Saïf Mahdhi Joins the BoF 500 Class of 2026

Saïf Mahdhi has been named among the BoF 500 Class of 2026, joining one of the most influential communities in the global fashion industry.

Presented by The Business of Fashion, the BoF 500 recognises the people whose work is shaping fashion and the wider creative industries. For 2026, The Business of Fashion selected 100 new members from 445 nominees across eight categories, including Designers, Executives, Models & Muses, Entrepreneurs, Catalysts, Media, Retailers and the Creative Class. The selection considers leadership, creativity, innovation and social impact, with the final class representing 47 nationalities.

For Saïf Mahdhi, the recognition comes after more than three decades at the centre of the international fashion and talent industry.

Born in France to Tunisian parents, Saïf Mahdhi began his career in 1994. He eventually became President of Next Model Management Europe, establishing himself as one of the industry’s most influential agents and career strategists.

Throughout his career, Saïf Mahdhi has worked with some of the biggest names across fashion, music and popular culture, including Kate Moss, Anja Rubik, Caroline de Maigret, Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora and ASAP Rocky.

But Saïf Mahdhi’s influence has never been limited to booking models.

In 2019, Saïf Mahdhi co-founded SAFE Management in Paris with Joseph Belingard. The agency was built around a more personal approach to representation, bringing together talent from fashion, music, cinema, literature and the performing arts. Its philosophy is built around four principles: Support, Authenticity, Family and Ethics.

That approach reflects Saïf Mahdhi’s understanding of what an agent can be. Rather than simply connecting talent with brands and campaigns, Saïf Mahdhi has built his career around long-term relationships, career development and protecting the individuality of the people he represents.

Representation has also been an important part of Saïf Mahdhi’s wider work.

Over the years, Saïf Mahdhi has spoken about the fashion industry’s lack of diversity, particularly the limited representation of Arab talent. His own background has given him a perspective that sits between different cultural worlds, connecting his Tunisian heritage with the international fashion system in Paris and beyond.

That connection with Tunisia has remained visible.

In 2023, Saïf Mahdhi attended Facettes de Dougga, an event held at the ancient archaeological site of Dougga that brought together fashion, art and Tunisian heritage. Saïf Mahdhi was among the international fashion personalities supporting an event dedicated to highlighting Tunisian creative talent.

The BoF 500 recognition places Saïf Mahdhi within a particularly diverse 2026 class. The Business of Fashion says the new members reflect the changing geography of fashion, with the latest class extending beyond traditional fashion capitals and bringing new representation from markets and communities around the world. The wider BoF 500 community now numbers 1,713 people.

The timing is significant.

Fashion’s influence is increasingly being shaped not only by designers and luxury executives, but also by agents, cultural figures, creators, entrepreneurs and people working behind the scenes. The 2026 BoF 500 reflects that broader understanding of who has the power to influence fashion and culture.

Saïf Mahdhi’s career is a clear example.

For more than 30 years, Saïf Mahdhi has helped identify talent, build careers and create connections between individuals and some of the world’s most influential fashion houses, brands and creative platforms.

His inclusion in the BoF 500 Class of 2026 therefore represents more than a personal career milestone. It also places a Tunisian-born figure within one of the industry’s most closely watched global networks.

From his Tunisian roots to Paris, and from model management to the wider world of fashion, music and culture, Saïf Mahdhi has built a career around people, talent and the relationships that make creative industries move.

Now, with his place in the BoF 500 Class of 2026, that influence has been formally recognised on one of fashion’s biggest stages.