Who TF is Gabo? A New Lebanese Designer Making Fashion His Own

Who TF is Gabo, the newest Lebanese designer on the scene?

Gabriel Nabbout wasn’t trained in fashion. He was a student in a completely different field. Yet in just two weeks, he designed, produced, and staged his first full collection, flying back from Florence with only a concept, determination, and the urgency to make it real.

How did your journey into fashion begin?

“If we take it back to the beginning, it started with me watching talent shows and performances, stars like Haifa Wehbe. I was three when I began sketching. My parents noticed, and it never stopped.”

Gabo’s path unfolded in two acts. Act one: Lebanon, where fashion meant drawing and admiring the classics, like Elie Saab, Georges Hobeika, and many other iconic designers. Act two: Florence, where fashion became language, obsession, and identity.

“That’s where I dug deeper than I ever imagined. And I haven’t stopped since.”

Did showing in Lebanon feel like a return or a new beginning?

“A beginning. But also, a turning point,” Gabo says. “I felt this call to come back and do something. I grew up in the north, far from Beirut, disconnected from the fashion scene. This show was my way of breaking out, of proving to myself that I could build something real.”

He calls it “escaping the prison”: the limitations of his environment, the silence, the distance. Coming back was a second chance and a way to connect.

What challenges did you face while creating your first show?

“I had to figure everything out as I went,” Gabo says. “I started with 22 looks, but I ended up showing 11 because I was doing everything myself, and I only had two weeks.”

He handled every part of the production himself, finding fabric, scouting the venue, managing sound and lighting, the guest list, and casting models. It wasn’t about having all the answers. It was about showing up and making it happen.

Tell us about “Twins in Orlando.” What does it mean to you?

“Orlando is the dream I carried with me. The secret world that kept me alive. This collection came from childhood trauma—it was my escape, my way of expressing what I couldn’t say out loud.”

Long sleeves echo straitjackets, but here, the models are breaking free. “A place heavy with shadows,” he says, “my imagination was the only escape.”

In university, Gabo kept things low-key. Hoodies, caps, and clothes that helped him stay unnoticed. It was a way to protect himself, to move quietly. But over time, that started to shift. He let his hair grow out, began experimenting with his style, and slowly allowed himself to be seen.

Not all of us bloom at the same time. Some linger in the quiet, waiting for the right moment. What Gabo pulled off in two weeks wasn’t just impressive, it was brave. He reminded us that dreams don’t show up fully formed. You chase them, you shape them, and you stay up late to make them real.

Gabo, the world is yours. And Lebanon’s fashion community is standing with you, proud that you came back home to start here!

“I came across a quote once: I was created to create. It stuck with me. That’s not just a caption. That’s my truth.”

Want to see more of Gabo, the new Lebanese designer? Make sure to follow him on Instagram for more! We also have an entire section on our website dedicated to Lebanese designers, which you can browse here.

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