1. VOiOF A R A BI A
TH E
The Tunisian
model-turned-
television personality
AFEF JNIFEN has
long been a force of
positive Arab
expression in the
West. Now, she
returns to the region
to mentor a new
generation of Middle
Eastern creatives, as
Alex Aubry discovers
Styling by KATIE TROTTER
Photography by ELLEN VON UNWERTH
Ce
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2. 56 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016
Jacket, Dhs6,450,
Saint Laurent. Shirt,
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DriesVan Noten.
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Cartier
The
INTERVIEW
Dress, Dhs99,500,
Roberto Cavalli.
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vivid yellow oval-shaped
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Solaires necklace,
platinum with white gold,
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Shoes, Dhs4,600,
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3. 58 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016 59 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016
The
INTERVIEW
hen MBC Group unveils its Arab version of Project Runway on
September 17 its impact may be far greater than its earlier incarnation,
which ran for two seasons on Beirut-based Future TV from 2006-2007.
In the last 10 years, much has changed in the region’s fashion landscape,
now home to an expanding pool of young design talent from North
Africa, the Levant and the Arabian Gulf. After decades of being
discouraged to pursue careers in the fashion industry, a new generation
of Arab designers has emerged with degrees from venerable institutions
such as Central St Martins in London and New York’s Parsons,
in addition to fledgling design schools established in the region over the
last decade.
“Relaunching Project Runway in the Middle East is part of a concerted
effort to provide a platform for young Arab design talent in order to
hone their skills and become active players in the regional and global
fashion industry,” says Mazen Hayek, MBC Group’s spokesperson for
the reality TV show, whose first season is set to air on MBC4 and MBC
MASR. Among the personalities tapped for Project Runway is Faris Al
Shehri, the Saudi creator behind Maison BO-M in Riyadh, who will
mentor participants in line with the role Tim Gunn played in the show’s
American version, while Lebanese-Australian model Jessica Kahawaty
will step into Heidi Klum’s shoes as Project Runway’s host. Heading the
panel of three judges is Lebanese designer Elie Saab, who will be joined
by the Tunisian-Italian style icon Afef Jnifen, handpicked by Elie for the
show’s launch.
“When it came time to select the judges, both Elie Saab and MBC
unanimously agreed that Afef would be a perfect addition to the panel.
She comes to the show with years of experience in the fashion industry,
which allows her to provide informed and constructive feedback to the
show’s participants,” observes Mazen of Afef’s role on Project Runway,
which although filmed at MBC’s studios in Beirut, will conclude with
a grand finale set to air live from Dubai Design District on December
10, 2016. For Afef, the decision to return to television after taking an
extended hiatus was one she thought carefully about. “When I stepped
down from my show in Italy, I still continued to receive proposals for
new TV shows, including an Italian version of Project Runway. But
I declined most of them because I needed a break from the spotlight and
to spend time with my family,” confides the mother-of-one, who was
lured back to the small screen thanks to her friend Elie Saab.
“Elie is someone I respect a great deal, not only for his creativity but
also his sense of humanity. The fact that he wants to open the fashion
field to a new generation in the region and provide opportunities for
them to grow, reflects his spirit of generosity,” says Afef, who had first
met the Lebanese couturier in 1997 when she modelled in his debut
show at Rome’s Alta Moda. “I had been booked for several shows that
season, when I heard there was an Arab designer in town showing his
collection. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to do his show,
because back then there were very few people from the Middle East
working in the industry,” recalls Afef, who in 2005 was honoured with
the keys to the town of Mazara de Vallo in Sicily for her efforts to raise
funds for a charity helping immigrant families.
For MBC, choosing to make such a bold statement with Project
Runway in its first season ultimately raises the question of whether the
show could have a much broader resonance beyond fashion, a point Afef
considered before joining its cast of judges. “Whether we love it or hate
it, as a medium, television can serve as a powerful tool to change
perceptions about the Arab World. It’s also an opportunity to create
a space for dialogue and self-reflection in the region, whether we are
doing so through fashion or art. My decision to do this show was also
about making an important statement that we need to support design
talent in the Middle East and show that they can have the same impact
as Western designers,” explains the Tunisian beauty, who was born in
Medenine, Tunisia on November 3, 1963.
