Wedding wardrobes have a way of taking on a life of their own. They are scrutinized, saved, shared and, in some cases, remembered almost as vividly as the ceremonies themselves.

For Yousra El Deeb, the managing partner of UNN Models, the attention surrounding her wedding looks was perhaps inevitable. But the clothes themselves were never the point. They were an extension of a style philosophy she says has been forming for most of her life.

“I grew up in a house where authenticity was instilled in us before we even knew what authenticity was,” she says.

Raised alongside a mother and sister who could quickly identify anything that felt forced or overly trend-driven, El Deeb learned early on to trust her instincts. Today, her wardrobe remains guided by that sensibility. Comfort is often the starting point, with pieces inherited or borrowed from her mother and grandmother sitting alongside more directional choices.

“I’ve come to learn and love all versions of myself so I just had to build a closet that reflects all of it,” she says.

Fashion also entered her life professionally through UNN Models, the agency she helped build with her sister. What began as her sister’s “slightly wild idea” to create a stronger foundation for Egypt’s modelling industry gradually became a shared undertaking.

“I stepped in to support, and somewhere along the way (after she interviewed me) it became something I was deeply part of shaping too,” she says.

Rather than describing herself as a founder in the conventional sense, El Deeb speaks about the agency as something she learned alongside, developing an understanding of the industry through the process of building it.

When it came time to plan her wedding in Kenya, she turned to two Egyptian creatives she trusted: stylist Ahmed Sorour and designer Mohannad Kojak. Together, they developed a wardrobe that unfolded across the celebrations, with each look responding to a different moment.

“My thought process pretty much started and ended at choosing Kojak,” she says. “I was going for ‘simple’ in my head, but found myself giving him words like avant-garde, romantic rebellion, and regal elegance. I gave him full creative freedom from that point.”

The result was not a single bridal look but a series of them, each designed for a different chapter of the celebration. “Each day had its own mood and theme, and every look was meant to make me feel something specific, like stepping into a different character across the celebration,” she explains.

“Do you think I ended up going simple? Lol,” she says. “It all surprised me. The most surprising is that it wasn’t simple, but it was still very me.”

Some of the most personal choices were also the quietest. In place of a traditional bouquet, El Deeb carried an olive branch given to her by her husband, Adam Zeitoon, a reference to his surname, which translates to “olive” in Arabic.

After the wedding came another transition: a move to Nairobi, where she now lives. The change did not alter her style so much as shift its emphasis. Lighter fabrics, looser silhouettes and an increased reliance on linen have gradually found their way into her wardrobe.

The adjustment, she says, has been fairly straightforward.

“Just cuter pajamas.”

LOOK 1 | SAFARI CHIC

“It was very much about layering: sheer textures, wraps, fluid fabrics, all coming together in a way that felt effortless but intentional. I wanted to feel cool, slightly undone, and confident. The headpiece and accessorize added that final touch, grounding the look and giving it a bit of attitude,”Custom Kojak Studio Boots
Custom Kojak Studio Dress
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LOOK 2 | CEREMONY

" I never imagined I’d be in a big dress, but the location felt so dreamy and cinematic that I wanted something that could hold its own within it. Something grand, almost theatrical, for that walk down the aisle،"
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LOOK 3 | HAKUNA MATATA

"This look was the most fun to build because it kept evolving until the day of, like the over sized tulle piece I’m holding was added when Kojak arrived to Kenya. The moment that came in, the look just clicked. It gave it volume, drama, and a sense of play. This look was a bit more daring and sensual. The lace kept it bridal but sexier and more playful."
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LOOK 4 | Outdoor Date

“Nadine Mos is the perfect go-to for an outdoor date. Effortless, light, with some texture.”
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