First impressions of Chanel Ayan: She’s profoundly gorgeous, hysterically funny, and outrageously stylish. Chances are, if you walk into a room, you’ll know who Chanel is right away. She’s standing in the middle of a group of people, at the centre of attention, and most likely laughing at a joke she just told alongside everyone else.
A modern day fairy tale
Born and raised in Kenya, this self-advocating hustler tells us she “moved to Brazil at the age of 18 to pursue modelling.” Tbh, there’s no surprise there, her sky-high legs rival the height of the Burj Khalifa. While living in Brazil, Chanel explains she was “starring in campaigns and modelling in photoshoots and met the love of her life, an American man.” Shortly afterwards she and her beau married and moved to the USA. Later on, this globetrotting duo relocated to Dubai.
Work hard, play hard
Chanel has called Dubai her home for the last 18 years and tells us she’s “watched in awe as the city has been built.” She resides in the marina and remarks that she “feels incredibly safe in this international desert oasis.” Chanel tells us how most days she “spends her free time with her loving husband, studious son, and a plethora of glamourous friends from all over the world.” She goes on to say, “I love life and love to get dressed up.” This socialite has her fingers on the pulse of the Dubai culinary scene. You can often find Chanel dining at Gaia, Scalini Dubai, and The Arts Club.
When she’s not attending fashion events, walking in fashion shows, and working towards achieving some very lofty goals, Chanel takes a minute of out her hectic life now and then to reflect on just how far she’s come and how much she’s achieved. She tells us that “Dubai has made me the best version of who I am and opened so many doors for me to learn about other people and their cultures.”
Mindset is everything
Although talking to Chanel makes it seem like she was born beautiful and has lived a glamourous modelling life, she reflects that she’s “unfortunately battled quite a bit of adversity along the way.” She comments on the fact that “as an African woman, I had to fight her way through everything, including event invitations and modelling jobs.” Nowadays, as the first supermodel in Dubai and one of the region’s most recognisable socialites, the tables have turned. She is constantly flooded with offers to model for the world’s most luxurious brands as well as exclusive invites.
Chanel has always respected herself and believed in her own power. She attributes her successes to her “unshakeable perseverance, determination, and flat-out refusal to accept anything less than what she deserves.” She believes all people are inherently worthy and capable of achieving what sets their hearts on fire.
What’s next for Chanel?
Chanel tells us she has a life-changing project in the works. She’s also committed herself to journeying inward, she’s on a mission to learn more about herself and to be mindful to always give the love she shares with everyone else back to herself in the form of self-care.