Latest news with #Zane
Express Tribune
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Was Jennifer Lawrence always meant to be Katniss?
More than a decade after The Hunger Games hit cinemas, casting director Debra Zane is peeling back the curtain on the decision that defined a generation: choosing Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. While Lawrence is now inseparable from the role, it turns out her casting was far from guaranteed, especially with every major young actress in Hollywood chasing the part. Speaking to Teen Vogue, Zane said the choice was less about fame and more about instinct. 'It's hard to explain. It's gut instinct,' she shared. Lawrence had just earned serious critical acclaim for Winter's Bone, with Oscar buzz swirling around her name, but Zane wasn't impressed by hype alone. 'She just was Katniss,' she explained, adding that casting is often about finding the most emotionally layered performance, even when it's unexpected. 'That's the most exciting part, when someone exceeds what you imagined.' Zane's longtime casting partner, Dylan Jury, also reflected on the process behind Sunrise on the Reaping, the newest instalment in the franchise. Unlike previous films, this one was cast while the book was still being written. 'That made it very crazy and challenging for different reasons,' Jury said. Fan buzz has been especially strong around Maya Hawke's casting as Wiress, which Zane proudly called a perfect match. As for Whitney Peak, cast as Lenore Dove, it was her chemistry with co-star Joe that sealed the deal. A test shoot captured on an iPhone gave Zane a sudden, intuitive certainty. 'We were shooting them on an iPhone and Dylan was operating the iPhone and I was peeking over his shoulder into the screen and could just… it was really like, Oof. You know?!' Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before the original story and features a star-studded cast including Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, and Glenn Close. It premieres on 20 November 2026.
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
These Dentists Launched A Multi-Million Dollar Luxury Accessory Brand
Zane and Omar Sabré of Maison de Sabré. Luxury fashion accessories is a competitive space where veteran entrepreneurs usually fare better than novices. When the Sabré brothers Omar, 34, and Zane, 31, launched their leather-based brand, Maison de Sabré, they had no direct experience. Instead, the siblings were in dentistry, and the enterprise was fashioned as a means to an end during a difficult family crisis. This alone makes their brand story unique. Its ascendant success since its founding in 2017 makes it a luxury start-up fairy tale. Now, the Sydney, Australia-founded brand with global operations—whose founders were featured on the 2020 Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list for Retail & Commerce—is expanding its US distribution and gaining market share with its value-centric luxury offerings. FOUNDING IDEA Maison de Sabré aims to address the accessory needs of the professional lifestyle. Initially, the brothers' calling was dentistry, with the older brother, Omar, heading to Australia first to study. Zane followed, and during his studies, the brothers' father was diagnosed with leukemia, and the family's education funds were refocused on the elder Sabre's care. In a spark of inspiration, the young dentist and the dental student devised a plan for a business to fund Zane's remaining studies. What they lacked in experience, they made up for in determination. Their father's words also fueled the project. "Our father is a businessman in the automotive industry who worked with his hands. He wanted us to work with our minds, and constantly said we should do something scalable, which today means online," Omar recalled. "From a product perspective, we were looking for something we could sink our teeth into," he added, no pun intended. A leather goods idea presented itself, along with the not-so-obvious synergies between the two. "Coming from dentistry, we had a transferable skillset. We learned material physics, biochemistry, natural forms, and functions. We studied the art of the smile and its composition. Everything was studied at fractions of a millimeter and microns. So, it was extremely detail-oriented," Omar continued. Bulgari and Cartier, whose less-touted colorful leather goods served as inspiration, influenced early pouch and card holder prototypes but the duo was not enthused at the result. Noticing a Louis Vuitton trunk phone case on a stylish customer at Sydney café, the older Sabré had the a-ha moment to design a leather phone case, which in 2017 made them among the first to market for the elevated smart phone case. With Omar on the creative and design side and Zane on the sales, finance, distribution, and marketing side, the family members had complementary skillsets beyond their dentistry profession. SPREAD INFLUENCE From its inception, the product was aimed at fashionable young female professionals, aged 25-35, described as 'aspirational and inspirational'. As the brand expanded into categories such as handbags and luggage, it spoke to their fast-paced, on-the-go careers and personal lives, offering a product that is both smart and playful. A model shows off key Maison de Sabré styles. "We built a website on a budget, with zero marketing funds. But we had a product and an Instagram account, so we reached out to 200-300 influencers a day, seeding a highly visual product to them. About a third of them responded, and 10 percent of those posted, building a following organically. By the end of the first year, we had