Tag: Vogue Arabia

Vogue Arabia March Highlights

vogue arabia cover march 21 arb

The 2021 March issue of Vogue Arabia comes with a statement cover page marking the 4th anniversary of the magazine as it was first published back in 2017. As an issue dedicated to creativity from MENA region (Middle East and North Africa), it features various ‘creative visionaries’  such as Mous Lanrabat, Alia Bin Omair, Mahira Abdelazizm, Mohamed Abdelhamid, Safeya Binzagr, Monir Shahroudyand more. Well done.

vogue arabia cover march 21 eng

Photo: Mous Lanrabat / Styling: Katie Trotter / Model: Athiec Geng / Editor-in-chief: Manuel Arnaut

 

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Vogue focus – Saudia Arabia

While the latest issue of Vogue Arabia – June 2018, may seem for many just another Vogue edition featuring a glamorous cover, nice fashion photography and pretty dresses, it is definitely much more than that. Actually Vogue Arabia’s DRIVING FORCE issue can be regarded as an history making issue for several reasons.

Vogue Arabia June 2018_cover

To begin with, this is the first-ever Vogue edition dedicated to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a country undergoing relevant changes these days. The Vogue issue released this June is somehow symbolic & inspirational, as it celebrates the month when Saudi women start drive as driving ban for women in KSA was recently removed by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (for those who are not aware, women were not allowed to drive in KSA, yet the driving ban will be lifted on June 24).

Then, the cover star of Vogue Arabia is not an ordinary lady but a Saudi princess. Photographed by Boo George in the desert outside Jeddah, Makkah provence, the Vogue cover is featuring HRH Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud, daughter of the late King Abdullah.

The significance of the Vogue approach can be understood only considering the context of a very specific culture – Saudia Arabia is a unique country in the world, a place where traditionally women don’t have to work, don’t drive cars or practice sports, don’t take strong roles in society, living very private and secure lives under male guardianship laws.

“It’s easy to comment on other people’s societies and think that your own society is superior, but people must remember that each country is specific and unique,” says HRH princess Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud in the Vogue interview. “We have strengths and weaknesses but, invariably, it’s our culture, and it’s better to try to understand it than to judge it.”

The Vogue Arabia June issue is truly a celebration of pioneering Saudi women featuring a series of role models of the region such as Manal al-Sharif, a prominent exponent of women’s rights movement, Saja Kamal, a footballer working towards establishing the Kingdom’s first-ever women’s football team to take to the FIFA World Cup,  actress Ahd Kamel, the first Saudi star to appear in a Netflix series, Saudi supermodel Shanina Shaik, and so on.

Vogue Arabia cover June 2018 / Photo: Boo George / Fashion director: Katie Trotter / Hair: Talal Tabbara / Makeup: Petros Petrohilos at Streeters using MAC Cosmetics.

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VOGUE Arabia

While Arab version of Vogue has been online for a while, the first printed issue of Vogue Arabia was just released – March 2017, and it looks so promissing.

Having Saudi princess Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz appointed as editor-in-chief, the magazine features Gigi Hadid as cover girl, delivers fashion stories photographed by Hans Feurer and Inez & Vinoodh, showcasing established designers and emerging talents. Conceived in bilingual version English/Arabic, Vogue Arabia will be distributed in several Middle Eastern countries: UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and in international location such as London, Paris, Milan.  

Vogue-Arabia-Cover-March-2017-Cover-Photoshoot02

As underlined on Vogue’s website:

The launch of Vogue Arabia is a pioneering one on many levels: it is the first Vogue to break onto the market in digital prior to print, it is the Middle East’s first premium fashion publication in two languages, and the first Vogue to represent an entire region.

Ultimately, we should add that the launch of Vogue Arabia is particularly significant and challenging within the very special cultural context to whom it is addressed. Middle Eastern ladies had embraced fashion since forever, while the cultural environment valuing privacy above all, kept them away from the spotlight and the pages of glossy publications. Therefore, the Vogue Arabia moment sounds like a genuine breakthrough.

The title of the first issue “Reorienting Perceptions” clearly emphasizes the scope of this wonderful project. Besides the appealing look, this cover works as a symbolic moodboard – the famous half-Palestinian model as the first face of the magazine, the precious fabric detail (so cherished by clients in the Arab world), the styling twist functioning as a reference to fashion glam masks as well as Arab dress codes.

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