Basil Soda, the 47 year old designer from Lebanon who led his country's renown on the international fashion scene, passed away on Monday. Soda died at a Beirut hospital Monday after a two-year battle with an illness.

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.

"We are sorry to announce the loss of Basil Soda, the great international designer, he who built his company single handedly from the ground up. A great man who will always be remembered for his craft and beautiful soul," his company announced in a statement.