Afef has long used the small screen as a platform to fight Islamophobic
and anti-Arab rhetoric in the West, particularly in Italy where she has
carved out a career as a respected television presenter. Yet despite being
a familiar presence at glittering events such as the Cannes and Venice
Film Festivals, she has remained something of an enigma in both the
West and the Middle East. Newspapers and publications frequently
strain to find the words to describe her multi-faceted career, alternately
referring to her as a socialite, television host, humanitarian, model and
brand ambassadress.
For Afef, that allusive quality has been carefully cultivated over the
span of three decades in the spotlight. “Despite my job, which requires
me to be in front of the camera, I tend to be a very private person and
I don’t like to open my personal life to the press, especially in Europe
where it can be invasive at times,” says Afef, who despite her fame in
Europe is not as widely known in the Middle East; a level of anonymity
that is set to change once Project Runway broadcasts into millions of
households across the region. “There are times when the press will
invent stories just to sell more issues of a magazine. But at the same time,
if I can use this platform to change perceptions about the Middle East
and Arab women in particular then I’m happy to do so to reach as many
people as possible,” she adds, noting that in the Arab world
there is still a respect for privacy, particularly amongst celebrities.
“ I O F T E N F I N D T H A T P R E J U D I C E
S T E M S F R O M I G N O R A N C E .
I R E M A I N C O M M I T T E D T O
F I G H T I N G N E G A T I V E S T E R E O T Y P E S
O F A R A B S A N D M U S L I M S ”
A f e f J n i f e n
➤
Jacket, Dhs7,720,
Fendi. Dress,
Dhs16,100,
Alberta Ferretti
Limited Edition.
Merveilleux
necklace, platinum,
with a 5.86-carat
pear-shaped
yellow diamond
and brilliant-cut
diamonds, Cartier

4. 60 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016 61 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016
The
INTERVIEWThe
INTERVIEW
Suit, Gaultier Paris. Shoes, Dhs4,600, Gianvito
Rossi. Merveilleux earrings, platinum with
6.03-carat vivid yellow, oval-shaped diamonds;
Paillettes Solaires ring, platinum, yellow gold,
and rose-cut diamonds, both Cartier

5. 62 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016
The
INTERVIEW
“Thankfully you don’t find the kind of paparazzi following one around
in the Middle East as you do in Europe,” smiles Afef, who maintains
a home near the capital Tunis, in the chic suburb of Sidi Bou Saïd.
For those unfamiliar with the arc of her life, Afef’s connections to the
fashion industry run deep thanks to a successful modelling career that is
reflected in her circle of highly influential friends such as Donatella
Versace and Miuccia Prada, with whom she travelled to Qatar in 2006
to celebrate her birthday. “We visited Qatar several times as the art scene
was beginning to pick up with the opening of new museums in Doha,”
says Afef, who also had the opportunity to travel to the country with her
dear friend Zaha Hadid, the noted British/Iraqi architect who passed
away in March. “I’ve always surrounded myself with strong women who
inspire me. Having roots in Tunisia, I’m most proud of the pioneering
role the country has played in fostering women’s rights in North Africa
and the Middle East. It’s a legacy that I keep close to my heart,” Afef says
of the pride in her background that is also appreciated by her close knit
circle of friends. “Afef can be incredibly warm and funny, but beneath
the surface is a very strong and intelligent woman. She’s always been
proud of her roots and she has done much to educate others about her
rich cultural heritage,” observes close friend Naomi Campbell, who has
known Afef since their modelling days in Paris and Milan.
Over tea in the leafy interior courtyard of the Mandarin Oriental
Hotel in Paris, one quickly gets the sense that Afef is a natural at moving
between different social circles, switching effortlessly from French,
English, Arabic and Italian as she greets friends stopping by to say hello.
If she were to host a dinner, the guest list would most likely include an
eclectic mix of friends such as Sophia Loren, Peter Lindbergh, Lana Del
Rey and Marella Agnelli all seated at the same table. “That’s the beauty
of Afef, she’s able to bring together people of different backgrounds and
make them feel instantly at ease,” smiles Naomi Campbell of the
Tunisian/Italian style icon.
