Beirut Couture

For Banet Beirut shoot, we brought together four Lebanese women whose lives and work reflect different expressions of this connection.

Farah Dagher, co-founder of Origin Circle, returned from New York to create a space where wellness and community could meet in Beirut.

Nemat Younes represents the next generation of Yasser Younes Jewellery, contributing to a family business while preparing to begin a family of her own.

Mira Beydoun, an artist and mother of two, is intentional about preserving the kind of childhood many Lebanese remember: one shaped by nature, simplicity and the freedom to explore.

Laetitia Riachi, co-owner and CEO of Helwé Natural Skincare, returned from France to build alongside her mother a business rooted in local production and authentic beauty.

Their paths differ but they share a common thread: a desire to build meaningful lives while remaining connected to Beirut and the values that shaped them.

Each woman wears couture by Sara Mrad, a Lebanese designer whose creations bring together femininity and a distinctive vision of modern couture. Photographed by Moucho Tashjian, this editorial is a portrait of Beirut through the women who continue to give it life. Not simply women who live in Beirut but women who contribute to what Beirut becomes.

Created during a time of war, this film reflects a conviction at the heart of Beirut Couture: that continuing to create in Lebanon is itself an act of commitment. Featuring Maison Ali, the film stands as a tribute to the Lebanese designers and artisans who continue to work and believe in Lebanon even when the circumstances make doing so difficult.

For Beirut Couture, this was more than a fashion film. It was a statement of purpose: our responsibility to the country is not reserved for its best days.

The rooster, a symbol of courage, stands as a fitting emblem for An-Nahar and the Tueni family's enduring place in Lebanese journalism. Founded in 1933, the newspaper has been part of Lebanon's public and cultural life for generations.

Today, Nayla Tueni continues this legacy, leading An-Nahar into a new chapter while preserving the principles that have shaped its history. Through her work, she brings a contemporary perspective to an institution whose story is deeply intertwined with that of Lebanon itself.

Her role extends beyond journalism. As a member of the advisory board of the Fédération Libanaise de la Mode, she also contributes to the continued development of Lebanon's fashion industry.

The memory of Gebran Tueni remains inseparable from this legacy. His voice and love for Lebanon endure through the work that continues in his name. In Nayla, that legacy finds a daughter carrying it forward with purpose, and integrity.

For Beirut Couture, this editorial was an opportunity to bring together different expressions of Lebanese creativity: couture, fine jewelry and the cultural influence of a woman whose work connects the country's past with its future.

Dear Lebanon,

Every one of us carries a piece of your story. A story shaped by migration, by the memories we hold close and by our enduring love for a land that gave us so much, even when it could not promise us a future.

Wearing Rami Kadi's Spring/Summer 2025 Couture collection, Chaîne des Danses, we explored the contrasts that define the Lebanese experience: the distance between the lives we have built elsewhere and the childhoods, traditions and memories that continue to bring us home.

In the background, black-and-white imagery evokes the shadows of childhood during war, families separated by exile and the quiet exhaustion of building a life abroad.

In the foreground, colour brings us back to the memories that remain unmistakably ours: stringing daisy necklaces with the girls, playing Tawle with rules that were never quite followed, making cup telephones that barely worked, drinking Bonjus after a zaatar man'oushe and buying ghazl el banet from roadside vendors.

These ordinary moments are anything but ordinary. They are the small fragments of a shared childhood that become part of who we are wherever life takes us.

Some left because they had to. Others stayed, not because it was easy but because they could not imagine letting go.

This editorial is a love letter to the Lebanon we carry within us: a reminder that our connection to this land lives in our memories, our people, and our determination to keep creating here.

May Lebanon rise again through the hands of those who continue to believe in it, build within it and refuse to let it go.

Our muses are women who carry Lebanese culture with grace and purpose. Mothers, founders, artists and daughters whose work, values and everyday contributions continue to shape the country around them.

For this Beirut Couture editorial, we brought together four women we deeply admire. Each has built a life and career of her own, guided by a commitment to her work, her family and the values she holds close. They are women who may not seek the spotlight, yet leave a lasting mark on the people and communities around them.

From left to right, Carla Chamoun, the Lebanese singer whose voice has reached the stage of Hans Zimmer; Salwa Chalhoub, founder of Opera Gallery Beirut, who brings people and cultures together through art; Marijo Samneh, founder of Corporate Code, whose work centers on legal and compliance services; and Lilia Sabbagh, founder and managing partner of Sabbagh Law Firm, whose professional achievements are matched by her commitment to mentoring and advocacy.

Together, they represent a form of elegance that extends beyond appearance: one shaped by substance, integrity and presence.

The editorial also celebrates the artistry of Lebanese couture, featuring designs by Abbas Harajli, Gemy Maalouf, Harithand, Hassidriss and Jean Pierre Khoury. Their creations reflect the depth and diversity of a fashion culture that has long been part of Lebanon's identity.