Adriana Lima

Abdel El Tayeb with model Adriana Lima wearing his design. Photo: Hassan Hajjaj  
As a multidisciplinary global shaper dedicated to the creativity of cultural diplomacy, I tend to work as a constantly traveling independent think tank, influencing and impacting lives through the arts, design, dialogue, brand-building, and crucial cultural exchange – undeniable key markers for better human understanding. Specifically, I feel it’s imperative to bring attention to the overlooked localities of the world, and their lesser-known potential.
Adriana Lima in Abdel El Tayeb. Photo: Hassan Hajjaj
Five years ago, I came across the fascinating works of a Paris-based Sudanese designer called Abdel El Tayeb. Or rather, El Tayeb’s fascinating works came across me. El Tayeb was certainly one of those thrills, and as a fellow human from Sudan, whose East African foundation was nurtured in Europe and glazed by Arabia, our shared appreciation for this identity myriad was eerily similar. Half a decade later, and after introducing the newly graduated El Tayeb to Qatar’s Fashion Trust Arabia (an initiative that provides financial and mentorship support), where he won in the category of debut talent, the rest of the fashion world soon recognized what I saw: A master in the making.
Born in Bordeaux, France to Sudanese parents, El Tayeb first learned about fashion from television. During his childhood holidays, he would take part in arts and crafts classes, which saw his interest in handicrafts, painting, and architecture bloom. A graduate of textile design at Olivier de Serres in Paris and with post-graduate studies in styling and fashion creation from the Ecole Nationale supérieure des arts visuels de la cambre in Brussels, El Tayeb served as an assistant designer at Isabel Marant, Balmain shoes, Cédric Charlier, and the artisanal collection at Maison Margiela. He effected embroidery and lace at the haute couture house Franck Sorbier and studied the development of product at Ann Demeulemeester. Today, it comes as no surprise that Bottega Veneta’s former creative director, Daniel Lee, snapped him up prior to him even completing his studies.
Adriana Lima in Abdel El Tayeb. Photo: Hassan Hajjaj
If many are quickly mesmerized by El Tayeb’s talent, for one, his attention to detail is testament to the unique craft applied to every single creation within his label El Tayeb Nation – the basketry, the tailoring, the whimsical storytelling, blaring through every meticulously sourced piece of multitextured fabric. “I grew up with a number of cultural layers,” the designer explains. “These layers are clear in my designs. I also wanted to speak to all of us who carry these layers of coming from more than one world, and create a nation of our own.” He adds, “This graduate collection, which is now officially my debut, is a lot like the national holiday of El Tayeb Nation, or like the arrivals at the opening of the Olympic Games, where we see national teams parading in highly tailored and embroidered uniforms, with a majesty in ceremonial clothing that I find stunning.”
This sense of dignity and majestic allure in presentation is an approach embedded within the Sudanese code of pride. One that El Tayeb has made a distinct effort to translate through means of traditional craftsmanship from his homeland, and his ultimate Sudanese muse: his beloved mother. “I was always obsessed with her style choices and her gold accessories, there was so much color, glow, and vibrancy,” he shares. “There is a boldness to her grace, and, like all Sudanese women, she carries this with both strength and softness. We would walk the streets of Paris when I was a child and my mother would always be the one standing out. Even amid so many people, I only remember seeing her, watching her, in all her colorful glory. She’s my icon.”
Adriana Lima in Abdel El Tayeb. Photo: Hassan Hajjaj
Another inspiration is, of course, Sudan’s national dress. “Known as the toub, it is wrapped around the woman’s body in a way that transfixes me; this is the core of my stylistic inspiration,” El Tayeb says. His trompe l’oeil gloves allude to Sudan’s ancient traditions of henna and other sacred bodily markings. “Around the arm of the glove you’ll find my embroidered signature. The El Tayeb national stamp, if you like. Our Sudanese basketry replaces embroidery with gold thread too, and the basket motifs run through my collection with cutting and ornamental play. It’s from the volume of this round basket that I composed my archetypal body. I was also inspired by Alberto Giacometti’s Spoon Woman. The sculptural is therefore present, with a notion of fertility… Of a mother country that transmits its culture to the child.”
Adriana Lima in Abdel El Tayeb. Photo: Hassan Hajjaj
El Tayeb (and his nation) has arrived into the colloquial games of international fashion. To parade the lines of multi-identity. To rambunctiously celebrate the complexities of diversity and inclusivity. To combine ancestral heritage with an ever-changing contemporary world, and with a talent that is sure to be remembered. As for his ultimate ambition, the lover of slow fashion wants to give back, contributing to Sudan’s development and economy with a production studio that aims to create jobs for more of the country’s artisans.
Originally published in the January 2022 issue of Vogue Arabia
Photography: Hassan HajjajMakeup: Emmanuelle Geoffrey for Dior BeautyHair: Abed Almostafa at Tony Sawaya SalonCreative direction: Manuel ArnautProduction: Ankita ChandraProduction assistant: Naheed Ifteqar With a special thank you to M7, Qatar

