Farida Khelfa
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (August 2019) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Farida Khelfa | |
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 Khelfa in 2019 | |
| Born | 23 May 1960 (age 66) Lyon, France |
| Occupations | actress, documentary filmmaker, author, model |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Ismaël Seydoux Omer Seydoux |
| Relatives | Camille Seydoux (stepdaughter) Léa Seydoux (stepdaughter) |
Farida Khelfa (born 23 May 1960) is a French-Algerian actress, documentary filmmaker, author, and model. A prominent figure in Parisian culture since the 1980s, she is recognized as one of the first models of North African descent to achieve international success.[1] She served as a long-term muse to designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaïa and was the brand ambassador for Sciaparelli from 2012 to 2017.[2]
Early life
[edit]Khelfa, one of nine children, was born in Lyon, France in the working-class suburb of Vénissieux to strict Algerian immigrant parents.[1][3][4] Her childhood was marked by severe trauma, including child abuse and incest.[4] Because of this, she ran away from her family at the age of 16, joining two of her sisters in Paris after a night of hitchhiking.[5][6] It was there that she befriended a young Christian Louboutin, who gave her a place to stay.[1] Khelfa decided to become a model "without [too much] ambition except being free."[2]
When Khelfa first arrived in Paris, she "wandered everywhere" before discovering the nightclubs Le Palace and Les Bain Douches, becoming a doorman.[7] She spent the next few years heavily involved in nightclub culture, where she would meet major figures of the fashion world.[7]
Career
[edit]While dancing at Le Palace in 1979, Khelfa was discovered by designer Jean Paul Gaultier. Gaultier would cast her in his 1980 fashion show, launching her modeling career.[8] In the following years, she would become the muse to many important figures in the fashion world, including Jean-Paul Goude, Azzedine Alaïa, and Thierry Mugler.[1]
Khelfa began acting in the 1980s, appearing in films such as La nuit porte-jarretelles (1985) and Lady Cops (1987).[3] In the 2010s, she transitioned to documentary filmmaking.
In 2013 Khelfa was appointed as the brand ambassador for Schiaparelli.[9] Khelfa stepped down as brand ambassador in 2017, stating that she needed time to focus on her own projects, particularly filmmaking.[10] Despite this, Khelfa has continued to work with the brand, notably appearing on the Schiaparelli spring/summer 2020 Haute Couture runway in 2019.[11] Most recently (as of April 2026), she worked with them in December 2024 on a photoshoot for 7 Hollywood Magazine.[12]
In 2024, Khelfa wrote her first book, a memoir titled Une enfance française.[4]
Personal life
[edit]
In 1982, Khelfa became romantically involved with 44-year-old photographer Jean-Paul Goude. She cites Goude as the one to introduce her to "so many things, like the Bauhaus, Stravinsky, the Russian ballets."[7]
Khelfa married businessman and CEO Henri Seydoux in 2012. The couple has been together since 1989 and already had two sons together at the time of their marriage.[13] Khelfa became the step-mother of stylist Camille Seydoux and actress Léa Seydoux, Seydoux's children from his first marriage to actress Valérie Schlumberger.
Khelfa's mother died in August 2022.[4] Her mother's funeral inspired her to write her autobiography.
