Roni Helou
Class of 2016
Sarba, Lebanon
September, 1992
Upon graduating from CSB, Roni Helou was provided support through investment and initial brand development from the CSB social enterprise for two years. Simultaneously, his fledgling, eponymous brand was supported by design incubator Starch Foundation for two seasons, which provided exposure and facilitated participation in Fashion Forward Dubai, as well as the opportunity to take part in the 2019 International Fashion Showcase in London, in which he was a finalist. In 2019 Roni Helou was awarded the first prize of Fashion Trust Arabia's first annual ready-to-wear competition. Roni’s work has been featured in prominent international publications, such as The New York Times, Vogue US, British Vogue, Vogue Arabia, Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Elle India, WWD, The Business of Fashion, Wallpaper, DAZE, i-D and HUNGER TV.
In 2021 and with the support of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Roni was invited to expand his brand to Doha, Qatar. Additionally, he is a consultant and lecturer at Qatar Museums and M7, an innovation and start-up hub for design, fashion, and technology based in Doha, developing projects aimed at internationalizing local designers and establishing a collaborative component to Doha's creative economy.