Founded by Rabih Kayrouz and Tala Hajjar, STARCH is a non-profit organization that helps launch Lebanese emerging designers.
STARCH is an annual program and a rotation of debut collections where emerging designers and an architect are selected each year.
The designers are guided through the process of developing their collections, as well as promoting them (communication, marketing, branding and press). These collections are then presented for a period of one year at the STARCH boutique. Throughout their one-year at STARCH, the designers also get the chance to participate in design related workshops, seminars and collaborations.
Elie Metni, Architect and Designer, graduated from ALBA where he is also a part time instructor. In 2012 he joined Herzog and de Meuron, a renowned architecture firm in Switzerland where he participated in the design process of various projects. Selected by the Starch Foundation in 2015 to design their Boutique, his project was granted the iF Design Award 2017.