A Quick Q&A with Susan Sabet

Pashion magazine

Susan Sabet has spent her lifetime in the world of fashion. She started her career designing and dealing with the retail aspects of her mother’s children’s wear factory before a stint in advertising and working at Cleo Magazine. But it was with Pashion, the high fashion bilingual (Arabic and English) quarterly magazine she launched in 2003, that has defined her life’s work. It brings the best of western fashion to the Arab world via its pages but equally highlights local talents as well. Sabet is also skilled at opening doors for luxury brands through trunk shows she organizes for them in hard to access places like Jordan and Oman. She also recently launched a Vienna edition of Pashion magazine to cater to Arabic speaking tourists. 

Q: How did you first get interested in fashion?

A: I started working at my mother’s children wear factory in charge of design and sales.

Q: What made you finally decide to launch out on your own and create your magazine?

A: After my mother decided to shut down her business I freelanced 10 fashion pages a month for an Egyptian lifestyle magazine. I soon realized the Arab world were missing high quality fashion magazines so decided to launch Pashion in 2003.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: I am not fixated on a specific person. I like women and men with style that have a sense of humor and are beautiful inside and out. I always say being friendly doesn’t cost anything.

Q: Who living or dead would you love to be able to have dinner with?

A: Those are many.George Clooney, Grace Kelly, Roger Federer are the ones that first come to my mind, but there are many more.

The Monaco Casino in Monte Carlo.

Q: What is your favorite trip?

A: Pukhet and Monte Carlo.

Q: When are you happiest?

A: When my kids spend time with me.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing?

A: Finding qualified, reliable and committed staff.

Q: What is your secret talent?

A: I am a very good tennis player and a very good dancer!

Q: What is your motto or the best piece of advice you ever got?

A: Try to think out of the box and come up with something different.

Q: What emoji do you use the most?

A: Smile.

Q: What is the latest Instagram feed you decided to follow?

A: I honestly don’t remember. I am only sure it’s not yours because I have been following you for a long time.

Jessica Michault

Jessica Michault is the Senior Vice President of industry relations at GPS Radar by Launchmetrics. She is also the editor-at-large for ODDA magazine and contributes to publications like the New York Times, the Business of Fashion, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Mixte magazine.