Karen Wazen Just Gave Men Something New to Reach For
Karen Wazen has spent last few years building a name synonymous with femme-forward frames that feel equal parts glamorous and grounded. Now, the brand is opening its universe to a new audience with the launch of its very first men's eyewear edition, and it's doing so in the most personal way possible: with her husband, Elias Bakhazi, fronting the campaign.
It's a full-circle kind of casting. Bakhazi, known to those close to the brand as “Luch”, hasn't just watched Karen Wazen become a global eyewear name from the sidelines. He's been part of building it since the beginning. Putting him at the center of the men's launch is an acknowledgment that this brand has always run on family, instinct, and closeness, and menswear is simply the next room in the same house.
Every design decision in this debut lineup seems to trace back to one deceptively simple question Karen kept asking herself while developing it: would Luch actually wear this? It's a filter that cuts through trend-chasing and gets straight to the point. Does this frame earn a permanent spot in a man's daily rotation, or does it just look good on a mood board?
The answer shows up in six pieces that lean toward the timeless. There's Oliver, a rectangular frame with enough structure to feel bold, offered across Black, Tortoise, Green on Tortoise, and Blue. Drew brings a softer, vintage-inspired silhouette with rounded lines built for everyday wear. John goes rimless and lightweight, finished with softly tinted lenses for a look that feels current. And Bob injects a bit of retro playfulness through its slim metal build and tinted lenses in colourways that feel a little more fun, a little more confident.
Nothing here is begging for attention and that seems to be exactly the point.
Accessible luxury eyewear has increasingly become a category where personal story sells as convincingly as design does, and few brands can claim a founder narrative this tightly woven — a brand built on family, launched into a new category by literally putting family at the center of the campaign.
The men’s collection lands July 10, available online and in stores at Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Mirdif City Center, ABC Dbayeh, ABC Verdun, and ABC Achrafieh.
