Lebanon has always prided itself in the entrepreneurship of its business community, with more and more women setting up their own ventures.

One prominent woman entrepreneur is no other than Reem Acra, whose fairy-like wedding dresses have been showcased on international catwalks. The Lebanese started designing when she was attending the American University of Beirut in 1982 before grabbing the world’s attention with her glamorous yet fashionably simple creations.

Other Lebanese women have been equally successful. Such is the case of Nada Debs, an acclaimed architect whose furniture designs are the result of a careful creative process embracing the craftsmanship of oriental furniture as well as Asian sobriety.

Debs’ creations boast intricate arabesque patterns contrasting with simple lines, her chairs and tables offering strikingly functional forms. The Eastern minimalism that infuses her work and is drawn from her childhood in Japan has been integrated to Debs Oriental heritage. Her designs are considered as art pieces and featured in museums such as the Arab Museum for Modern Art in Qatar. One of Deb’s creations, her Concrete Carpet, was also short-listed in 2013 by no other than the British Victoria and Albert museum for the Jameel Prize, which is awarded to contemporary artists and designers who have used Islamic traditions of art, craft and design.