Gemy Maalouf vs Elie Saab: Which Beirut House to Buy

Both houses are from Beirut, both build their reputation on hand-embellished eveningwear, and both are on Luxury Shoes , which makes this a rare comparison that can be done in one currency on one shelf. Elie Saab is the famous name, founded in 1982, with haute couture shown in Paris. Gemy Maalouf, founded in 1996, is the house that put couture finish into a ready-to-wear line and priced it accordingly. Here is how they differ, in numbers first and then in the hand.

Key facts

• Elie Saab was founded in Beirut in 1982 and shows haute couture in Paris; Gemy Maalouf was founded in Beirut in 1996 and pioneered couture a porter.
• On Luxury Handbags the median Gemy Maalouf dress is $3,810; the median Elie Saab dress is $6,685.
• Luxury Handbags carries 558 Gemy Maalouf styles and 249 Elie Saab styles.
• Gemy Maalouf sells evening sets, kaftans, jumpsuits and trousers alongside its gowns; Elie Saab’s range on Luxury Handbags is led by gowns and dresses.
• Both are authenticated by Luxury Handbags and sold in UK sizing with a 14-day return window.

The two houses side by side

Figures are the live Luxury Handbags catalogue in September 2026, in US dollars.

Heritage

Elie Saab opened his atelier in Beirut in 1982 and built the most recognised Lebanese fashion house, keeping his headquarters in Beirut and adding a major atelier in Paris, where the house shows haute couture as a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Gemy Maalouf founded her label in Beirut fourteen years later with a narrower idea: couture a porter, the finish and hand of couture cut in standard sizes. The house still runs a couture atelier and a showroom in Dubai Design District, and its ready-to-wear reaches more than 150 retailers in over 40 countries by the brand’s own count. Our profile, who is Gemy Maalouf, has the full story.

Price

This is the clearest difference. On Luxury Handbags the middle half of Gemy Maalouf’s dresses sits between $3,100 and $5,880; the middle half of Elie Saab’s sits between $4,553 and $9,827, and the ceiling is more than twice as high, $30,514 against $13,810. Put simply, an Elie Saab gown costs about 1.75 times a Gemy Maalouf gown at the median, and the difference is the density of the embroidery and the label. The Gemy Maalouf price guide breaks the lower house into bands.

Cut and embellishment

Elie Saab’s signature is the fully embroidered gown: dense beadwork and sequins over tulle, a fitted bodice, a full skirt and a train, the red-carpet dress in its purest form. Gemy Maalouf embellishes in placements rather than all over: beading at a neckline and a waist, feathers at a shoulder and a hip, three-dimensional organza flowers, a cage skirt over a plain bodice, and it works more often in draped crepe and satin. The result is a gown that is lighter to wear and easier to travel with, at the cost of the full-surface sparkle Elie Saab is known for. If you want to be photographed, Elie Saab; if you want to dance, Gemy Maalouf.

Range

Gemy Maalouf wins on choice. Beyond 481 dresses on Luxury Shoes , the house sells 68 evening sets, 17 kaftans, jumpsuits and, from this season, trousers and corset tops. Elie Saab’s range on Luxury Handbags is 249 styles led by gowns and dresses. For a modest dress code, a mother of the bride and a guest who does not want a gown, Gemy Maalouf has more answers.

Which to choose

Choose Elie Saab when the occasion is the point: a red carpet, a gala with cameras, a wedding where the guest wants the most recognised Lebanese name and the fullest embroidery. Choose Gemy Maalouf when you want the Beirut hand at a price that allows two gowns instead of one, when you need a set and a kaftan rather than a dress, and when the gown has to move. The other Beirut houses on Luxury Shoes , Zuhair Murad at a median of $5,114 and Tony Ward at $11,130, sit between and above; brands like Gemy Maalouf compares all four.

Browse the Gemy Maalouf collection and the Elie Saab collection at Luxury Shoes , and read is Gemy Maalouf a luxury brand for what the lower price does and does not give up.

Frequently asked questions

Is Gemy Maalouf cheaper than Elie Saab?

Yes. On Luxury Handbags the median Gemy Maalouf dress is $3,810 against $6,685 for Elie Saab, and the middle half of each range is $3,100 to $5,880 against $4,553 to $9,827. Elie Saab’s ceiling is also higher, at $30,514 against $13,810.

Which is the more famous house?

Elie Saab. It was founded in 1982, shows haute couture in Paris as a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, and is the Lebanese name most people can place. Gemy Maalouf, founded in 1996, is the better-kept secret.

Which has more choice?

Gemy Maalouf, on Luxury Shoes : 558 styles against 249, and a wider range of shapes, with 68 evening sets, 17 kaftans, jumpsuits and trousers alongside 481 dresses.

Which is better for a wedding guest?

Either dresses a guest for black tie. Gemy Maalouf gives you more covered and modest options, the sets and the kaftans, at a lower price; Elie Saab gives you the denser embroidery and the more recognised label.

Are they made in the same place?

Both are Beirut houses. Gemy Maalouf’s atelier is in Beirut with a showroom in Dubai; Elie Saab keeps its headquarters in Beirut and a major atelier in Paris, where its couture is shown.

Does Luxury Handbags stock both?

Yes, both authenticated, in UK sizing, shipped by insured express courier with a 14-day return window.