established a network of 5,000 influencers and generated $2 million in sales. This allowed us to invest in paid marketing and hire a team to manage the influencer program and customer care, which helped drive the brand," Zane explained. "We did this working part-time as I was still finishing dental school, and Omar was practicing as a dentist. Everyone said it's all been done, but we did it," he added. The brothers pivoted into Maison de Sabré full-time, thus Zane has yet to practice dentistry. DTC SWEET SPOT The brand was humming along nicely as a direct-to-consumer business, as the brothers built their own supply chain, sourcing leather that could be used on everything—from the original phone case to the bags and small leather goods, such as signature charms, that were added to the mix. A key leather supplier in the Netherlands also works with Louis Vuitton. "The leather has been designed and manufactured by our partner tannery to meet our standards. Any piece of hardware, including zippers and lining, is designed and manufactured by us. For instance, the zippers are a hundred percent brass that we designed ourselves to be extremely smooth on 2000 cycles of opening and closing," Omar said without a hint of irony for another dental parallel. The Mister Men and Little Miss bag charm collaboration from Maison de Sabré Sustainability was also a key component of the brand's core values; thus, material utilization is at an 85% rate. "Charms, zipper pulls, straps, interior pocket lining. We use every single piece of leather and try to find a purpose for it," Omar added. More eco-friendly fabrics have also entered the brand vocabulary. "Every year, we challenge ourselves to branch out into new materials. The year before last, we did a material called Resilon Nylon, a recycled nylon filament yarn made from fishing net, which we developed the previous year. In 2024, we introduced a new material called BioVeg™️, co-developed in Italy, which is a sustainable biopolymer plant-based leather alternative material," Omar noted. With production and distribution sorted, the brand was moving along nicely. But the brothers had bigger plans. "We got to a stage where we knew what our ambitions were: to be a true player in the luxury field," Zane said, adding, "There's only so much you can do with online business. You become limited and reach a ceiling. We knew what we were building, a real modern luxury Maison. For that, you need an in-store, touch-and-feel experience." CONCESSION STANDS Whether by intuition or data, the duo knew that a retail presence didn't necessarily mean traditional wholesale or free-standing vertical brand stores. Maison de Sabré's entry into the post-pandemic market opened up new avenues for them. With a concentration on Japan, Europe, and the US, the brand launched physical retail experiences. Maison de Sabré hosted pop-ups in galleries in the Shibuya, Tokyo district, and in Osaka, Japan The Maison de Sabré kiosk in collaboration with Nikki Beach Club. "We don't do any wholesale. We employ a non-conventional approach to retail, with our staff and stock, and don't allow retailers to place direct buys. Concession models allow us to control the narrative, which is important for a brand entering this retail experience. Hands-on allows us to control the storytelling to the customer," said Zane of the partnership that involves renting space from the larger entity, typically for a percentage of sales. Part of the story is the charms that customers select to personalize their bags. Thus, most concessions include their signature charm bar. Currently, growth is 200 percent YOY in the last 2 years, with a customer base in over 70 countries worldwide, whose loyalty and retention rate is 95 percent. Retail partners, which tend to secure an exclusive for a region, include Rinascente in Milan, Le Bon Marché in Paris, and a major British retail partner, which is soon to be announced. AMERICAN FOOTING "The Bloomingdale's flagship concession was meant to be a month-long pop-up, and it's been four months now, and it's still going strong," Zane pointed out, adding, "We aren't looking at expanding more now. We keep the selection and partnership quite tight to make sure we can mutually support each other to push it forward and maximize both customer bases to get the best outcome for the business." Online US partners include Nordstrom, Saks, and FRWRD, whose celebrity clientele led to organic placements through a VIP seeding initiative. Boldface names seen in the brand's offerings include Naomi Watts, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Selma Blair, and Emma Roberts, among others. Currently, Maison de Sabré has a team of approximately 60 people spread across Australia, Japan, France, Italy, and, most recently, New York, where Zane relocated at the beginning of 2025 to oversee the US strategy, as he recognizes the achievement of penetrating major retailers. "The leather goods space is a highly competitive market with a high barrier to entry. These departments typically have carried the same brands for five to ten years. Typically, not many enter the space that frequently," he added. COLLABORATIVE SPIRITS New raffia styles from Maison de Sabré. Just in time for summer 2025, a new material category, raffia, poised the brand for special concessions with the beach-y party franchise, Nikki Beach Club. Starting in St. Tropez, and expanding to Mallorca and Cannes, the hotspots will feature branded Maison de Sabré kiosks offering totes and specialized summer theme charms. Co-branded collaborations have also been a part of the burgeoning leather goods brand. Among them are Disney, Hello