Samia Kanaan Might Just Be The Coolest Girl on Your Feed.

In an internet built on performance, Samia Kanaan somehow feels remarkably unperformed. Whether she's interviewing fashion insiders from the bathroom of a Paris nightclub, documenting Fashion Week, or greeting millions with her now-iconic "Coucou ma biche," her content has always felt less like broadcasting and more like inviting people into a conversation. Born in California, and now building a creative career in Paris, Kanaan has quietly become one of a new generation of creators who are proving that curiosity can be just as magnetic as aesthetics. We sat down with her to talk about storytelling, identity, building a career in a language that isn't your own, why she resists the label "influencer," and why the most interesting people on the internet are often the ones trying the least to become one.

SARAH KANAAN:  I first came across your account in 2024. You famously opened your videos with, "Coucou ma biche". Your presence on camera feels immediately familiar, like you’re talking to someone you already know rather than performing for an audience. Is that something you consciously work at, or has it always been how you exist in front of a camera?

SAMIA KANAAN:  I think that's just who I am. When I started making videos, I had no expectations and no reputation to protect. I was simply talking to strangers who eventually became my followers, so it was very natural for me. As my audience grew, I stayed the same because feeling close to my community matters to me. I'd rather people connect with me than create that typical influencer-audience barrier. I like to see them as internet friends, even if we've never met.

SARAH KANAAN: Your new show "Where You At" puts you in unexpected spaces with unexpected people-  a club bathroom, a candid conversation, with no studio setup. What made you want to create something that feels this intimate and unscripted? And what is it aiming to do that your other content doesn't?

SAMIA KANAAN:  I feel like there are so many podcasts and interview concepts nowadays. Some of them I love, but they can sometimes feel repetitive. I wanted to create something that felt more real, which is why I don't like calling "Where You At" a podcast. I chose a short-form format because I wanted every conversation to feel unfiltered, intimate, spontaneous, and profound.  The idea was to recreate the conversations girls have in club bathrooms while partying, where you go from talking about absolutely nothing to talking about everything. That's something my other content doesn't really do-show how I love talking to people and asking questions that help me understand them better as a person.

SARAH KANAAN: Your first episode put you in a club bathroom in Paris with one of the most influential figures in French fashion PR, Lucien Pagès. How do you choose who to invite next? Where do you want to take the show in terms of format, guests, and what you want people to feel when they watch it?

SAMIA KANAAN:  The first guests are all people I admire but also know personally. That's what felt most authentic and what made the show possible. At first, I got a lot of no's because some people didn't really see the vision of having conversations in a club bathroom. I get it—it sounded unusual. But once they saw the concept, many came back asking to film. The next guests are all amazing and very different. I look for people I find interesting, who have something to say, and who fit the spirit of the show. Eventually, my goal is to take it internationally and do it in English. But it was important to start in French because I wanted my community to come along with me instead of making such a big shift. I'd also love to invite complete strangers, not just well-known people. But, anyone I'd genuinely like to get to know-business people, bakers, doctors, everything!

SARAH KANAAN:  You've worked with Dior Beauty, Isabel Marant, and MAC Cosmetics among others. Your content never feels like an advertisement even when it technically is. How do you decide which brands actually belong in your world and which ones you would turn down regardless of what they offered?

SAMIA KANAAN:  It's quite simple. If I genuinely use the product or connect with the world the brand has built, it's a yes. That can be the creative direction, the values, and the product itself. If it doesn't feel like it could naturally exist in my life, I won't do it.

SARAH KANAAN:  You’re Lebanese, raised between Mexico and California and now building a career in Paris. That is a lot of identities to carry at once. The Lebanese part seems to show up in a specific way: in the designers you choose, in the events you attend, in what you speak up about. How much of that is intentional and how much of it is just unavoidable, something that comes through whether you plan it or not?

SAMIA KANAAN: At first it was intentional because I craved feeling closer to my culture. Growing up in Mexico, I always felt a bit far from the Lebanese community. Whenever I had the chance to reconnect with it, I took it.  Now it's just unavoidable. I love Lebanon, I'm proud of where I come from, and it naturally shows up in the designers I support, the events I go to, and the things I post. I don't really think about it anymore. It just happens.

SARAH KANAAN:  You once mentioned being struck by Golshifteh Farahani saying her Instagram does not reflect the depth of her life as an actress. What does your content most misrepresent about you? What does your audience think they know about you that is either incomplete or simply wrong?

SAMIA KANAAN: So many things. I actually think my online persona is pretty close to who I am, just with a bit more performance. I'm cool and funny but I’m probably cooler on Instagram and funnier on TikTok. It's my real life, just curated to be entertaining. I do think I come across as much more confident and fearless than I actually am. In real life, I'm a lot more vulnerable than people would expect, even if I don't always show it.  I also don't think people realize how much I love ideas. I question everything, overthink everything, and I'm fascinated by conversations that go deeper than what's on the surface. I used to share that side of me on @thesocialcigarette, my writing account, but I rarely do anymore. It's probably one of the biggest parts of who I am that people don't really get to see.

