The Feelgood Hit Of The Autumn: A Letter From Our Editor | Harper’s Bazaar Arabia September 2022

Bazaar Arabia’s Editor in Chief Olivia Phillips reflects on the secret to a successful ‘feelgood’ season in our latest issue…

I started re-reading Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project this summer. It’s an oldie but a goodie; a self-help manual overflowing with promise and positivity. If I’m honest, I needed a pick-me-up, and since taking a break for summer is all about recalibrating, it seemed like an ideal time to do some inner fine-tuning.

I’d also been aware of the shadow pandemic of burnout-adjacent fatigue affecting what seemed like almost everyone I spoke to. From close friends to industry peers, it was becoming clear that all our good post-Covid intentions of being better to ourselves had vanished into the same ether that New Year’s resolutions tend to go. In short, it felt like everyone needed a hug, a homecooked meal, and at least three more months of swanning around Mykonos. Sadly, we can’t offer any of those things free with this issue – but what we can do is create an ode to joy on our pages, dedicating this issue to the essential art of feeling good – and to the hows and whys of it all.

There’s no better representation of ‘feelgood’ this season than the shade of the moment; hot pink, so say thank you to Valentino for painting our lives with it for the foreseeable future. Of course, fashion never happens in a vacuum, so get ready to read why this colour has captured everyone’s imagination to quite such a degree. Clue: it’s to do with a small plastic icon whose colossal influence on women, on fashion, and on culture can never be overstated.

Speaking of icons, we’ve spoken to a whole host this month, each of whom have their own feelgood messages to spread. Precious Lee’s indomitable presence in the fashion industry has been nothing but a force for good, and the same could be said for local hero Dima Ayad and trailblazing Saudi supercar-club president, Nujood Zahid. Elsewhere, Dr. Saliha Afridi offers a thought-provoking new perspective on body-positivity, Emirati musician Abri shares his playlist of songs to make you dance like no one’s watching (frankly, the only way that one should ever dance), and we explore the burgeoning trend of colour therapy in beauty. Call it dopamine dressing, but for your face.

Finally, to our cover star, the eminently cheerful Tara Emad. The Egyptian actress’ upbeat energy and wise-for-her years outlook is both charismatic and infectious. She opens up about bullying, book clubs and is a characteristically good sport when we ask her nosy, overblown questions like, “Are you happy?.” She left us with a big smile on our faces. Here’s hoping this issue does the same for you.

From Olivia’s Desk…

The swagger, the costumes, the hair and the music… Danny Boyle’s new miniseries, Pistol is a hedonistic bullet-train of an homage to the most formative period of punk rock in ’70s London. It’s grim but glorious and I can’t get enough.

Editor’s Picks

Editor in Chief & Words: Olivia Phillips. Photography: Amer Mohamad. Styling: Nour Bou Ezz. Art Director: Oscar Yáñez. Producer: Steff Hawker. Hair: Deena Alawaid. Make-Up: Manu Losada Gomez. Photographer’s Assistant: Anna Kaganovich. Stylist’s Assistants: Cristina Burca and Dhara Gandhi

Cover credits: Panthère de Cartier watch small model in yellow gold; Clash de Cartier ring double-row model in rose gold; (left) Juste Un Clou rings in yellow gold, POA, all Cartier. Coat, POA, Valentino. Blazer, POA, Rami Kadi

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s September 2022 issue.