Basil Soda, who helped put Lebanon at the forefront of the international fashion scene, passed away Monday. He was 47. Soda, who spent two decades dealing in the world of fashion before starting his own clothing line in 2001, died at a Beirut hospital Monday after a two-year battle with an illness, a close aide told The Daily Star. He opened his own design house in Horsh Tabet, east of Beirut, in 2009. The famous designer dressed a large number of Hollywood stars as well as celebrities from around the world, including Katy Perry, Emily Blunt, Marion Cotillard, Jiang Yiyan, Morena Baccarrin and Guiliana Rancic. Alongside his Couture line, his ready-to-wear collection was launched in 2010, opening doors for a new market to acknowledge the Basil Soda aesthetic. His brand is in major international cities, including New York, Washington, Cannes, Toronto, Vienna, Moscow, Dubai, Beirut, all the way to Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.