There are women who do yoga so they can look good walking down the street in Lululemon pants.
Then there are those women who do yoga so all eyes will turn on them when they walk into a room wearing a Gianni Maanaki dress.
On July 6, the haute couturier, who has created one-of-a-kind designs for members of the royal families in the Middle East, opened his own atelier on South Granville.
The appointment-only luxury boutique offers Vancouver women the opportunity to have him design a dress that uses their body as a canvas.
They are, for me, a piece of art, says Maanakis business partner Iliana Rosabal. Gesturing to her Maanaki-designed form-fitting cocktail dress that sparkled with hand-sewn Swarovsky crystals, she added, Id put this dress in a frame on my wall.
Maanaki used to be based in Lebanon but moved back to Vancouver with his family in 2009. Despite the citys reputation for turning exercise clothing into every-day fashion, he believes theres a market for designer fashion.
There are a lot of ladies here with very expensive tastes who want something unique, he says.
Gianni Maanaki Haute Couture is at 2329 Granville. Go to GianniMaanaki.com or call 604-559-6254 to book an appointment.
