Renaissance Renaissance: A love letter to women-led couture

Renaissance Renaissance’s pieces are elevated classics: pragmatically structured, boldly monochromatic, with flashes of tulle and sinuous cuts that suffuse them with feminine whimsy. Lebanese-Palestinian designer Cynthia Merhej is the mind behind the women-led couture label, which was established in Beirut in 2016. It was fated for Cynthia, who belongs to a third generation of couture lineage, to craft garments that transcend time. With ateliers between Beirut and Paris, Renaissance Renaissance is permeating every luxury retail carrier with designs that feel like dialogues between generations. 

Raised among a flurry of fabrics and patterns in her mother’s Beirut-based atelier, Cynthia grew up witnessing the process of garment-making—a family tradition initiated by her great-grandmother. She left Lebanon at age 18 to study visual communication at Central Saint Martins and then the Royal College of Art, before returning home to launch Renaissance Renaissance. The decision to found the brand was a bold one, born from firm artistic necessity: “I didn’t see any chance of anyone hiring me to be a creative director for a fashion brand so it inspired me to start my own,” Cynthia tells Dazed MENA. 

Brevity is the soul of chic, and Cynthia embodies this in both her words and her work. She speaks as she designs—clipped and with purpose—her collections rarely exceeding 20 looks. That’s why when we asked her to speak about a pivotal moment in her career, she oracularly declared: “Every day is a defining moment and a building block for the future.” 

The label’s ethos is centred on revelling in dualities—”honouring the differences and similarities between eras, generations and cultures…a celebration of women-led couture.” Inspired by strong female figures and her Palestinian and Lebanese heritage, Cynthia’s creations evoke a sense of power and liberation. Each piece is designed to be worn and cherished for a lifetime, marked by the care of ancestral skill so rare in a time of flustered fast fashion. “We produce everything in Beirut and collaborate with local creatives as much as possible,” Cynthia confirms.

Appreciated by the coolest women in culture, like Chloë Sevigny and Caroline Polachek, Cynthia’s designs have garnered the attention of the fashion elite. Teeming with such heart and potential, the brand has been nominated for the LVMH and Fashion Trust Arabia prizes, and has been the recipient of the Maison Mode Méditerranée fund. “I hope to inspire others and bring them beauty, to create meaningful change in the fashion industry in my country,” the creative director shares with Dazed.

But just as Renaissance Renaissance gained traction, its birthplace was rocked by a series of crises beginning in 2019. Lebanon faced a failed revolution, a devastating financial collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic; all eventually culminating in the cataclysmic Beirut Port explosion—the most powerful non-nuclear blast in history—which brought millions face-to-face with unimaginable adversity. With her great-grandmother’s atelier in Jaffa, Palestine, and her mother’s work in Beirut, Cynthia became the third craftswoman in her direct lineage shaped by the harrowing experience of witnessing her city’s devastation. Through the heartbreak of it all, and now through the Palestinian genocide, Cynthia has channelled her inner turmoil into her art. 

In the most tumultuous periods, Cynthia’s team in Beirut had to cut and sew by hand in the dark, using the few hours of electricity available. Though she eventually made the decision to relocate, briefly partnering with a fashion incubator in Italy that gave her the space to work, Cynthia maneuvered through every setback. “My personal experiences, and whatever I am going through and experiencing at the moment, fuel my creative process,” the creative director explains. Soon, the brand’s designs began to catch the eye of international stockists like Net-a-Porter and SSENSE, providing crucial financial support and recognition. 

Today, Renaissance Renaissance represents far more than what it began as—a remarkable feat in itself. Through its darkest moments, Cynthia’s work has evolved into a global symbol of resilience, heritage and empowerment, synthesising tradition and innovation while championing the artistry and stories of the SWANA region. “I hope that we begin to believe in ourselves and take pride in the strength of our culture and diversity, and focus on unity,” Cynthia affirms. Her upcoming projects include her Fall/Winter 2025 collection and the film Bonjour Tristesse, starring it-girl Chloë Sevigny, with costumes designed by Cynthia herself—set to be out in theatres soon.