Flowers in the Fountain:Yassmin Saleh's Couture Blooms With Resilience

“When I realised how therapeutic fashion was, I naturally had to pursue that…”

Fashion has long served as an artistic outlet for Lebanese designer Yassmin Saleh. Growing up between Beirut and Abu Dhabi, the young designer found solace in transforming her style each day, whether that meant pairing her father's suits with her mother's bags or simply coordinating identical outfits with her twin sister Farah. This early penchant for visual storytelling through dress eventually blossomed into a full-fledged career.

After studying fashion design at the Lebanese American University, Yassmin interned under world-famous Lebanese couturier Elie Saab. Since then, Yassmin Saleh has steadily built a reputation for expertly-crafted womenswear defined by a contrast of minimalism and maximalism.

"Our aesthetic is a balance of opposing facets," Lebanese Designer Yassmin Saleh shares in an exclusive interview with SceneStyled. "A contrast between bold and vintage, minimalism shapes with maximalist details, androgynous cuts that are also sensual." Saleh adds. This tension is beautifully realised in their FW24 collection, ‘Flowers in the Fountain’, where embroidery, draping, floral motifs, and innovative silhouettes blend traditional techniques with a contemporary edge.

Yassmin Saleh's artistry stems from a deeply personal place: "My craft is my sanctuary, a personal space where vulnerability and emotions are used as fuel for creativity and innovation," she says. Together with her twin sister Farah Saleh, the duo’s label serves as an outlet to process their experiences with mental health issues affecting loved ones. "We decided to tell a story, one collection at a time, each one shared with the hopes of resonating with our audience," Yassmin explains.

This storytelling ethos comes to life in mesmerising campaigns like "Flowers in the Fountain," inspired by a series of films celebrating women's multifaceted beauty and strength. Behind each piece is an intensely emotional journey. The ‘Pillow Talk’ puffer jacket from Fall/Winter 2023, for example, aims to feel "like the hug of a feathered pillow" in luxuriously soft ivory silk.

In ‘Flowers in the Fountain,’ sheer fabrics meet sensual floral motifs adorning the silhouettes, diaphanous silks flow like petals in the wind, and intricate layering and textural manipulation add depth to every single piece within the collection. “Through art on canvas, we are able to generate conversations…” the designer shares. Traditional Arabic illustrations don myriad pieces, such as the evil eye and the ‘khamsa’ palm intertwined with abstract foliage and subtle visions of wildlife.

“By getting in touch with our feelings, human behaviour, socio-economic situations, each story is a love letter to myself, a love letter to you and a love letter to whoever needs it. We etch those emotions into our collections.” Saleh shares.

Though the Beirut blast of 2020 destroyed Yassmin Saleh's original showroom, the resilience of the designer and her brand is evident. "After almost 3 years we are thrilled to announce that we are ready to open the doors of our new showroom," Yassmin shares. Having endured Lebanon's tumultuous political climate, she remains steadfastly grateful. "We view each step we take as a win," she tells SceneStyled.

“Our professional and personal journey go hand in hand; It is a journey of self-discovery of self-love, of self-improvement, it is a journey of vulnerability.”