As the daughter of a diplomat, Afef spent most of her childhood
travelling throughout the Middle East to countries such as Iraq,
Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Emirates. “The first
country my father was posted to was Iraq, but because there weren’t any
French schools in Baghdad at the time I stayed with my mother and
siblings in Tunis and we would visit my father when school was out for
three months,” recalls Afef, whose family lived in the Al Mansour district
of Baghdad, where she stayed each summer from the ages of nine-to-12.
“I remember it being a very diverse neighbourhood at the time, and my
siblings and I used to play with the kids of Shiite, Sunni, Christian and
Kurdish families all living together in the same area. It was a wonderful
environment to grow up in, because it taught me how to get along and
be tolerant of others from a very young age,” says Afef, who recalls
taking road trips during the summer with her family to visit Iraq’s
different regions. “As a child I wasn’t very enthused by the idea of
spending my summers driving around Iraq, something my father
insisted we do in addition to visiting museums wherever we went. But
today when I look back on those memories I thank my father, because
we had the opportunity to see parts of Iraq’s culture and history that
aren’t as easily accessible now or have been destroyed by conflict.”
“ A S W O M E N W E N E E D T O H AV E
T H E C O N F I D E N C E T O C E L E B R A T E
E A C H P H A S E O F O U R L I V E S
A N D K N O W T H A T W E A R E V I T A L
A T A N Y A G E … T H A T I S S O M E T H I N G
I N C R E D I B L Y E M P O W E R I N G ”
A f e f J n i f e n
➤
Dress and cape, both
Ralph & Russo Couture.
Paillettes Solaires
earrings, platinum,
with yellow triangle-
shaped briolette-cut
diamonds, Cartier

6. The
INTERVIEW
Dress, Elie Saab
Couture
Suit, Gaultier Paris.
Merveilleux earrings,
platinum with
6.03-carat vivid yellow,
oval-shaped diamonds;
Paillettes Solaires ring,
platinum, yellow gold,
and rose-cut diamonds,
both Cartier

7. 66 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016 67 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016
When her father became Tunisia’s ambassador to Lebanon, the family
moved to Beirut at the height of the civil war, where they lived from
1981-82. “I fell in love with Beirut because the Lebanese are incredibly
warm and took us in as their own. At the same time I experienced some
of the hardships they went through and became very attached to the
country,” says Afef, who eventually returned 18 years after the civil war
had ended to find the country transformed.
“It was a very emotional moment for me
seeing Beirut from the plane for the first time
in many years, and one of the reasons I signed
on to Project Runway was the opportunity to
return there,” says the 52-year-old, who has
since travelled to the Lebanese capital on
many occasions to visit friends such as Elie
Saab and his wife Claudine at their renovated
Ottoman-era mansion. “One of my most
memorable trips to Beirut was when the late
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al Hariri and
his wife Nazik organised a small gathering for
my birthday at their home almost two years
before he was assassinated. It was a real
tragedy and I always fondly remember the
time I spent with them,” says Afef, who grew
up the only girl among five brothers.
“If you asked my mother she would have
told you jokingly that she had six sons, and
I think at times they forgot they had a young
girl in the house, so I wasn’t spoilt very
much,” she recalls, revealing that she was
something of a tomboy who took to playing
sports such as judo, football and basketball.
“I didn’t want anyone to assume I was weak because I was a girl or that
I was in constant need of protection. I think that strong need for
independence that developed during my childhood has remained with
me throughout my life,” says Afef, who fell into the modelling world by
chance during a trip to the Bahamas in 1987. While walking on the
beach, the young Tunisian caught the eye of noted fashion lensman and
creative director Jean-Paul Goude, who was there shooting Carla Bruni
for a Club Med campaign.
