When Lebanese-born designer Reem Acra showed up at a Beirut society event wearing a gown repurposed from her mother’s silk organza table draping, she instantly became the talk of the town. Her exquisitely embroidered dress so impressed a local fashion editor, in fact, that Acra soon found herself staging her own runway show. Her facility for ornate embroidery, intricate beading, and show-stopping silks and satins has since made her one of the most respected names in high-end eveningwear and bridal wear, and a go-to brand for celebs such as Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Leann Rimes (who wore a stunning beaded, blush-colored Reem Acra wedding gown when she married Eddie Cibrian in 2011).