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
