Karen Wazen Becomes the First Middle Eastern To Front a Global Campaign for Roberto Cavalli

Karen Wazen. Photo: Courtesy Roberto Cavalli

Influencer and entrepreneur Karen Wazen is officially the first Middle Eastern to be the face of a global Roberto Cavalli campaign. The Lebanese-born, Dubai-based mother-of-three was recently seen in a series of stills for the Italian fashion house. The campaign, which celebrates Roberto Cavalli’s fragrances—the Paradiso perfume, in particular—shows a glowing Wazen dressed in the label’s signature animal print essentials against an equally rustic series of backdrops inspired by wildlife patterns.

All set to be officially unveiled in February, the campaign was reportedly shot in Paris earlier this year. In an official statement, Fausto Puglisi, creative director of Roberto Cavalli, shared, “We are extremely excited to welcome Karen to the Cavalli family. Her liberated spirit and glamorous style embodies the iconic Cavalli universe. We are proud to kickstart our collaboration together with a campaign that celebrates the core Cavalli fragrance pillars, which are the epitome of femininity and bring together a melody of notes inspired by out Italian heritage.” This campaign also marks the first time the fashion house has featured an influencer in its campaign.

Wazen too shared her excitement about the project with her 7.1 million Instagram followers, saying, “This is such a dream for an Arab girl from Lebanon to be the global spokesperson for such an iconic brand… thank you to the most amazing team for this opportunity and for an unforgettable experience.”

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A post shared by Karen Wazen Bakhazi كارن وازن (@karenwazen)

In the shots, Wazen gazes at the camera with flawlessly painted cat eyes, while the rest of her beauty look is refreshingly stripped back. Think barely-there base makeup that allows freckles and natural textures to shine through, soft caramel lips, and easy, straight locks. The only indulgent beauty element you’ll spot here is that molten gold manicure, which brings in some of Cavalli’s trademark drama.

Along with being a special moment for the brand, the Roberto Cavalli campaign is another feather in Karen Wazen’s cap, who also launched her very own eyewear brand in 2018, and a game named ‘Karen Wazen: My World’ last year. Scroll to check out more pictures from the campaign!