Jean Paul Gaultier names Ameni Esseibi as first regional ambassador for fragrance line

Esseibi is considered the first plus-size model in the Middle East. (Supplied)
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Updated 21 May 2024
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Jean Paul Gaultier names Ameni Esseibi as first regional ambassador for fragrance line

DUBAI: French luxury brand Jean Paul Gaultier has announced that Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi has been appointed as the first-ever regional ambassador for its fragrance line.

Esseibi, considered the first plus-size model in the Middle East, showcased the brand’s iconic Scandal perfume in the campaign images, donning a variety of ensembles.

 

 

Among them was a form-fitting blue dress adorned with pink floral designs. In another shot, she wore a jumpsuit in the same hue, featuring vibrant geometric prints in yellow, orange, purple and pink.

She also rocked a black gown, and a sheer beige and gold top layered elegantly over a simple black base.




Esseibi showcased the brand’s iconic Scandal perfume in the campaign images. (Supplied)

“Jean Paul Gaultier is more than just a brand to me,” Esseibi said in a statement. “It feels like family. Its identity embodies everything I stand for: Rebellion, strength, boldness, fearlessness, sensuality, and a touch of scandal.” 

“Growing up, Jean Paul Gaultier was my mother’s favorite fragrance, making it a cherished part of my life. I am deeply honored to make history as their first Arab ambassador in the region, and this brand will continue to be an enduring part of my career,” she added.

 

 

Esseibi made her international debut in September 2022 by walking for French label Victor Weinsanto at Paris Fashion Week.  

She then went on to work with a number of esteemed brands, including H&M, and has featured in the pages of multiple publications. 

 

 

In 2022, the Arab Fashion Council, a non-profit organization representing the fashion industry in the Middle East and North Africa, named the Dubai-based model as its ambassador.


Mona Tougaard wears bridal look at Dior’s Paris show

Updated 27 January 2026
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Mona Tougaard wears bridal look at Dior’s Paris show

  • Rihanna and Brigitte Macron among attendees at show
  • Design part of new director Jonathan Anderson’s vision

DUBAI/ PARIS: Model Mona Tougaard reportedly turned heads in a bridal-inspired look on the Christian Dior runway during the recent Paris Haute Couture Week.

The runway star, who has Danish, Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian ancestry, wore a sculptural white gown with a one-shoulder silhouette and layered petal-like appliques cascading from the bodice to the full skirt.

The asymmetrical bodice featured draped detailing across the torso, while the skirt flared into a voluminous, floor-length shape.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Dior Official (@dior)

The look was finished with oversized floral statement earrings that echoed the dress’s petal motif.

The floral elements echoed the wider vision of Dior’s new creative director Jonathan Anderson, who drew inspiration from nature and his love of ceramics for his first Haute Couture collection since being appointed to the role.

The 41-year-old faces the rare challenge of overseeing all three fashion lines at the house — women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and Haute Couture — becoming the first designer to do so since Christian Dior himself.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Dior Official (@dior)

Just days after presenting his latest men’s collection during Paris Men’s Fashion Week, the Northern Irish designer returned with his first couture offering.

The collection featured floral motifs on fabrics or as accessories, while sculptural bulbous dresses were inspired by the work of Kenya-born ceramicist Magdelene Odundo.

“When you copy nature, you always learn something,” Anderson declared in his show notes, which compared Haute Couture to a living ecosystem that is “evolving, adapting, enduring.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Dior Official (@dior)

Other noteworthy pieces included dresses with spherical birdcage-inspired silhouettes, while other models wore vest tops with their dresses gathered around their waists.

The front row at the Rodin Museum reflected the scale of anticipation surrounding Anderson’s couture debut. France’s first lady Brigitte Macron arrived early, while Lauren Sanchez Bezos swept in shortly after.

Actor Parker Posey twirled briefly in a trench-style dress, playing to the room before settling in.

Then the space fell into a collective pause as celebrities and editors alike waited for Rihanna. When the pop star finally took her seat, the lights dropped and the show began.

Before the show, Anderson admitted in an interview with the Business of Fashion website that he previously thought couture was “irrelevant,” adding that he never really “understood the glamour behind it.”

“Now, I feel like I’m doing a Ph.D. in couture,” he explained.