SARAH KANAAN: You are clearly careful about how you describe what you do. Creator, storyteller, host, journalist. The word influencer sits differently for you. Why does that distinction matter to you, and do you think the people around you actually see the difference, or is it a line you draw mostly for yourself?

SAMIA KANAAN: I think it's mostly a distinction I make for myself. There's still a lot of stigma around the word influencer. I also became one later than a lot of people, so I remember how I viewed that world from the outside. I associated it with vanity, superficiality, and people not taking it seriously. Since then, I've met some incredibly smart, kind, and hardworking creators, so I know that stereotype isn't true. Also, because I don’t relate to it. I also understand why the label carries that baggage. I also feel like that word should carry more responsibility. There’s so many influencers that don’t truly influence. I also think there are different kinds of influencers. Some follow trends, others create them. Creator feels more accurate for me because what motivates me is building concepts and telling stories, not just influencing people to buy or do something. 

SARAH KANAAN:  You said you learned French by going out at night, by being in rooms full of strangers and letting the language find you. Can you give us a specific story from that period? Not a fashion week dinner. An ordinary night that turned into something you still think about.

SAMIA KANAAN: I went through a phase where I was constantly going to raves. That's actually where I started speaking French with random people without caring about making mistakes. Around that time, I had this neighbor who was always so effortlessly cool. She was my age, always impeccably dressed, and constantly had people over who looked like they were having the best time. One day, my best friend Liv and I left her a note, and somehow that turned into a real friendship. We started going out together all the time, surrounded by French people instead of just international students. That completely changed my life in Paris. It opened the door to a side of the city I hadn't experienced before. My French improved without me even realizing it because I stopped being afraid to speak. For the first time, I felt like I belonged here instead of just living here. And funnily enough, babysitting helped too. During the day I was learning French from kids, who only use simple words, and at night I was putting it into practice with strangers. It was the weirdest but probably the fastest way I could've learned the language. 

SARAH KANAAN:  You have a background in journalism studies, fashion in your daily life, and film ambitions on the horizon. Is there a film that changed something in you? And is there a director whose work you keep returning to?

SAMIA KANAAN:  It’s hard to name one film. Gia, directed by Michael Cristofer, definitely did something to my brain, though. I watched it at a time when I was exploring my sexuality. I'd modeled before. I was already fascinated by that world. Gia as a character and knowing it's a true story completely fascinated me. It really moved me and made me even more passionate about cinema.  As for directors, I love that there isn't one way to make films. David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and Yorgos Lanthimos are three I always come back to. They all have completely different worlds, and that's what I love about cinema.

SARAH KANAAN:  Three years of TikTok, a Masters in Journalism from Central Saint Martins, red carpet interviews, acting ambitions, and now a podcast. Is there a version of your life five years from now that you are specifically working towards, or are you following something more instinctive than a plan?

SAMIA KANAAN: I think I'm following my instinct, but with a plan. I know the direction I want to go in, I just don't know exactly what the road looks like. Every time I reach a goal, I replace it with a bigger one. I'm constantly trying to beat my own expectations of myself. I want to become a more talented, smarter, more hardworking role model. A superstar!

SARAH KANAAN:  Not career advice. Something more specific you know about this industry, about Paris, about building something in a language that is not your first, that you would go back and tell yourself before any of this started?

SAMIA KANAAN:  I'd tell myself that nobody knows what they're doing as much as you think they do. I spent so much time feeling behind because I was building a career in a language that wasn't mine. But your difference becomes your strength the moment you stop apologizing for it. I'd also tell myself to stop waiting until my French was perfect. People remember confidence more than perfect grammar. Paris feels impossible until one day it doesn't. The city that once made me feel like an outsider is now the place where I've built everything. It just takes longer than you think.

SARAH KANAAN: Who were your fashion inspirations before, and who are you looking at now? Did becoming more visible in the industry change your relationship to getting dressed, and if so, in what direction? 

SAMIA KANAAN: Yes. I'm much more intentional now. I care more about creating a visual identity than just putting together a cool outfit. Before, I knew a lot less about fashion, so I'd just mix whatever I had in my closet in a way that felt different. I also owned way fewer clothes, so I got creative with whatever I had. I think a lot of it was about wanting to stand out. Back then, my references were probably Dua Lipa or Bella Hadid. Now, it's everything. Someone I pass on the street, a runway look, a film, Instagram...I get inspired by anything. The biggest difference is that I don't get dressed thinking, “How do I stand out?” I get dressed thinking, “Who do I want to be today?” Looking back, I think wanting to stand out came from seeking validation. Now it's much more about self-expression. 

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Photo © Photography by Samia Kanaan via Instagram (@samiakanaan)