Adriana Lima and Abdel El Tayeb photographed by Hassan Hajjaj for Vogue Arabia January 2022
The January issue of Vogue Arabia launches the year with a bold celebration of creativity, joy, and fresh talent, with four covers shot on location in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The first edition of 2022 sets the tone with vibrant color and flair. Sudanese-French designer Abdel El Tayeb and supermodel Adriana Lima were photographed by Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj in Doha, mere hours after the young designer accepted his debut talent prize at the 2021 Fashion Trust Arabia awards. Meanwhile, in Jeddah, Moroccan photographer Mous Lamrabat shot Saudi film producer Mohammed Al Turki with rising star actors Fatima AlBanawi and Mila Al Zahrani on the auspicious occasion of the first Red Sea film festival.
“We are proud to be a platform that empowers young regional talents, so we are dedicating this issue to the creatives who are shaking things up in fashion and entertainment in the Arab world,” says editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut. In fashion, Fashion Trust Arabia debut talent award-winner El Tayeb is creating a stir with his master artistry resulting in distinctive designs that hark back to his Sudanese heritage. The talented young designer is also inspired by his mother, calling her his “ultimate icon,” as well as the traditional craftsmanship of his homeland. Having honed his craft at Isabel Marant, Balmain, and Maison Margiela, before launching his own label in El Tayeb Nation, the young designer is set to soar. “I grew up with a number of cultural layers,” the designer explains. “These layers are clear in my designs. I also wanted to speak to all of us who carry these layers of coming from more than one world, and create a nation of our own.”
The second cover story salutes the burgeoning cinema scene in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the industry flowering with new talents and international releases. The Kingdom also recently hosted the first edition of the Red Sea film festival, with cover star and festival director Mohammed Al Turki saying, “I have this vision for our festival in the coming years, with its potential to become one of the most important cinematic events in the region. I hope that it will be a strong factor behind placing Saudi and Arab cinema on the map, globally.” The pioneering film festival is further celebrated in the issue with a glamorous portfolio shot by Amina Zaher of the event’s biggest stars, including Hend Sabri and Youssra. “Saudi has witnessed many recent reforms resulting in cultural changes, while at the same time keeping its core identity intact,” Sabri told Vogue Arabia. “The festival will encourage Saudis and fellow Arabs to tell their stories, knowing that there is an important platform through which they can be heard. The fact that it is taking place in Jeddah defies the stereotypical view on the region.”
The January issue further celebrates creativity in all its forms, including an incisive exploration of the GCC’s growing global role as the new fashion and art capital of the world. The art scene in the Kingdom is also blossoming, as we find out from Saudi abstract artist Lulwah Al Homoud: “I am so happy to have my city open to the world, in terms of culture, art, design – everything,” she says in an exclusive interview about Riyadh Art and the many initiatives around it. We also spotlight originality behind the camera, meeting the young new Arab makeup artists creating eye-catching looks for stars including Mona Zaki and Dorra Zarrouk.

Adriana Lima and Abdel El Tayeb
Photography: Hassan HajjajMakeup: Emmanuelle Geoffrey for Dior BeautyHair: Abed Almostafa at Tony Sawaya SalonCreative direction: Manuel ArnautProduction: Ankita ChandraProduction assistant: Naheed Ifteqar With a special thank you to M7, Qatar