The August 4th, 2020, Beirut explosion killed more than 230 people and damaged an estimated 10,000 buildings. In the aftermath, the Lebanese people began to rebuild, hanging mesh and scaffolding to protect pedestrians from the crumbling buildings. They resumed their normal lives, wondering whether the government would eventually pick up the pieces of devastation.

They didn’t.

Two years later the mesh and scaffolding remain wrapped around Beirut’s buildings. So, on the two-year anniversary of the blast, AnNahar wanted to highlight the lack of governmental response, and showcase the Lebanese people’s powerful ability to find beauty under the darkest circumstances.

With the help of the world-renowned Lebanese designer Zuhair Mourad, AnNahar unveiled a dress designed from mesh in a larger-than-life outdoor piece, calling out the government’s negligence, while raising funds to support PTSD victims of the Beirut blast, all done with no budget.

AnNahar established itself as an icon of free speech and government criticism in Lebanon after a 90-year history defending the rights of the Lebanese. Over its formidable history, the paper has witnessed Lebanon’s turbulent ups and downs, but the Beirut Blast was an exceptionally nightmarish event, devastating AnNahar’s headquarters in its wake. Blue mesh was soon after wrapped around its façade, a constant reminder of the destruction inflicted on the city.

AnNahar had personal stakes in this event, and knew it had to step up and call the government’s negligence out in an impactful way, one that would also restore hope and empower the devastated Lebanese population. Our call to action, Redress Lebanon, targeted the government, but also morphed into a beautiful show of the people’s resilience, by transforming the very mesh that hung on its headquarters into a striking dress with the help of world-renowned designer, Zuhair Murad.

Aiming to call out the government and inspire the people, it was important that the result be seen by people from all walks of life in Beirut. At first, a billboard showcasing the dress hung on AnNahar’s headquarters in symbolic fashion, its mesh material blending seamlessly on the building’s scaffolding that was enveloped in that same mesh. Zuhair Mourad, the designer AnNahar partnered with, had his atelier destroyed by the blast due to its proximity to the port, and so the dress itself was hung in the display window facing the sea. Prime visibility ensured buzz on local, regional and global press, appealing to multiple audiences looking for political news or fashion trends.

AnNahar set out to make a statement by means of the very mesh that represented a haunting reminder of the catastrophic explosion. Inspired by how the Lebanese never stop finding beauty within dreadful environments, AnNahar wanted to create art that embodied the people’s undying resilience, in the form of a dress.

AnNahar transformed the building’s reconstructive mesh into a symbolic dress, then hung the poster on its building’s façade. It was unveiled on the 2-year anniversary of the blast, seamlessly blending into the real mesh enveloping the AnNahar building.

A film narrating the stunt was shared on all platforms.

The campaign included the launch of an initiative to sell 10452 NFTs of the design, a reference to Lebanon’s surface area in km2, with all proceeds going to the "Idraac" NGO, dedicated to raising public awareness and advocating for mental health as a basic human right for the Lebanese population.

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