GET TO KNOW KENZA BOUTRIF

You’re joining the likes of Zara McDermott and Lottie Tomlinson as the face of ASOS DESIGN Must-Haves. How does it feel to be the collection’s newest star?
Genuinely, it feels amazing. I remember when I went for my first model casting at ASOS two years ago. I was looking around the office thinking ‘I’m not gonna get this’, so to be here now feels like a massive achievement and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

Are there any Must-Haves key pieces that stick out for you?
I genuinely love so many pieces from this collection, but a lot of my favorite styles are from the glam bits of the edit. There’s this dress with a really nice open back – it’s my style down to a tee. I love the way it fits around my body; it just seems to hug in all the right places and I think it looks really sexy. There’s also another dress with cut-out details on the front and back. I love its versatility because I can see myself styling it up or down for day or night.

What’s your cold-weather must-have?
Having a nice, cozy jacket for styling out fall and winter is an absolute must for me. Then you can dress exactly how you want to underneath. Also, I need a jacket that will look just as good for dinner and drinks as it would for chilling, you know?

How would you describe your personal style?
I like really simple pieces with a twist. I feel like that’s what ASOS DESIGN Must-Haves is all about, really. There are loads of everyday basics in the collection, but there are all these nice little details that make them completely different. It’s the little things that make these looks 👌

What does a typical day look like for a model and influencer like yourself?
A typical day usually starts with me checking my emails – sometimes even just that can take between two and three hours! After that, I tend to shoot content for my Insta, so I’ll usually travel around London looking for cool locations. Then I attend meetings with clients and agencies for my modelling work.

What would you say it takes to make it on Instagram today?
One of the key things is to actually just be yourself. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. Claim your personality and what makes you different from everyone else. It’s about being real with people, showing them that you’re just a normal person dealing with the same stuff as everyone else. It’s important for people to realise there’s an actual person behind all the nice pictures.

Do you ever struggle to constantly source new ideas and content?
During lockdown, I definitely struggled. I went through a creative block because it was hard to think of new looks when I was just sat at home every day. Now though, I’m enjoying it more because I can get out-and-about again to find locations and put together looks that are more than just a hoodie and sweats!

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?
I would have gone to university to study something fashion-related because I studied fashion design at college. I never got around to it because this career started to take off. It was difficult to do both at the time, so I chose this. Who knows, though, maybe in the future I’ll go back and learn something new 🎓

Your Insta is full of glamourous locations. Which one has been the best and is there anywhere else that’s still on the bucket list?
I really, really enjoyed Bali. It’s such an amazing destination; the people there are so nice and it’s totally different from London. It’s a real chill, relaxed vibe. Dubai is one of my faves, too. I actually went there with ASOS for a shoot last year and it was my favorite Dubai trip ever. The Maldives is the place I want to visit that I’ve not been to yet – it looks amazing 🤩

What are your top travelling essentials?
A comfy hoodie is the first thing on my list because I always get chilly on planes. Headphones, for sure – I can’t do flights without music – and sliders. I always just drop them in my duffle bag when I’m travelling because they’re so comfy. And finally, the duffle bag I just mentioned. It goes with me everywhere.