duty Unpaid, which makes the customer the importer of record for local duties and taxes.