October 3, 2008

Hungarian Fashion Designer Barbara Léber Conquers Washington

Top Hungarian fashion designer Barbara Léber visited Washington and represented Hungary at the DC Fashion Week.

Ambassador and Mrs. Somogyi gave a welcome reception to Mrs. Léber and her husband, Tamás Léber, at their Residence, with over 60 guests, including some of the most distinguished members of the DC social scene and representatives of the media in attendance. At the reception, all 35 dresses brought from Hungary by Léber were exhibited. The participating ladies could not resist the temptation: they not only viewed and touched the dresses but several of them tried a few on. One of the guests found Barbara Léber familiar – it turned out she had attended one of her fashion shows in Budapest years ago.

Barbara Léber’s dresses were a hit at the DC Fashion Show as well. As Ean Williams, director of DC Fashion Week expressed: "Barbara’s dresses were a unique segment of this year’s show – we’re so happy she could make it."

The Washington media also showed increased attention to the dresses. Mrs. Léber was interviewed by newspapers, magazines and TV stations.

Mrs. Léber and the wife of the Hungarian Ambassador, Mrs. Andrea Bors Somogyi, attended the Season Opening Ball of the National Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Léber and Mrs. Somogyi each wore a dress designed by Léber and several guests of the Ball expressed their delight over, and admiration for, the dresses.

At the invitation of former U.S. Ambassador Mrs. Esther Coopersmith, Barbara Léber and Andrea Bors Somogyi took part at a luncheon to honor and welcome Mrs. Yoriko Fujisaki, wife of the new Japanese Ambassador, with many high-level lady guests in attendance.

Barbara Léber was born in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. She is the designer who always knew her way – as a little girl she saw the dresses of her dolls and dreamed of marvelous bridal dresses… Her talent for creative clothing became obvious when she created her first collection of young pieces and feminine beach wear – then she was still at high school. The feedback of her first work gave her courage to fit herself for the Hungarian University of Applied Arts. Her accomplishment and instinctive talent for unique style made her one of the most perspective students – thus she was rewarded by a Spanish Government Scholarship at UIB, Spain.

The pulsating fashion life and the revelation of Spanish art work had an engraving influence on Barbara Léber’s professional appearance. She is the designer who strongly believes in classic female role-models – she lives one thus she quickly became an authentic icon in the eyes of Hungarian public opinion.

By opening the Léber Barbara Couture Salon in 2000, Barbara Léber considerably contributed to a social phenomenon when Hungarian high society rediscovered that feminine couture is not only an ultimate accessory of a glamorous wedding but also an indispensable part of social life meaning receptions, balls and parties. By reinventing corset, she opposed herself to the conservative approach of the female figure. In her collections, corset helps to highlight female beauty but at the same time Barbara Léber made it pleasant to wear. Marvelous, sheer Italian fabrics with French lace and crystal embroidery, chic details and flattering cuts complete the delicate and elegant look of her gowns.

Being founding member of the First Hungarian Designer Association, she is one of the most respected Hungarian designers – a woman whose achievement was rewarded as Best of Budapest 2008.

Unique design ‘trade mark’: ‘When people take a look at on of my designer creations, they must not say what a beautiful dress but what a marvelous lady! There is no need to search for typical Barbara Léber design pattern. My personal trade mark is the feminine beauty of body and soul. In couture design we are doing nothing more than a professional make-up artist: gently hiding less advantageous details and highlighting the more attractive ones.’

 DC Fashion Week, Washington's greatest semi-annual designer exhibition took place September 14-21. The week-long celebration of fashion apparel included fashion industry networking parties, an outdoor festival showcasing local designers, designer trunk shows, and an educational seminar at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The design festival culminated in the Ninth International Couture Collections Show at the Embassy of France on Sunday, September 21, 2008, hosted by MC Ean Williams. 

The designers of DC Fashion Week are generally an eclectic group of designing talents who come from around the globe. This year international show featured designers Akkenje Devyatko (Kazakhstan), Barbara Léber (Hungary), Bayartsetseg Enkhtuya (Mongolia), Bayarzul Enkhtaivan (Mongolia), Corjor International (United States), Darrell Cortez (United States), Kuralai Nurkadilova (Kazakhstan), Lola Babaeva (Uzbekistan), New Couture (United States), Tony Joshua Sanna (Italy), and Vanda Tique (Mozambique).

Hungarian Designer Barbara Léber represented her native country with intriguing dresses and dashing clothing apparel designed and manufactured by herself.

A partnership of independent fashion designers, producers and models, DC Fashion Week created increased economic development in the area of fashion design, clothing merchandising and modeling as well as enhances the visibility of the nation's capital as a center of international fashion. DC Fashion Week is held twice a year (February/September) and draws thousand of patrons to its shows.

This was Barbara Léber’s first but hopefully not last appearance in Washington. Based on the feedback from women who appreciate high-quality and unique clothes, there is high demand for her return to the U.S.

Barbara Léber's website: www.leberbarbara.hu