Arab influencer Karen Wazen is the new global ambassador for Roberto Cavalli

The Lebanese influencer is the new global ambassador for Roberto Cavalli fragrances. Instagram
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Updated 19 January 2022
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Arab influencer Karen Wazen is the new global ambassador for Roberto Cavalli

DUBAI: Fashion influencer and designer Karen Wazen has been unveiled as the new face of Italian label Roberto Cavalli. The Dubai-based Lebanese content creator and entrepreneur features in the womenswear brand’s latest fragrance campaign, which will be launched in February.

This is the first time Cavalli has partnered with an ambassador from the Middle East.

Wazen shared the campaign image with her 7.1 million Instagram followers this week.

In the campaign, which was shot in Paris earlier this year, Wazen can be seen wearing the brand’s signature animal print.

“Ah! News is out! And I need someone to pinch me please,” wrote an incredulous Wazen, who was quickly inundated with overwhelmingly positive comments on the social media platform. “I’m the new face of Roberto Cavalli fragrances globally. 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. Thank you @faustopuglisi for believing in me and making me a part of this journey,” she added, referring to the label’s creative director, Sicilian designer Fausto Puglisi.

 “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 our Italian heritage,” Puglisi said, according to WWD magazine.

The Dubai-based fashionista is one of the most influential figures in the region.

In addition to boasting of a combined following of more than 12 million across her social media platforms, the mother-of-three is also an eyewear designer and has an eponymous sunglasses brand, which she launched in 2018.

Last year, she launched her very first mobile game app, available on iOS and Android, titled “Karen Wazen: My World.”

She has also starred in plenty of regional advertorials for prestigious brands, including Prada, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton and Cartier, to name a few.

In 2020, the social media influencer was also named a High Profile Supporter of UNHCR.


At Jazan festival, Suad Al-Asiri paints memory, land and leadership

Updated 13 January 2026
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At Jazan festival, Suad Al-Asiri paints memory, land and leadership

  • Local artist channels personal hardship into works that reflect Jazan’s identity, heritage
  • Jazan: A Nation and a Prince, places region at the heart of a composition featuring Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Nasser bin Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Jalawi

RIYADH: At the Ahad Al-Masarihah pavilion at Jazan Festival 2026, Suad Al-Asiri’s paintings blend memory, place and personal history, offering visual narratives shaped by beauty and hardship. 

A novelist and visual artist, Al-Asiri has long used art as a storytelling tool. After a near-fatal car accident in March 2024, her work took on a new urgency. Bedridden for 11 months, cut off from the public world for more than a year, she describes that period as one of the most painful in her life — yet also transformative. 

“First of all, praise be to God for granting me life, as the accident was extremely severe,” she said. “By God’s grace, I was given a new life. All my thinking after the accident was about becoming an inspiration to others — about enduring pain and obstacles, and still leaving an impact.” 

Her return to public life came in 2025, when she participated in National Day celebrations with the ministry of interior. By the time she arrived at Jazan Festival, she was ready to channel that experience into her art. 

The centerpiece of her display, “Jazan: A Nation and a Prince,” places the region at the heart of a composition featuring Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Nasser bin Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, governor and deputy governor of Jazan respectively. 

Visitors linger over the details: the painting incorporates coffee beans, sesame and khudair — materials drawn from local products.

“I wanted people to recognize these products immediately,” she said. “They are part of Jazan’s daily life, and using them makes the work more tangible, more connected to everyday experience.” 

The painting sparks conversation. Visitors discuss leadership, identity, and the intimate relationship between people and their environment. 

Beyond the central piece, Al-Asiri presents individual portraits of the two princes, expanding the dialogue into a broader exploration of heritage and memory.  

Her journey into art is tied to her life as a storyteller. Early experiments with charcoal and pencil evolved into abstract art, drawn by its expressive freedom. 

From there, she explored realism, surrealism, and eventually modern art, particularly pop art, which has earned her wide recognition in artistic circles. Her novels and media work complement her visual practice, earning her the title “the comprehensive artist” from the governor.

Yet what stands out most in this exhibition is how Al-Asiri’s personal resilience flows through each piece. Her experience of surviving a devastating accident, enduring months of immobility, and returning to the public eye informs every brushstroke. 

Visitors sense not just her artistic skill, but her determination to turn life’s hardships into inspiration for others. 

Walking through the pavilion, one can see it in the way she blends heritage symbols, southern landscapes, and scenes of daily life. 

Each painting becomes both a document and a dialogue — a celebration of Jazan’s culture, a reflection on identity, and a testament to the power of human perseverance. 

At Jazan Festival 2026, Suad Al-Asiri’s art is a quiet, persistent inspiration for anyone who pauses long enough to listen.