The Creative Journey of Vanessa Abboud

She is at once a DJ and a designer, a young woman threading rhythm and fabric into two parallel worlds that mirror each other more than they diverge. Known in the electronic music scene as VNSA, and under her second alias Vinyl Vee, Vanessa’s sound resists easy categorization, moving between techno and house, sharpened by heavy breaks, yet softened by traces of soul and funk. On stage, it becomes something more: a magnetic force that has carried her from Beirut’s most iconic clubs to international festivals and dance floors in Dubai, Ibiza, Paris, and beyond.

The reputation is not borrowed, nor accidental. Over the years, she has shared lineups with Peggy Gou, Monolink, Blond:ish, Keinemusik, Agents of Time, Adriatique among others, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the industry’s most influential names. Her refined curation has also made her a fixture at luxury events for brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Audemars Piguet, and Jimmy Choo, proof of a sound adaptable enough to shift from underground dance floors to the most polished stages.

The pulse of house music

From the very beginning, house music was her anchor, the pulse that guided every set. “When I was young, my sound was house. And it never really changed,” she explains. While she experimented with other genres along the way, her signature style remained rooted in the rhythm and warmth of house, a sound both timeless and intimate.

Reflecting on the post-pandemic shift, she notes, “After COVID, people got so depressed with all the circumstances. They started to play the happy sound; the sound that’s a bit uplifting… I’m happy it’s booming now, because it’s mainly what I like.” For Vanessa, music doesn’t just play; it converses with the crowd, translating her instinctive energy into an atmosphere that lingers long after the last track fades.

Navigating a male-dominated industry

On being a woman in a male-dominated industry, Vanessa is unapologetically clear: “I don’t like to put gender into it. Music is about taste, not whether you’re male or female.” Yet she acknowledges the hurdles she faced early on, when audiences and promoters sometimes assumed women were there just for appearances. “Back then, there were very few female DJs in the entire Middle East. Now there are many, but some promoters still don’t treat women the same way they treat men.” Despite this, she never felt the need to prove herself."

I know my potential, I focus on my work, and people eventually see it.

Design as identity

Vanessa’s creativity extends beyond the decks into fashion. Almost six years ago, during Lebanon’s crisis, she founded her clothing brand, a natural extension of her musical world. “Every piece is named after a track,” she says. Simultaneously, each collection reflects a different genre, disco is colorful and funky, techno darker and grungy, minimal, clean and understated, allowing her to explore multiple sides of herself and project them into tangible form.

Balancing music and fashion hasn’t been easy. “I’m a perfectionist, and even when I delegate, I want my touch on everything. It’s tiring, since both careers are art, no one else can execute my vision. Still, I enjoy it.” In fashion, as in music, Vanessa transforms passion into experience, giving shape to her sound and identity.

Launching a record label

Vanessa is now taking her creative journey a step further with the launch of her own record label, set to debut alongside her first album. “There are so many talented artists in Lebanon and across the Middle East who deserve to be heard,” she says. Her label will serve as a platform for those voices, reflecting her vision and deep love for house music. “I want to create a space that highlights artists with taste, who care about the music as much as the energy it brings,” she explains. For Vanessa, this is not just a business venture, it’s another form of artistic expression, a way to shape the soundscape she’s been cultivating for over a decade.

Her advice to young women entering the field is equally firm: “First, find your own identity. There are so many DJs today, and if you don’t have a sound of your own, you’ll get lost. Dig deep. Learn genres, keys, how music flows. Once you have an identity, then learn the technical side."

Mixing is the easiest part, it’s taste, flow, and energy that matter most.

As Vanessa looks ahead, one thing is certain: every track she spins, every piece she designs, and every artist she uplifts is a testament to a singular vision that refuses to be confined.