Pierre Wardini is the CEO of "Metropolitan modeling."  in Lebanon and holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the prestigious HEC, and a Masters in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art in London, UK.

Growing up in paris as a young child to a father who has excelled in entrepreneurial businesses and to a mother who has excelled as well in the fashion world, Pierre Wardini took the best of both worlds and grew up to be a true businessman with a high sense for fashion.

His great desire to achieve as well as his love for his country brought him back as a young boy to lebanon and started his journey to build his own fashion empire.

Wardini was not familiar in this field until 1991 where he opened a fashion agency and with his managerial skill started supporting it from the background. In 1999, He decided to dedicate himself fully to this business and he discovered that this was his passion to create a revolution in this industry.

He is a multi-talented personality with remarkable managerial skills. His risk mitigation’s and perfection to project management makes his projects a huge successful event. During the Lebanon war, he went through a difficult life which has made him tough and focused towards his goals. He conceived his entrepreneur skills when he was 14 as he started make a few business deals at that time.

Metropolitan modeling. is specialized in event managements with the focus on Fashion event and they have a monopoly in this field. Some of the showcases of his career are:

LUX FASHION WORLD 2001 till 2006 a multimillion fashion eventDistrict S (Real Estates project) launchFerrari 458 Italia & Ferrari FF LaunchesU BOAT Watches Launch in BeirutAll the Wedding Follies Fashion Editions for the Wedding Fare in LebanonMany Fashion Weeks in different areas

Pierre said that he understands the importance of nurturing talent and support them to their potential towards succession planning. He took the unprecedented steps of organizing events to award upcoming talents. Incidentally, he never accepts to be awarded. He is an International Jury for all beauty & fashion events and competition and also plays a role of consultant for many celebrities and Top designers.

 His message to upcoming talents is “If you are focused and dedicated towards your milestones you will definitely achieve your throne”.

Pierre Wardini, a name now synonymous with great events and top models for around 20 years. People see him around, often surrounded by beautiful woman…  but no one knows how the the mind of the 45 years old man who holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the prestigious HEC, and a Masters in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art in London, UK.

Tell us about Metropolitan modeling.’s core business.

Metropolitan modeling. is an events management company with a big International Modeling Network.

How do you go about choosing the models? Take us through the process?

I travel on casting trips and I meet so many models in different agencies. We are very picky in choosing our models and this is the key of our success.

Why is it in your opinion that beauty is always associated to entertainment?

I believe that models should be involved in any sort of activities and they are key elements for the implementation and they assist to have a better outcome at the end. You have to associate beauty to all sorts of entertainments.

How do you keep that fine line between the reputations that models have in Lebanon. It must be hard.

Our models are known as the elite or the untouchables since we take good care about them and they are prohibited to go anywhere on their own. This is a major condition that we imply before their arrival.

What is Metropolitan modeling. working on now… and what should we expect this summer?

Metropolitan modeling. is almost everywhere and you can see us throughout the whole summer in addition to many fashion shows and shootings the models are performing during their stay. We aim to be the best in the business and bring only the best so expect nothing but the best from us. The future of the modelling world in lebanon i was really a huge responsibility on our shoulders. We really aim on improving and reaching international standards. There are many photoshoots to come that will rock the lebanese fashion scene, there are many fashion shows that will create a  whirlwind of positive vibrations. Be sure that Metropolitan modeling is on its way to unrivaled fashion success.

Talking to: Pierre Wardini

Pierre Wardini, owner of ‘Metropolitan Modeling’ has recently announced the opening of his modelling agency in Beirut, Lebanon following its success in Paris, France. 

Born in Paris in 1975 to a Lebanese father and French mother, Wardini holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the prestigious HEC, and a Masters in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art in London, UK. 

What inspired you to open a modelling agency?

Growing up in Paris, I always found myself surrounded by the world of entrepreneurship and fashion. My father came here when he was still a student and hasn’t left since. He met my mother, who was a model at the time, and it was love at first sight. Seeing them together was always an inspiration, and I was drawn both to the world of entrepreneurship and beauty. This is why I felt it was only natural to run an agency which specializes in finding perfect imperfections. 

When it comes to signing a new model, what are your main requirements?

At ‘Metropolitan Modeling’, we see beauties in imperfections. You can get any model, photoshop him/her, and you have perfection. But then, you can’t find a connection. It’s as if the person you are looking at lacks soul. Instead, we try to find models with unusual features, and work on flattering them through our wide portfolio of clients. Sometimes, it can be a simple gap in the teeth, think Georgia May Jagger, or even a not-so-perfect nose, like Giselle Bundchen for example. They aren’t what you would call ‘conventional beauties’ yet it would be close to impossible to deny their charisma and charm. This is exactly what we seek. 

And why have you decided to open an agency in Lebanon?

(Giggles) You know what they say about Lebanese beauty. It makes me sad when rumors circulate about women being plastic. I want to show the world what our real beauty looks like. I was here last summer, and even though I’ve never lived in Lebanon, I still feel that this land is where I am rooted. Unfortunately, over here, models don’t always get the chance to benefit from international exposure. Given that we are headquartered in Paris, and given the nature of our clients, I’m also hoping to give Lebanese models this opportunity. 

 

How do you see your agency expanding in the coming 5 years?

The plan is to first set up an office in Beirut, hopefully, it’ll be up and running in the next 6 months. Our opening is set for December 15. After that, we’ll be scouting for newcomers all around the region, be it in the Levant or the Gulf. 

Any words of wisdom to young entrepreneurs today?

Go after what you love, follow your passion, and never take no for an answer. That’s the recipe for success. If the whole world discourages you, but your gut tells you to go for it, then you should. When I first opened ‘Model Inc.’ everyone around me kept on repeating that the competition was too fierce and that I would never be able to stand out of the crowd. I started when I was just 23, and today, at 39, I’ve managed to establish a name for myself, and I’m nowhere near stopping.