Cynthia Merhej

Lebanon

With Fabrique since 2024 Third-generation Lebanese couturier from Central Saint Martins & RCA. Two-time LVMH Prize semifinalist, Fashion Trust Arabia honoree. Designed for Oscar-nominee Chloë Sevigny.

Inspiration

"Soft Power" collection draws inspiration from French New Wave director Eric Rohmer's films, capturing youthful energy through Alex Katz's elegant brushstrokes and Mark Rothko's powder-soft color treatments. The collection blurs boundaries between minimalism and athleisure, combining lightweight materials with structured yet gentle silhouettes that express feminine strength through softness rather than sharp edges.

Background Fabs

Background

Third-generation Lebanese couturier from Central Saint Martins & RCA. Two-time LVMH Prize semifinalist, Fashion Trust Arabia honoree. Designed for Oscar-nominee Chloë Sevigny.

When Cynthia Merhej was growing up in her mother's Beirut atelier, fashion wasn't a career choice—it was simply life. The third-generation haute couture designer learned design, styling, and photography surrounded by fabric and thread, absorbing generations of family tailoring knowledge. After studying at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, she returned home in 2016 to launch Renaissance Renaissance, fusing her personal creative vision with generations of family tailoring traditions. The result bridges something deeper than just past and present—it connects entire generations, cultures, and identities.

Her accolades tell the story: two LVMH Young Designer Prize semifinal selections and recognition from Fashion Trust Arabia Prize. But numbers only capture part of Merhej's impact. Her recent costume work for Oscar-nominee Chloë Sevigny in "Bonjour Tristesse" proves her designs transcend fashion, becoming vehicles for storytelling and personal transformation. Operating between Paris and Beirut, she ensures every piece is proudly made in Lebanon through partnerships with local craftsmen and her family factory, maintaining strict standards for quality, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Renaissance Renaissance redefines occasion dressing while honoring exquisite craftsmanship traditions. Merhej envisions women who elegantly challenge conventions, embracing their multifaceted identities as they navigate between poetry and minimalism, strength and softness, experimental spirit and traditional heritage. Each season unfolds like slowly unraveling poetic chapters, fusing timeless artistry with contemporary aesthetics to create sincere works that outlast fleeting trends. Her designs invite women to explore their own narratives through clothing—and in that space between who they were and who they're becoming, Merhej has found her calling.