Kitty, and, most recently, Mister Men and Little Miss, which debuted in gallery pop-ups in Harajuku, Tokyo, and the Marais District of Paris. "Our collaborations are rooted in nostalgia as the main driving factor in how we decide who we collaborate with. We have been fortunate to receive inbound requests to collaborate," said Zane. For Disney's first collaborations, the brand produced Mickey & Friends—think Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto—across leather phone cases. The Hello Kitty collaboration debuted in conjunction with a "It's the first time that anyone has transformed the original artworks from the 1970s children's book into leather accessories. We reproduced them at a one-to-one scale into charms," noted Omar, adding, "In our generation, the child within us never really went away, which makes our generation special." FAMILY TIES Brothers Zane and Omar Sabré founded Maison de Sabré after first becoming dentists. While the brothers are rarely in the same place these days due to the multiple global projects and activations, the family's name is omnipresent on every product. It reflects the brother's commitment to quality. "I think people are tired of overpaying for luxury and understand that isn't what luxury is anymore. Consumers have been led to believe that luxury is a function of price, but in reality, luxury is a function of craftsmanship, material, and meticulous construction, which adds to its longevity. That's what true luxury is about," noted Omar. Zane summed up the endeavor: "Our success comes down to the fact that we have a timeless design and unwavering quality. The color is incredibly optimistic, newness comes at an amazing pace, and the cost is incredibly charming. It's a price point you can't beat for the value you get."
Perth Now
05-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Brothers turn side hustle into $100m empire
It started with a single phone case produced by two dentists. Now it is one of the world's fastest-growing luxury brands. Australian brothers Omar and Zane Sabré's 'side hustle' has evolved into Maison de Sabré, a homegrown luxury leather house now standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's most elite fashion brands. 'We're literally just two guys that started just thinking that they could do something. And then really actually followed through and did it … it's phenomenal,' Omar said. 'We really wake up every morning and just sort of pinch ourselves and be like, this is insane, you know?' Australian brothers Zane and Omar Sabré swapped their careers as dentists to build a global luxury powerhouse. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Walking away from careers as dentists, the brothers credit their rise to an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship, from their very first meticulously designed phone case to today's collection of refined luxury bags. 'We were there to sort of shake luxury up and give it a new definition,' Omar said. What started as a direct-to-consumer business has grown into a full-scale luxury house, now sold in over 150 countries and stocked by retailers such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Ave, and Bloomingdale's – with revenue set to surpass $100 million for the first time in 2025. Omar Sabré said the brothers still pinch themselves over the brand's meteoric rise. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Launched during Zane's time at dental school, the brothers poured everything into their 'side hustle' and by the time Zane graduated, the brand had become their full-time focus. 'By the time I graduated, we made the decision to go full-time in the business and leave our dental careers behind us, which was back in between 2017 and 2018,' Zane said. 'From there, we only had one core product, which was this phone case, it was quite a meticulous phone case, we used … some of the best materials and the best craft.' In just eight years, the duo has turned their vision into one of Australia's most prominent fashion exports, proudly redefining what Australian luxury looks like on the global stage. 'We're able to export Australian creativity onto the world stage and I think that's something that's been really rare,' Omar said. 'It's something that we really take a lot of pride in … because when people hear about Australian leather goods, it's typically the first time they've ever heard that phrase.' The brothers say they are proud to represent Aussie creativity on the global stage. Credit: Supplied The bond between the brothers has been a quiet superpower behind the business – helping them scale fast without losing the trust, chemistry, and aligned purpose that comes from family. For Zane, working with his brother is the 'best thing in the world'. 'There is nobody else you typically really want to do it with other than your own blood, someone you've grown up with and have been joined at the hip ever since you were kids, 'On paper, it makes the most sense; in reality, it makes even more sense.' Maison de Sabré is taking on heritage luxury brands on their own turf. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Described as a quiet luxury 'disrupter', Maison de Sabré is set to become the first Australian brand to launch a multi-venue retail activation across Saint Tropez, Mallorca, and Cannes, a space long reserved for heritage fashion houses. 'I think we're on to something truly special,' Zane said. 'We're excited to represent a brand from Australia as two guys that really knew nothing about business or entrepreneurship or luxury or fashion eight, nine years ago, now being able to sit alongside some of the best in the world.'
