With her fall 2025 collection, Cynthia Merhej found herself free to take Renaissance Renaissance into new territory. It started with last November’s cease-fire and a political shift at home in Lebanon. “For the first time, I feel like I can plan ahead,” she said during a showroom visit. “There’s finally political change, which gives me a beautiful perspective. The mood in Beirut is different now: People are going out again, and there’s a sense of positivity in the air. It feels lighter, more playful.”
Without the pressures of existing in survival mode, Merhej has been able to pay attention on other things, notably her personal life. Having focused on her business for many long years, living authentically emerged as the missing piece of her puzzle. Identity, then, will be front and center when Merhej presents alongside her fellow semifinalists at the LVMH Prize showroom in Paris this week. Her fall collection reflected that journey. It started with the polished style of a Jackie O– or Audrey Hepburn–type figure whom the designer imagined crossing paths with a free spirit only to realize, after tagging along for a wild night on the town, that they are one and the same person. “It’s about embracing duality rather than compartmentalizing. That philosophy—balancing extremes, finding harmony between them—has always been at the core of my brand,” she said.
For fall, that idea played out through contrast both literal and conceptual. Jackets and coats were constructed asymmetrically, and pussycat blouses had hidden strings so they can conceal or reveal, depending on the occasion and just how buttoned up the wearer chooses to be. A black leather pencil skirt with a gathered hem could also be flipped and worn upside down; a shiny polka-dot blouse can transform into a party dress.
The designer explored duality by looking at fabric in new ways too. A party dress from her first collection, in 2018, was here “opened up” in white cotton overlaid with black tulle. “Tacky party sequins” were layered between tulle; delicate bows mixed with frayed edging on a black-and-white tweed jacket; and humble lining fabric was treated with the same care as luxurious Piacenza wool. Voluminous and light as air, pieces in shiny silver techno fabric were intended to create a sense of freedom and movement, said Merhej, though they could also catch the eye on a dark and crowded dance floor.
“It’s all about transformation, about stepping into the fullness of who you are,” said Merhej. Renaissance Renaissance looks more polished, poised, and lighter for it.