Whether it’s her struggles with vitiligo or her suffering from a non-life-threatening heart condition, Dubai-based fashion blogger-turned-influencer Karen Wazen has always been candid about her challenges and personal insecurities. Her love of sunglasses came from an insecurity: “I have big eyes and used to feel insecure about them, so covering them with sunglasses made me feel confident. Even today, wearing sunglasses gives me this rush of confidence — almost like a superpower.”
Wazen felt there was a sweet spot in the Middle East for well-made sunglasses priced below $200 — premium yet attainable. This led to the launch of her eponymous sunglasses brand in 2018, and its rapid expansion (the company declined to disclose its turnover). Now, Karen Wazen is announcing a joint venture with Egypt’s Baraka Group, under which it will open one branded store per quarter over the next four years, with a goal of 15 to 16 across Egypt in total.
Wazen already has a retail presence in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, the UAE and other regional hubs. Five of the retail points are monobrand formats, operating as kiosks or standalone stores. The partnership in Egypt is a turning point, set to significantly grow her network of dedicated Karen Wazen boutiques. Egypt is also where the designer commands her largest online following (12% of her eight million-strong Instagram audience is based in the country). Wazen signed a distribution agreement with Baraka Group in 2021, and the brand’s strong market momentum — over 12,500 pairs of Karen Wazen sunglasses have been sold in Egypt since then — led to the joint venture.
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“For years, we [consumers in the Middle East] were infatuated with anything from the West. That’s changing now,” says Wazen. “You see it in fashion, food and beverage, beauty — it’s our time.” She points to the success of Fix Dessert Chocolatier and its famous Dubai Chocolate, which has gone from TikTok craze to global sensation.
From blog to brand
Wazen’s community has made her valuable to retail players, working with brands from Dior to Cartier. But the fact she is more than just a fashion girl is what’s made her stand out. It all started when a newly married Wazen moved to Dubai in 2016 and launched her blog Karen’s Choice. The digital diary “shared honest reflections about topics like long-distance relationships, new motherhood and navigating change”, she recalls. Almost a decade later, Wazen remains a significant voice in the region.
The mother of three has been open about her struggles and confidence battles, especially when it comes to body image. Wazen revealed how she went on a crash diet before an influencer trip to Brazil, sharing on her Instagram: “You put so much pressure on yourself before that trip to have a certain body type. You’ve cut out carbs, changed your eating habits, and reached your goal weight by June… and ended up putting all that weight back on after you got home.”
Wazen shares all aspects of her life — the highs and the lows — which makes her audience feel connected to her. Her authenticity is refreshing in an era dominated by curated perfection, her partners say. “Everything she does is driven from her personal story and journey,” says Joana Jamil, Meta’s strategic partner content curator for the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye. (Wazen was selected by Meta as a “managed partner”, recognizing her ability to drive business growth across its platforms.) “She [Wazen] didn’t just grow followers; she built trust. Her reach across multiple markets reflects how deeply her voice resonates culturally and emotionally beyond borders.”
As the first Middle East ambassador for Roberto Cavalli perfumes and the first regional ambassador for Guerlain, when Wazen first considered launching a product, beauty came to mind — but sunglasses felt more authentic to her story. “I didn’t want to do something because I thought it would work, I wanted to do something I genuinely loved,” she says.
Wazen credits her husband and co-founder Elias Bakhazi for the rapid retail expansion. “My husband is my partner in the brand, and I have to give him so much credit. He quit his full-time job at HSBC after 15 years to build this with me,” says Wazen. “I’m the creative one, but he’s the numbers and structure guy. We complement each other perfectly.” Also working as partner and COO is her brother-in-law Samer Bakhazi, who previously held roles at Procter Gamble.
Wazen and Bakhazi also run investment firm KE Partners. While they do not disclose the size of their portfolio, they have made 13 investments to date, including Huspy, a UAE-based fintech company that is disrupting the local real estate market through a digital-first approach.
Always looking to the future
Wazen launched her sunglasses brand online, and it wasn’t until 2023 that she opened her first physical retail space — a kiosk in her birth city of Beirut. Today, 85% of the brand’s sales are made via bricks-and-mortar retail. “With accessories — especially eyewear — you want to try the product,” she says. Pricing was always a key part of the proposition. “We wanted our prices to feel accessible but aspirational. I’ve always believed that luxury isn’t just about a logo, it’s about quality, design and how a piece makes you feel. And there was no eyewear product like this in the region.”
Wazen expanded naturally into fashion jewellery, also adding belts to the mix last year. “We wanted to complete the ‘Karen Wazen girl’,” she says. This girl is effortless, cool and wants versatility, according to Wazen. “She had her sunglasses, but we wanted to dress her up more. Our pieces are designed to be effortless and worn every day. You can style them up or down.”
While the designer has done pop-ups in London and Paris, she mainly focuses on wholesale in these markets. In the Middle East, however, she is building a solid retail presence, with a kiosk coming to Dubai’s Mirdif Mall before the end of the year. Long term, Wazen would like a standalone Paris store, as she sees a lot of pull from the city, both in terms of e-commerce sales and her social media following. Wazen also has a strong following in Saudi Arabia, which is next on her retail hit list.
She understands that her digital presence is something to continually work on, alongside her role as founder and investor. “Karen the founder and Karen the creator are not two different people competing for attention; they fuel each other,” says Meta’s Jamil. “Her brand reflects her values, her heritage and her experience. That’s why her audience doesn’t just follow her — they invest in her.”
“We are proud to partner with a family that shares our values and continues to drive positive change in the Middle Eastern fashion industry,” says Ahmed Ragab, CEO and partner at Baraka Retail Group.
Karen Wazen will be speaking at the Vogue Business Global Summit: Middle East Edition on 18 November. Secure your ticket here.
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