The Greystanes house of couture

George Habibeh started his label at 13. Now 21, he has become a name to watch in the fashion world - and all of the magic happens from his Greystanes studio.

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Nestled in suburban Greystanes is an emerging couture brand that has quickly established itself as a name to watch.

George Habibeh founded his eponymous brand at 13, after asking for a sewing machine for his 11th birthday and teaching himself from YouTube.

He started making custom gowns and bridal dresses and gained a reputation across western Sydney as the go-to local designer for events and weddings.

Now word is spreading and at 21, Habibeh has clients across Sydney, has shown a collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and travelled the world.

George creates each piece from his Greystanes studio. Picture: Angelo Velardo

The vivacious designer has big plans for his business and hopes to one day build an Australian fashion house like those seen in Europe in names like Dior, Chanel and Versace.

“The hope and the future for my brand is to send it to the international level,” he said.

While Habibeh always loved creating and making things as a child, his plan was to study medicine after finishing school.

He was accepted into university but decided to follow his passion for fashion and enrolled instead at TAFE NSW’s Fashion Design Studio.

One of George’s gowns hits the runway at fashion week. Picture: Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images

His bold collection has attracted plenty of attention. Picture: Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images

It was the alumni that attracted him to the course; household names like Dion Lee and Nicky Zimmerman were former students.

The other big drawcard was the Innovators graduate showcase during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and three years later his dreams came true when he was chosen to take part.

His collection hit the catwalk in May, showcasing his brand to industry professionals around the country.

“It was everything I wanted,” he said.

George’s gowns can take up to six months to create. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Now with his brand gaining awareness beyond western Sydney, Habibeh shows no signs of slowing down.

The passionate designer said “the sky is the limit” and has plans for a ready to wear collection in the future as well as one day literally building a fashion house in Australia.

“I’d love to buy a house and deck it out,” he said.

In the meantime his intricate, handmade dresses are made over the course of months from his space in Greystanes.

Habibeh is most in his element in his studio and loves every part of the dressmaking process, from coming up with designs to constructing the dress, and getting to know clients over what can be a six month process of creating their dream gown.

“I still sometimes wake up and think, ‘I can’t believe I do what I love’,” he said.