Jean-Paul proceeded to place Afef in the ad and suggested she go to
Paris to meet the designer Azzedine Alaïa who was casting models for his
show. Shortly after arriving at the Tunisian-born couturier’s atelier on
the Rue de Moussy, Afef was taken under his wing and inducted into
a coterie of ‘Alaïa girls’ that included models Veronica Webb and Naomi
Campbell. “I have wonderful memories of my time with Alaïa. He used
to love to cook and after a show Naomi and I would go to his small
kitchen where he would prepare us a delicious meal,” says Afef, who also
noted that Grace Jones was a regular presence at Alaïa’s studio. “One of
my most memorable Alaïa shows took place at the Bercy concert hall in
Paris which was packed with thousands of people. He had recently
received an award and Grace Jones modelled in the show with us,”
recalls Afef, who remains close friends with the Tunisian designer,
accompanying him to the opening of his retrospective at Paris’ Musée
Galliera in 2014.
The
INTERVIEW
“ I N T H E A R A B W O R L D ,
Y O U N G W O M E N
W A N T I N G T O P U R S U E A
C A R E E R I N M O D E L L I N G
O F T E N H AV E T O
B A L A N C E T H E I R O W N
D E S I R E S W I T H T H O S E
O F T H E I R F A M I L Y .
I A L W A Y S R E M E M B E R E D
W H E R E I W A S F R O M A N D
R E S P E C T E D M Y R O O T S ”
A f e f J n i f e n
“The fashion industry exposed me to a larger world that I wouldn’t
have discovered had I remained in Tunis. When I began modelling I met
a lot of girls from all over the world, and that encourages one to embrace
difference,” recalls Afef, observing that the camaraderie she experienced
among fellow models such as Yasmeen Ghauri, Gail Elliott and Yasmin
Le Bon may not exist today given how the industry has changed. “Back
then the fashion world seemed like a much smaller place than it is today
and it was easier to form small communities amongst models. It became
a kind of education for me, where I was encouraged to learn several
languages and experience different cultures through the friends I made;
many of whom I still keep in touch with today,” says Afef, who became
a regular fixture on the Paris and Milan runways, walking for the likes of
Gianfranco Ferré, Armani, Fendi, Gaultier and Valentino.
“Models were also chosen for their personalities and allowed to be
individuals on the runway, which isn’t necessarily the case now,” she
adds, noting that models today seldom develop long-term friendships
with designers as in the past. One designer she remains particularly close
to is Roberto Cavalli, for whom she served as a muse, appearing in many
of his shows over the years. When Roberto spotted the Tunisian model
while on holiday in Sardinia in 1996, he cast her immediately in his
show. On his website, among images capturing the greatest moments in
his career, is one of Afef wafting down the runway in a diaphanous
slinky gown at his spring/summer 1998 show. “He used to tell me that
when I started working with him his career
took off, so he insisted on having me in each
of his shows from then on. I became a kind of
good luck charm for him, and there wasn’t
a collection I wasn’t involved in,” recalls Afef,
who opened and closed his shows.
Although she became friends with many of
the designers she worked with, as well as
fellow models such as Eva Herzigová, Linda
Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer, her success
as a model remained virtually unknown to
those in the Middle East at a time when there
were few Arab faces working in fashion.
“One of the reasons people didn’t know
about me was that I didn’t mention I was
Tunisian or Arab. Many simply assumed
I was South American or Brazilian. It was
a decision I made partly out of respect for my
father and his position as a diplomat, since
I didn’t want to bring attention to him,” says
Afef, noting that her choice to be discreet
sheds light on some of the challenges young
Arab women may face in entering the
modelling profession. “In the Arab World,
young women wanting to pursue a career in
modelling often have to balance their own desires with those of their
family. I made the choice to pursue modelling in Paris, despite my
parents’ initial reluctance. But when I entered the business, I always
remembered where I was from and respected my roots, which helped me
to succeed in this industry,” says Afef, whose career would take an
unexpected turn when she became the first Arab woman to present
a show on Italian television. ➤
Dress, Ralph &
Russo Couture

8. 68 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016 69 HarpersBazaarArabia.com July/August 2016
The
INTERVIEWThe
INTERVIEW
Jacket, Dhs7,720, Fendi. Dress,
Dhs16,100, Alberta Ferretti
Limited Edition. Merveilleux
necklace, platinum, with
a 5.86-carat pear-shaped,
yellow diamond and brilliant-
cut diamonds, Cartier
All jewellery Cartier Magicien
High Jewellery collection.
