May 1, 2026 |
Every year, the fash pack descends upon London, buzzing to see a particularly special show that could lift the veil on the industry’s next big star. The CSM MA fashion show is an opportunity for outgoing students to show their contemporaries and potential future employers what they’ve got – and the stakes are high. A stellar debut could, and has for some, resulted in a one way ticket to Paris to work in some of the most sought-after ateliers. The intensity of the showcase could make some students cower, but not Zeina Issa. The young Syrian designer, whose shimmering, textured collection was aptly titled Inherently Loud, is unapologetic in who she is and what her designs represent. It’s an ethos built on a proud heritage and drive for self expression, and one that’s stitched through each one of her garments.
“Arab Muslim women are inherently political,” she says of her starting point for the pieces, which reimagine traditional Arabic prints as club-ready cowl necks and itty-bitty mini skirts. “Our existence is constantly interpreted and reshaped by external narratives, whether through Western projections or expectations from within our own communities. The collection became a way of navigating that pressure while insisting on individuality.”
What grew from this was a body of work that embraces Issa’s past and present with equal weight. She leans into time-honoured codes in silhouettes and materiality through belly dancing belts and coin-covered skirts, reframing them to serve a modern, feminine wardrobe. Issa doesn’t skimp on her research, allowing her to feature subliminal details, forming a collection that feels deeply considered.
Beyond her literal references, Issa’s designs are specifically reflective of two images – one of a 20th century Syrian woman in a voluminous, layered dress, and another from the book The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie, depicting a woman in a silver sequinned set. “What interested me was the tension between those images,” she says. “One is rooted in tradition, the other in a more contemporary, almost nostalgic femininity, but both hold presence.” By holding both truths equally, Issa’s approach also serves as an act of defiance and a refusal to be boxed in. When asked who the Zeina Issa woman is, she says, “She exists in contradiction. She is deeply rooted in where she comes from, yet constantly in motion, negotiating what that means for her own identity. There is no desire to resolve that tension; she lives in it.”
Issa’s designs are specifically reflective of two images – one of a 20th century Syrian woman in a voluminous, layered dress, and another from the book ‘The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie’, depicting a woman in a silver sequinned set
Styling is her not-so-secret weapon. Whether it be her presentation at this year’s MA show, or her lookbook imagery, or progress shots, there’s a chaotic synergy that pulls everything together. Baggy pants topple out of boots with razor sharp toes, glitter-splashed tulle juts from mushroom-shaped sequin skirts, whilst cascades of metal coins, stitched asymmetrically onto embellished halter necks, chime and swish with each clip of a heel against the runway. It’s maximalism at its finest. Loud, dynamic, eclectic but paired in such a way that feels breezy and effortless. “I don’t see styling as a finishing touch; it’s the most pivotal tool in my process,” she says. “I go through session after session, building and rebuilding the looks because that’s how I actually exist and dress. The layering and the hardware were always there, evolving alongside the clothes. It’s a mix of research and pure instinct.” Again, this is a nod to her enduring inspirations. “Looking at Syrian and Arab women, there’s this incredible sense of abundance, textures, layers and heavy jewellery as a form of visual language. I’ve always found the ‘clean’ aesthetic so boring. Most of the time, it just feels like an erasure of the space you need to actually express your culture. My heritage is big and multi-layered; I’ve always said you can never be ‘too much’ for an occasion. This collection is just the organic result of that, the point where my research and my own wardrobe finally blur.”
Alongside the Arabic women she has come across in her research, those much closer to home play a key role. “My younger sister, who is eight, constantly reminds me to see the world with curiosity and joy. She makes everything feel more colourful, and she pushes me to be a better person and designer. My older sister, who’s a doctor, on the other hand, is one of the most hardworking people I know. She carries herself with such confidence and presence, and her unwavering support means everything to me.” And in fashion? It’s Turkish designer Rifat Özbek who influences her the most. “His work was so ahead of its time, and the way he merged culture with playfulness and boldness really shifted how I see fashion as a space where identities can coexist and evolve.” She also name drops her friends from the MA course (Marie, Ali, Pola, Tasnim, Tito and Lori to be exact), crediting them with pushing her to be both a better designer and a better person.
It seems that community is Issa’s bread and butter. It’s where she sources her inspiration, what pushes her to finesse her work and what keeps her resilient in moments of pressure and set back. “The goal has always been to create a community where women like me see themselves reflected immediately, without needing a translation,” she says of how she hopes to develop her brand in the future – although she prefers referring to it as a world rather than a brand. “Right now, it’s about establishing a foundation that can sustain itself, creatively and financially. That means finding the right support and building a team to help sharpen the brand’s visual language beyond a single collection. Inherently Loud is an introduction, not a conclusion; I have no interest in diluting the work to make it easier to consume. If anything, I want to go deeper into it.”
Moving forward, she’s positive and confident. How could she not be when she has her band of beautiful, supportive and tenacious women to keep her afloat? “I’m still at the beginning, but I’m so excited to see where it goes,” she says. “I’m just enjoying every second of watching this world actually come to life.”
Photography courtesy of Zeina Issa.
