Serena Sefyan first caught our eye at Fendi’s AW26 show, opening the runway with a poise that felt anything but beginner. The Lebanese-Armenian model’s unfussy beauty and composed, almost old-world presence clearly struck a chord with the Roman powerhouse. “I didn't know until that day,” she says of learning she would open. “It was very unexpected, and I was in shock for a good while.”
You’d never guess Serena only started modelling in mid-2023, while still a senior in high school in Beirut. At 20, her CV already reads like a veteran’s: Dries Van Noten, Ermanno Scervino, Qasimi, Pronounce – plus campaigns for Gucci, Chanel and Etro.
The school–castings juggle is over; this is now full-time. There are perks – “I get to visit new places and still be able to call it work” – but most trips are an airport–hotel–set–airport blur. In the quiet patches, she’s intent on staying sane as well as sample-size.
“When I’m not on set my routine will consist of working out, resetting my environment and doing something creative – reading, painting or cooking. Just anything to avoid completely giving up my day to social media.” She’s also adding Italian to a language roster that already includes Armenian, Arabic, English and French.
In an industry calibrated by injectables and filters, Serena’s refusal to tweak feels quietly subversive. “It breaks my heart to see such beautiful young women being ashamed of their true selves in their most authentic and ethnic forms,” she says. “Getting plastic surgery will not fix the root problem, which isn’t a bump on the nose or a smaller upper lip, but a need to fill a void within oneself.”
The ballast comes from home. Her inner circle keeps her grounded; her biggest fan is her grandmother. “My grandma only follows me on Insta and sends me pictures of shoots even I have yet to see,” she laughs.
Off-duty, her style loyalties are split between Isabel Marant and Saint Laurent. Her beauty regime is disarmingly low-tech: “Sweet potatoes – amazing for the skin and so nutritious.” And when nutrition gives way to nostalgia, there’s Soubereg, the Armenian cheese-filled pastry. “I would eat a whole batch,” she says.
