Fashion

Karen Wazen Recreates Umm Kulthum’s Signature Sunglasses For Mona Zaki’s ‘El Sett’

BYKhaoula Ghanem

December 19, 2025

It’s almost impossible to picture the late and great Umm Kulthum without her signature sunglasses. Before the voice and the stage, there is the silhouette: upright posture, microphone in hand, dark frames shielding her eyes. Those glasses weren’t an accessory so much as an extension of her presence. They shaped how she was seen, remembered, and mythologized, turning a practical necessity into one of the most recognizable images in Arab cultural history.

That enduring visual is the emotional starting point of Karen Wazen Collection’s latest release, a collaboration tied to El Sett, the newly-released film starring Egyptian actress Mona Zaki that revisits the life and legacy of Umm Kulthum. The shades, designed by Wazen specifically for the film, offer a modern interpretation of the late singer’s iconic sunglasses, staying remarkably close to the original silhouette while allowing just enough room for contemporary refinement. It’s a careful balance, and a deliberate one.

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“Umm Kulthum’s sunglasses were never a styling choice,” Wazen, who founded her namesake eyewear label in 2018, tells MILLE. “They began as a way to protect something deeply personal. Her insecurity about her eyes led her to wear them out of necessity, but over time, that very act transformed into one of her most powerful signatures.” the Lebanese influencer-turned-entrepreneur explains. “The idea that something worn to shield a vulnerability could eventually become a symbol of confidence, authority, and presence mirrors how modern women often turn their insecurities into strength.”

The connection is also personal. Like Umm Kulthum, Wazen’s relationship with eyewear began as a response to insecurity. As a child, she was self-conscious about her eyes and gravitated toward glasses as a form of comfort rather than style. That experience later shaped how she thought about eyewear, not as decoration, but as something that offers control.

The original reason Umm Kulthum wore sunglasses—light sensitivity caused by a thyroid condition—was practical, almost medical. Over time, that practicality hardened into symbolism. She wore them on stage, under blinding lights, in front of thousands.

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Wazen didn’t try to rewrite that story. “The goal was never to reinvent it. We preserved the original shape and proportions, then refined it through material choices, finishing, and subtle detailing that reflect the Karen Wazen Collection aesthetic. Timeless, intentional, and relevant without losing its soul.”

There’s something refreshing about a fashion release that openly resists the pressure to modernize through excess. The silhouette here is unwavering, and almost stubborn. Thick frames, confident lines, no unnecessary decoration. That refusal to soften the design is part of the point. “It holds its shape with confidence, just as she held her space with confidence,” Wazen says.

El Sett (which translates to “the lady), with Zaki at its center, has reopened conversations around the late singer for a generation that knows her voice mostly through parents’ playlists or sampled tracks. Zaki’s portrayal doesn’t mythologize her into something unreachable; it gives her weight without freezing her in time. “El Sett represents the legacy, the weight, and the cultural impact of Umm Kulthum, while Mona Zaki’s portrayal reintroduced her to a new generation. That bridge between reverence and relatability inspired us to create something that feels grounded in history yet emotionally accessible today,” Wazen notes.

That idea—access without dilution—is at the heart of the product. In a market saturated with loud references and obvious callbacks, this feels quieter, and almost personal. Wazen herself describes it as “less about a season and more about legacy. It is a quieter, more intentional release.”

Intentional is a word that gets overused in fashion, but here it earns its place. Every design choice traces back to function first. “The sunglasses were originally functional, not fashionable. It guided everything. We stayed true to the original silhouette to honor where the eyewear came from. By keeping it unmistakably recognizable, the design clearly carries Umm Kulthum’s presence rather than simply referencing her,” she explains.

So who are these shades for? Not a demographic, and not a trend forecast. “Someone who values meaning as much as style. A woman who understands presence, confidence, and restraint. Someone who does not need to explain her power,” Wazen says.

And how should it feel, slipping them on? “Grounded, composed, and quietly powerful. Like they are stepping into something bigger than themselves.”

Karen Wazen Recreates Umm Kulthum’s Signature Sunglasses For Mona Zaki’s ‘El Sett’

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Karen Wazen Recreates Umm Kulthum’s Signature Sunglasses For Mona Zaki’s ‘El Sett’

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