DUBAI: French Tunisian model Kenza Fourati, who has walked the runways for the likes of Valentino, Armani and Balenciaga, took to social media this week to share snapshots from her intimate Egyptian holiday. Traveling with her husband and two children, the 35-year-old shared pictures of her family vacation, featuring the Pyramids of Giza, boat rides on the Nile and beachside fun at Almaza Bay.
“Experiencing Cairo this summer through my part Egyptian children and seeing them connecting with their family, culture and history was special,” Fourati captioned one of the posts.
Fourati was first discovered at the age of 16 after being scouted at an Elite Model Look competition in Tunisia. She moved to Paris soon after, where she also earned a degree in French literature and arts at Sorbonne University.
One of the first Arab Muslim women to feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Fourati has also starred alongside Charlize Theron in a Dior fragrance campaign. She has modeled for Chanel, H&M and Stella McCartney, and as a member of the Model Alliance and Model Mafia, she has used her voice and influence to fight for the equitable treatment of models in the fashion industry.
In August 2018, she launched the sustainably focused e-commerce platform Osay the Label: Our Stories Are Yours, along with her business partner Simone Carrica, an Argentinian American entrepreneur who also grew up in Tunisia.
“Osay is an ethical, artisan-based company cultivating luxury goods that are both sustainable and attainable by preserving the craftsmanship of master artisans, while celebrating the art of Mediterranean living,” reads the bio on the label’s website.
“I love things that have a story. I’m attracted to vintage pieces and unique pieces — like a beautiful leather jacket that was here way before me and will be way after — which is probably why Osay came about,” Fourati told Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. “More than ever, we know we have to consume and live fashion differently, essentially with more integrity, purpose, conscience, and soul.”
Fourati’s own style is relaxed but polished — a nod to years spent working in the industry.