Why Lebanese Designer Aleen Sabbagh is Gen Z’s Most Coveted Couturier
From Beirut’s sartorial soul to the Paris runways, next-gen couturier Aleen Sabbagh is making a name for herself on the world stage
There is a certain intimacy that only a Zoom call with a young fashion designer can provide; a digital window into the quietly buzzing world behind the high-octane glamour and wild creativity of their day-to-day. When Aleen Sabbagh first appeared on my screen, she was the picture of Gen Z poise: hair perfectly styled, make-up meticulously done, and a sleek black top fit for the front row. Yet, the setting is refreshingly grounded. Sitting comfortably, she radiates confidence that makes the humble backdrop feel like a temporary sanctuary for a designer who is rarely still. Aleen may only be 24, but she is already at the helm of her own label – Aleen Sabbagh Maison de Couture – and she has already driven it from her Beirut-based atelier to the international stage of Paris Haute Couture Week.
Aleen, a 2023 Graphic Design graduate from the American University of Beirut, first co-founded a lifestyle brand called The Concept with her sister Natalie Sabbagh in 2019, which marked the start of her creative journey. The label became a formative space; one that taught her how fashion exists within everyday life, worn by women with real rhythms. But, she explains, couture offered further freedom – it became the space where her voice could expand without compromise. “The Concept really gave me the foundation, but the Maison allowed me to fully express my vision- my relationship with fashion to the fullest.”
With the launch of Aleen Sabbagh Maison de Couture in 2024, alongside her sister Natalie, any prior limitations dissolved, and her designs became better-led by intuition. Aleen’s silhouettes are fluid yet architectural, intricate yet calm- an aesthetic that feels instinctive rather than calculated. Working closely with her sister, Aleen thrives on contrast rather than uniformity. Highlighting their distinct technical styles: Aleen works closely with beadwork and embroidery, while Natalie’s approach leans more toward fabric structure, moulage, and draping – creating pieces that feel simultaneously emotional and structural. “Instead of clash, I’d say balance,” Aleen explains. “Our differences are what made the brand come alive.”
That dialogue comes to life most vividly in one of the collection’s defining looks – look 12, to be precise. A fully beaded corset meets a softly draped taffeta skirt, merging precision with movement. It is a study in harmony; surface and structure, strength and softness, discipline and freedom. Femininity, in all its complexity, remains her anchor. “Even our bold pieces carry a sense of ease,” she says. “The beadwork is precise, calm, and never chaotic. It’s visionary rich, but at the same time it has this sense of femininity.” Embroidery follows the body’s architecture, enhancing rather than overpowering it. For Aleen, embellishments are never decorative excess; they are structural storytelling.
At the heart of her creative world lies Lebanon. Raised and based in Beirut, Aleen speaks of her country not only as a home, but as a grounding force- one that shapes both her sensibility and resilience. “Lebanon is my comfort space”, she says. “It’s where I feel the most grounded and the most inspired at the same time.” If Lebanon were translated into a single garment, it would exist in contrasts. Organza, she explains, would be her fabric of choice – light yet strong, capable of holding both structure and emotion. “The silhouette would be fluid, and has free movement, which is like Beirut itself – it’s safe and eclectic at the same time. There’s this balance between comfort and energy.”
This duality also defines the narrative Aleen brings to the international stage. Her Spring/Summer 2026 couture debut in Paris marked a pivotal moment for the Maison, introducing her work to a global audience. “Paris heightened everything- the responsibility, the emotion, the ambition,” she reflected. “It made me want to push my limits far beyond what I thought I was capable of.”
That push is only the beginning. In a quiet reveal, Aleen confirms that her label will return to Paris this March to present its Fall/Winter 2026 collection, a significant step in solidifying her presence on the international fashion calendar. “I see Paris as an ongoing conversation rather than a single moment,” she adds. “It’s a place that challenges me and elevates my work.”
Behind the scenes, patience remains her most valuable currency – an unspoken rule she learned early as she entered the industry. “Fashion at its highest level is an eco-system of patience,” she explains. “Ideas are allowed to mature, to be questioned, sometimes even abandoned. That discipline isn’t limitation – it’s authorship.” It’s a principle that guides her sense of completion. For Aleen, a piece is not completed by over-the-top adornment, but when stillness arrives. “The piece feels finished when it stops asking for more,” she says. “There’s a quiet moment in the atelier when you know – adding anything would only take something away from it rather than add to it.”
When asked what is yet to unfold for 2026, Aleen says she has set her sights on making the bridal market her next chapter – a personal passion project that is already underway. While some designers might be daunted in the face of such grand silhouettes, the required reems of fabric and lashings of labour-intense artisanry, like all great couturiers in-the-making, Aleen is unphased by the road ahead; she’s simply paving her pathway one neat stitch at a time.
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