Prices approximate.
Photographer’s assistants:
Stan Rey Grange and
Nominoe Queinnec. Digital
operator: Jerome Vivet.
Videographer: Matthieu
Lemaire-Courapied. Fashion
assistants: Lamya Parker
and Gemma Deeks. Stylist’s
assistant: Sophia Drakou.
Hair: Marc Osatelli at Agence
Aurelien. Make-up: Cathyanne
MacAllister at B-Agency. Nails:
Anatole Rainey at B-Agency.
Set design: Marcel Van Doorn.
Set design assistant: Arnaud
Laurens. Producer: Clara Rea.
Production assistant: Pierre
Tostain. Associate producer:
Mohieb Dahabieh. With
thanks to Le Meurice, Paris,
Dorchestercollection.com
“I came into television in Italy at a time when the Far Right was
spreading xenophobic and often false rhetoric about Arabs and Muslims.
So I began to see television as an opportunity to present an alternative
perspective and counter these claims,” says Afef, who had been publicly
fighting against anti-Arab and Muslim discrimination in Europe since
the 1990s, long before she took to the small screen. Shortly after 9/11,
the then Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared in a speech
that Western civilisation was superior to Islam; a statement which
compelled Afef to provide a counter argument during an interview with
the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
After reading the article, Berlusconi promptly called Afef and
appointed her as his adviser on Arab affairs, a role that included briefing
him on Arab culture as well as coaching him through an interview with
Al Jazeera. “I don’t think he fully realised what he had said at the time or
the impact it would have. From my experience I often find that prejudice
stems from ignorance. It’s all too easy to point the finger at others if we
know nothing about their culture or religion. I don’t know if I will
change everyone’s point of view but I remain committed to fighting
negative stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims,” says Afef, who increasingly
appeared on Italian television in order to present an alternative point of
view on the Muslim and Arab experience in the West.
“In the beginning there were many Italians who didn’t agree with
what I was saying, but this is how we begin to change perceptions. It was
important to remind people that despite some of the negative depictions
out there, the Arab world is diverse and does have a rich history and
heritage; something that most Westerners don’t get to see,” she adds,
“It also allowed me to connect with other Arab women in Italy who
thanked me for speaking out because they didn’t feel they had the
courage to go on TV, fearing a backlash. For me, having courage and
confidence has always been an essential part of my journey in life, and if
I can speak up for others then I will.”
In the following years Afef would host several shows on Italian
television, most notable among them was La Grande Notte in 2003.
A satirical show that poked fun at Italy’s political and social circles,
it broke new ground for tackling subjects that few television shows
would touch at the time. Through her appearances, Afef became an
unlikely star and emblem of Italian feminism, thanks to her quick wit
and fierce opinions. Early on she made it clear to her male co-hosts and
the audience that she was no ordinary pretty face but an equal to her
male counterparts, at a time when Italian television was populated by
young women who served as little more than arm-candy.
“Even though I worked as a model and I’m now in television, I’m not
as attached to my outward appearance. Instead I prefer to focus on
growing intellectually as a person,” says Afef, who in 2001 married her
third husband, Marco Tronchetti Provera, the Italian chairman and chief
executive officer of Pirelli, in an intimate ceremony wearing a dress
designed by her friend Alberta Ferretti. Today the couple shares an
elegant stone villa in Milan, where Afef can be found navigating the
city’s cobble stone streets on her bike. “Personally I look forward to each
stage of my life. Whether it’s turning 40, 50 or 60, as women we need to
have the confidence to celebrate each phase of our lives and know that
we are vital at any age. And that is something incredibly empowering.”
“ I F I C A N C H A N G E
P E R C E P T I O N S
A B O U T T H E
M I D D L E E A S T
A N D A R A B
W O M E N I N
P A R T I C U L A R
T H E N I ’ M H A P P Y
T O D O S O ”
A f e f J n i f e n
Dress, Ralph & Russo
Couture. Paillettes
Solaires ring, platinum,
yellow gold, and
rose-cut diamonds;
Paillettes Solaires
earrings, platinum, with
yellow triangle-shaped,
briolette-cut diamonds,
both Cartier
■
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