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Bride ‘heartbroken' after $15K dream dress turns into ‘nightmare' — just weeks before wedding
An Aussie bride has been left in tears just four weeks before her wedding – and she blames one of Sydney's most exclusive bridal boutiques. In an emotional social media clip, Jade Zane, 37, was in tears as she warned her viewers about the 'nightmare' she claims to have endured at the hands of the Ivory Room Bridal in Paddington. Advertisement 3 The bride-to-be was left heartbroken after her custom dream dress arrived ill-fitting. TikTok / @jademariezane 3 She blames one of Sydney's most exclusive bridal boutiques. TikTok / @jademariezane 'I spent almost $15,000 on my dream dress from there and it has come and it is massive,' she wept. The mum-of-three revealed the dress was 'not just a little off but eight centimeters too big in the chest alone.' Advertisement 'I'm heartbroken. I've been quoted $4,000 in alterations just to make it wearable,' she claimed. Ms. Zane said that she had originally given the business the benefit of the doubt, so she emailed them with her concerns. 3 Ms. Zane said that she had originally given the business the benefit of the doubt, so she emailed them with her concerns. TikTok / @jademariezane 'The reply was so generic they pretty much told me 'that's just how it is' and 'you'll have to alter it yourself,'' she claimed. Advertisement 'I emailed them again telling them it wasn't good enough and that they were in the wrong and I've had no response.' As it turns out, Ms. Zane isn't the only one who claims to have had a bad experience.
Los Angeles Times
30-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Teen Mt. Whitney hiker who walked off 120-foot cliff in delirium makes slow recovery, family says
A California teen who walked off a cliff while experiencing altitude-related hallucinations on the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states has begun a slow recovery but remains in a medically induced coma, his family said. Early this month, Zane Wach, 14, ascended Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevada with his father, Ryan, an experienced hiker, on the Mountaineer's Route — an eight-mile route described as 'steep' and 'unmaintained' by the Sierra Mountain Center. As the Wachs began their descent toward their car on a safer route, Zane began to experience hallucinations of 'snowmen,' on the trail and was in an 'altered mental state,' Ryan Wach told SFGate. 'It was completely bizarre,' Wach said in an interview with SFGate. 'He told me he couldn't tell if he was dreaming or not, and he would shake his head in disbelief, like, 'This is not real.' Like he was in the movie 'Inception' or something.' Mt. Whitney's peaks draw 30,000 hikers each year and an average of two suffer fatal injuries annually, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Climbers who wish to ascend during peak spring and summer months, between May 1 and Nov. 1, must apply for a permit through a lottery system, which limits the mountain to 100 climbers per day and only 60 for 'difficult' overnight climbs. The Mountaineer's Route is a path for experienced hikers to ascend to the summit of Mt. Whitney, which is over 14,000 feet in elevation. It is unclear whether the Wachs reached the summit, but according to the CDC, any travelers reaching altitudes of 8,000 feet — sometimes lower — are susceptible to altitude sickness and symptoms, such as confusion and feelings of 'intoxication,' that are usually associated with brain swelling. Zane phased in and out of delirium as they continued their descent, and the two stopped periodically to take a rest while Zane attempted to regain lucidity, Wach told the Independent. His son would 'sleepwalk' away from his father toward the edges of the trail, Wach added. Another group of hikers, including an EMT, evaluated Zane's condition once they noticed his mental deterioration. Wach told the Independent that once he briefly took his eyes off of his son, Zane 'veered' toward the edge of a deep slope and fell an estimated 120 feet. 'I didn't see how there would be a way for him to survive it, so I screamed. I was yelling 'no,'' Wach told the Independent. However, Zane was semi-conscious when his father reached him, and the nearby hikers contacted rescue teams, Wach said. The Inyo County Search and Rescue team worked for around six hours to rescue Zane as his father attempted to keep him warm, authorities said. Zane was flown to the Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, the nearest pediatric trauma center, according to the family's GoFundMe. While Zane had suffered head trauma and was put into a medically-induced coma, he was spared any major bodily injury. Wach told SFGATE that his son fractured an ankle and a finger and broke a part of his pelvis. Zane remains in a medically-induced coma, but began to breathe without medical assistance nearly three weeks after his fall in a 'giant milestone' toward his recovery, Wach said in a post on Facebook shared by Zane's grandmother. Wach added that doctors are currently attempting to wean Zane off heavy medication. 'He's been on a lot of heavy drugs for a while and getting off those is extremely hard and painful,' Wach wrote. 'As parents, it's terrible to watch. We hope he gets through this with the least possible suffering,'