Khelfa is a friend of model Carla Bruni and was a witness at her 2008 wedding to French president Nicolas Sarkozy.[14]
Filmography
[edit]Acting credits
[edit]| Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference(s) |
| 1980 | Mator (short film) | dir. Dante Desarthe | ||
| 1985 | La Nuit porte-jarretelles | dir. Virginie Thévenet | [15] | |
| Mode in France (TV movie) | Self (as Farida) | |||
| 1987 | Jeux d'artifices | Farida | dir. Virginie Thévenetévenet | |
| Lady Cops | Yasmine | dir. Josiane Balasko | ||
| 1990 | Pacific Palisades | Julie | dir. Bernard Schmitt | |
| 1001 Nights | The Queen | dir. Philippe de Broca | ||
| 1991 | Ennui mortel (short film) | dir. Philippe Bérenger | ||
| 1995 | La malaimée | Solange | dir. Jean-Paul Scarpitta | |
| 2006 | Gradiva | Elvira | dir. Alain Robbe-Grillet | |
| 2007 | The Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Self | dir. Julian Schnabel | [16] |
| 2008 | Carla Bruni en toute liberté (TV special) | [15] | ||
| Paris | Farida | dir. Cédric Klapisch | ||
| Française | The mother | dir. Souad El-Bouhati | ||
| 2009 | Bluebeard | Mére supérieure | dir. Catherine Breillat | |
| La Traversée du désir | Self | dir. Arielle Dombasle | [17] | |
| Neuilly sa mère! | Nadia | dir. Gabriel Julien-Laferriére | [15] | |
| 2012 | Bankable (TV movie) | Eléonore | ||
| 2013 | Opium | Yvette | dir. Arielle Dombasle | |
| 2015 | Elsa Schiaparelli: Mode ist Kunst (TV movie) | Self | dir. Sabine Carbon | |
| 2016 | Franca: Chaos and Creation | dir. Francesco Carrozzini | ||
| 2018 | Neuilly sa mère, sa mère! | Nadia | dir. Gabriel Julien-Laferriére | |
| Les Michetonneuses (TV movie) | Anna | dir. Olivier Doran | ||
| Jean Paul Gaultier: Freak and Chic (TV movie) | Self | |||
| 2018 | Jean Paul Gaultier fait son show (TV special) | |||
| 2022 | Azzedine Alaïa: Un couturier français (TV movie) | dir. Olivier Nicklaus | ||
| Television | ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference(s) |
| 1999 | La case de l'oncle Doc | Self | Episode: "Farida, Rachid, Zinedine et les autres" | [15] |
| X Femmes | Blondie's friend | Episode: "Le bijou indiscret" | ||
| 2009 | Élection de Miss France (TV miniseries) | Self | Episode: "Miss France 2010" | |
| 2011 | La boîte à questions | Episode: "19 January 2011" | ||
| On n'est pas couché | Episode: "Episode #5.22" | |||
| 2008-2011 | Vivement dimanche | 3 episodes | ||
| 2009-2012 | Aïcha | Malika | 4 episodes | |
| 2008-2013 | Le Grand Journal (Canal+) | Self | 3 episodes | |
| 2016 | Thé ou café | Episode: "13 November 2016" | ||
| 2017 | Fashion Insiders | |||
| 2021 | La nuit du ramadan | Episode: "La nuit du Ramadan, les 30 ans" | ||
| 2024 | Clique | Episode: "30 January 2024" | ||
| Music Videos | ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference(s) |
| 2026 | SS26 | Charli XCX | ||
Directing credits
[edit]| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | Reference(s) |
| 2011 | Empreintes (anthology series) | Episode: "Jean Paul Gaultier ou les codes bouleversés" | [15] |
| 2012 | Campagne intime (TV documentary) | ||
| 2014 | Louboutin (TV documentary) | ||
| 2021 | De l'autre côté du voile (TV documentary) | ||
Bibliography
[edit]| Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Une enfance française | Albin Michel | 978-2-226-49032-2 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Ghanem, Khaoula (3 January 2017). "Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About Farida Khelfa". Vogue Arabia. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- 1 2 Pelloux, Cécilia. "An Elegant Parisian Conversation with Business Woman Farida Kelfha". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- 1 2 "Farida Khelfa". Madame Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 7 January 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 Templeton, Lily (2024-01-17). "Farida Khelfa Lifts the Lid on Traumatic Formative Years in First Book". WWD. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- ↑ Walker, Harriet. "Farida Khelfa: The teen runaway who swapped Islam for Schiaparelli". The Times. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Farida Khelfa, l'impétueuse". lejdd.fr (in French). 2015-08-02. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
- 1 2 3 "Style Icon Farida Khelfa Looks Back on Paris' Fashionable Nightlife – Farida Khelfa Interv". L'Officiel USA. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- ↑ "HANDS OF FARIDA KHELFA by FRANCO". www.francotettamanti.com. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
- ↑ Volandes, Stellene (18 November 2013). "Madame Ambassador". Town & Country. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ Glendinning, Maddison. "Farida Khelfa Is Parting Ways With Schiaparelli". Harper's Bazaar Arabia. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ Midwood, Milli. "After Abruptly Leaving Two Years Ago, Has Farida Khelfa Been Reappointed As Brand Ambassador For Schiaparelli?". Harper's Bazaar Arabia. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Farida Khelfa x Schiaparelli Special Couture Archives (7 Hollywood Magazine)". MODELS.com. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- ↑ "Farida Khelfa : Retour sur un magnifique mariage aux côtés de Carla Bruni". Purepeople (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ↑ Sciolino, Elaine (3 February 2008). "French Leader and Ex-Model Wed in Quiet Ceremony". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Farida Khelfa". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
- ↑ "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Full cast & crew". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
- ↑ "La traversée du désir: Distribution et équipe technique". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
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