FASHION
Imane Khelif’s new career in fashion: what is the boxer who won Olympic gold doing now?
The Algerian boxer attended Milan Fashion Week as a surprise guest at Bottega Veneta’s evening show.
Imane Khelif’s life changed the day she stepped into the ring in Paris this summer. The hidden prejudices lurking in the shadows of the French capital and around the world slowly surfaced, eventually suffocating the Algerian boxer in the media after she was falsely accused of being transgender. The accusations emerged following her quarterfinal bout against Italian Angela Carini, whose frustration sparked the spread of these baseless claims about Khelif’s gender.
In reality, Khelif suffers from hyperandrogenism, a condition in which a woman has an excess of androgens, or male sex hormones, in her blood. Despite the controversy, Khelif went on to win gold in the women’s -66 kg boxing category. However, her life would never be the same. Instead of shying away, though, Khelif embraced the attention and used it as a platform for her fight, elevating her public image. Since then, her commercial appeal has only grown, leading the boxer to venture into the challenging world of modelling.
Imane Khelif: from Paris Olympics to Milan
On September 23, Milan Fashion Week came to a close, and the event’s final day held many surprises. One of the standout moments was the presence of Khelif, who took part in Bottega Veneta’s evening runway show. Khelif stunned the audience as she wore look 50 from the brand’s Fall 2024 collection, making an appearance as a special guest on the prestigious catwalk.
Behind Veneta’s impressive display was the creative vision of artistic director Matthieu Blazy, who expressed his joy at having Khelif on the runway. He explained the inspiration behind the collection.
“For this show, I took as a starting point the scene from Spielberg’s E.T., when the mother opens the closet to reveal a world of stuffed animals...” Blazy added that, ultimately, he aimed to evoke “the surprise of an imaginary world, the world of childhood, where everything is possible, where everything is a game, a joy, an adventure.”
Khelif’s appearance in Milan wasn’t her only foray into the world of fashion. Just a month ago, she collaborated with the beauty salon Beauty Code to unveil a physical transformation, carrying the message she has always championed: she is a free woman who makes her own choices.