Hoda Ziade (also spelled Ziadé; ; born c. 1940) is a Lebanese model. She began modeling in 2019 for Emergency Room, an independent Beirut-based fashion brand founded by her grandson, designer Éric Mathieu Ritter. Her work has appeared in regional and international publications, including Marie Claire Arabia, Savoir Flair, and The Guardian.
Early life Ziade was born in Lebanon in 1940. As a child, she practiced ballet and learned to play the piano. Before beginning her modeling work in her eighties, she spent her life outside the fashion industry and had no experience in commercial media or modeling. Prior to the rise of mass ready-to-wear, she designed her own clothing, choosing fabrics and overseeing their construction. Ziade considered pursuing a career mental health professional and did not have aspirations to become a model.
Modeling career Ziade involvement in fashion began by chance, entering modeling in 2019–2020 through her grandson, Éric Mathieu Ritter, who established the sustainable fashion label Emergency Room in Beirut. The brand utilizes upcycled textiles and casts non-professional local models instead of agency talent. Ziade appeared in lookbooks, promotional photographs, and runway events for the label; this lead to unexpected public attention, as her images circulated across fashion publications and online platforms. Her modeling work subsequently expanded to other fashion and media profiles. In 2021, she was featured in an editorial for Marie Claire Arabia and in a series for Savoir Flair focused on creative figures in Lebanon. She also modeled in events featuring student collections from ESMOD Beirut. Profiles on Ziade and her work with Emergency Room were later published by regional and international media outlets.
Media commentary on her career has centered on the visibility of older women in Middle Eastern fashion campaigns, a demographic historically underrepresented in regional commercial modeling.
Personal life Ziade has two daughters; she said that modeling was a way to cope with grief after her husband's death. She has not undergone any cosmetic procedures and declined cosmetic treatment; she attributes her fitness to a moderate lifestyle, swimming and an active daily routine.
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