Karen Wazen Collection has opened its first UAE flagship store at Dubai Mall, located on the ground floor of the mall’s Social District. For a brand that launched in 2020 and built its following almost entirely through social media and direct-to-consumer channels, a permanent retail space in one of the world’s highest-footfall malls is a significant shift. Wazen herself was direct about what the location means: “For us, Dubai Mall represents an international expansion, because of the target of the space and the footfall. It’s our global flagship, not just the UAE one.”
The Store
The 40-square-metre boutique is finished in stainless steel with high ceilings, mirrors, open layouts, and interactive elements, including a free-to-use in-store photo booth and a seated coffee area. The design leans into the brand’s community-first identity rather than traditional retail logic. The store carries the full eyewear and accessories range, a category the brand has been expanding beyond sunglasses into jewellery and accessories.
The Brand Behind It
Launched in 2020, Karen Wazen Collection is a wholly owned, profitable family business. Wazen leads the marketing and creative vision, while her husband and brother-in-law oversee operations. The eyewear is designed in Paris and manufactured in Hong Kong, pairing premium acetates and lenses with accessible price points. The collection is now carried by more than 20 retailers worldwide.
The Dubai Mall opening brings Wazen’s footprint to roughly ten doors across Lebanon and the UAE, with a multi-store rollout in Egypt in the works and ambitions in the US and Europe on the horizon. Five years from launch to a global flagship. The pace is notable.
