Strategic Development Committee

Born in Brazil to a Lebanese-Italian family, Alissa has worked within the luxury fashion industry for over 15 years. A Central Saint Martins graduate, Alissa has worked in communications for luxury brands such as Christian Louboutin, and Prada and is currently holds the position as PR Manager for Miu Miu in London, overseeing both the UK and Scandinavian markets. Most recently she co-founded the charity initiative – ‘Creatives for Lebanon’ with industry peers working alongside Sotheby’s, Farfetch and Beirut Restore to raise funds for the country after the tragic 2019 blast.

Christian Daccache has extensive experience in the fashion and luxury industry. Starting at Chalhoub Group, followed by Seddiqi Group and LVMH heading the CRM and Communication department at CÉLINE, he then went on to launch Bureau Des Créateurs in Beirut and Dubai. Bureau is a PR and Sales agency providing strategic guidance, personalized PR, Communication and Marketing services, clienteling services, talent management to public figures, influencers and celebrity placements. Bureau also places its designer partners in the right offline and online boutiques across the region. Christian holds a Masters in Luxury Brand Management from Istituto Marangoni and a BA in Entrepreneurship from the American University of Beirut.

Starting as a Parsons School of Design student where he studied Design & Management, Hassan launched his label reinventing high-end vintage fabrics before founding MAISON DE MODE. As a pioneer of the sustainable fashion movement, he has extended his experience and voice to numerous panel discussions including the 2015 NGO Conference at the United Nations, SXSW in 2018, Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit in 2018, Future Sustainability Summit in 2019, Future of Fashion Summit in 2019 and Harvard Business Schools Retail and Luxury Goods conference in 2021. Additionally, Hassan now holds a position on the Board of Well Beings—an environmental and animal conservation NGO, and is also a Member of the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild. Recently, Hassan wrote a thought piece on energy efficiency in the retail space for CFDA.com

James is an entertainment industry executive and Founder of Strive Ventures, an agency that unites talent, brands and venture capital. His career has seen him work closely with some of the world’s most recognizable talents, growing their businesses and ensuring they are placed at the centre of popular culture and emerging technologies.

In just five years, Karen has amassed a global audience of over 12 million, appeared on the covers of major magazines worldwide, and has become the first Middle Eastern woman to front a global campaign for Roberto Cavalli Fragrance. In parallel, Karen has grown her business, Karen Wazen Eyewear, into an international brand, worn by the likes of Kourtney Kardashian and Demi Lovato. She has achieved all this while raising three young children – redefining the concept of ‘working-mom.’ A huge part of Karen’s success is her genuine authenticity, allowing her followers to gain an intimate understanding of her life as a mother, businesswoman, and fashion guru. Most importantly, she uses her platform to highlight humanitarian issues on behalf of the UNHCR as one of their High Profile Supporters. Now, her latest venture into the tech world sees her launch the UAE’s first influencer game app: Karen Wazen My World. Her loyal digital community have helped the game soar to number one spot in major MENA countries (App Store), such as the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain. Karen’s undeniable relatability, despite her global achievements, has seen her take the stage at Harvard University, guest lecturing students on digital entrepreneurship. Her continued success as a female founder, led Entrepreneur Magazine to name her ‘Influencer of the Year’ (2019) and Cosmopolitan to award her ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ (2019). The year 2020 also saw her gain a spot on Forbes’ list of ‘Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands’. Despite all her accolades, Karen protects her ‘family first’ mentality, spending her days in Dubai enjoying quality time with her husband and children.

Mohieb Dahabieh holds a BA in Marketing at Central Saint Martins before venturing into London’s fashion industry.Twenty years on, he specializes in exposure for luxury brands through celebrity placements. Having headed celebrity relations and placements at Ralph & Russo for seven years through his own London-based strategic consultancy, he has also been responsible for placing other brands – most recently Georges Hobeika and Rami Kadi – firmly on the red carpet map. Mohieb is renowned for his creative collaborations that bridge East and West with integrity and passion.

Nuno Lago is the Business Development Director for the recognized international modeling network Elite Model Management with his vast international experience of 17 years in the fashion industry. Previously in charge of Brand Licensing, he is now connecting markets and new clients, always working with the most influential top models on the biggest fashion houses and events. With Portuguese origins but living in Paris, Nuno accomplished his executive MBA in Global Fashion Business Management at IFM – Institute Français de La Mode in Paris, after complementing his Marketing background with pos-grad in Luxury Fashion Brand Management & Events Production at FIT – Fashion Institute of Technology, in NYC.
With strong skills in business strategy, negotiation and management, Nuno is highly experienced in brand creation within the luxury industry. He is passionate about driving innovation, developing relationships within new markets solutions and technology industry.