DUBAI: French Algerian model Loli Bahia has landed a starring role in Saint Laurent’s new summer campaign, appearing alongside Danish model Mona Tougaard, who is of Somali, Turkish and Ethiopian descent.
Titled “Respiro,” the campaign was described by the French house as a “visual love letter to the French Riviera.” Its name, Italian for “breath,” captured the languid, sun-soaked mood. It was photographed by South African photographer Henrik Purienne under the creative direction of Belgian fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello.
Joining them were Italian runway star Vittoria Ceretti, Canadian model Jenn du Puy and rising name SJ, with the campaign styled to look as though the women had wandered into the shoot mid-vacation rather than posed for it. It was set against the sea and sun-bleached rocks of the coast, the imagery leaning into an easy, off-duty glamour.
The collection at the heart of the campaign put a summer spin on Saint Laurent staples, from raffia-wrapped versions of the house’s classic Panier and Loulou bags to weightless windbreakers and the Cassandre tank — pieces that channeled the effortless, holiday-ready spirit Vaccarello has brought to the house.
For Bahia, the campaign continues a long relationship with the label. The Lyon-born model, who has a Spanish father and an Algerian mother, was named a Yves Saint Laurent Beauty ambassador in 2023, and has fronted several of the brand’s beauty campaigns since. She has also fronted a campaign for Chanel and walked Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton shows. Since her 2020 runway debut at Louis Vuitton, she has walked for Fendi, Prada and Max Mara, becoming one of the industry’s most sought-after faces.
Tougaard, whose mother is Somali Ethiopian and father half-Turkish, half-Danish, has followed a similar path. She opened her career as a Prada exclusive in 2019 and has walked for nearly every major house, from Chanel and Dior to Versace and Saint Laurent. She was nominated for Model of the Year at the 2024 Fashion Awards and has appeared on the covers of British and Italian Vogue.
The pair are no strangers to working together, having previously starred side by side in Versace’s spring/summer 2025 campaign and walked many of the same runways.
