A gala is the rare evening that asks for everything. The dress has to make an entrance, last a long night of standing and dancing, and look as considered in the photographs as it does in the room. Here is how we guide the women we dress at Nakhle.
Start with the room
A hotel ballroom, a seaside terrace and a private residence each ask for a different register. The grander the room, the more a long gown earns its place. Ask about the dress code if there is one, then aim a touch above it; at a gala, overdressing is rarely the regret.
Silhouette and movement
A column flatters and lengthens; a softly full skirt makes its own drama. Whatever the shape, choose a dress you can move in, because you will. A neckline you do not have to manage and a heel you can last the evening in matter as much as the gown itself.
Fabric that photographs
Galas are lit and photographed. Silk, satin, fine crepe and considered embellishment hold up beautifully under that attention. Avoid anything that creases the moment you sit; the night is long.
The houses, and the fit
For the gala we reach for Vivien Luxury, Christian Koehlert and Mascara London, among the European houses we carry. Each gown is then shaped to you by our in-house tailor, because an entrance is only as good as the fit. Browse eveningwear or book a fitting in Kaslik, Hamra or Downtown Beirut.