The Heroine’s Journey: A Letter From Our Editor | Harper’s Bazaar Arabia March 2022
With International Women’s Day taking place on March 8th Bazaar Arabia’s Editor in Chief, Olivia Phillips, shares why we should be harnessing main-character energy…
“That’s a main-character move,” I said to one of my best friends who was visiting me last week. “Absolutely!” she nodded vehemently at me over our Saturday lunch, “She’s got major main-character energy.” We were both crushing on a particularly suave, sophisticated power-manoeuvre that a mutual friend had made – an act that was so casually confident, so unexpected and downright cool that it had transcended mere awesomeness to become full-blown, write-it-down-and remember-it aspirational. Both being journalists who were schooled at the same highly demanding magazine in London, neither my visitor or I are particularly wallflowery, but our friend’s move had rendered us a little in awe, and left us pondering how we, too, could harness this special kind of moxie.
Our chat recalled one of my favourite-ever quotes – “Above all, be the heroine of your life” – a simple yet powerful little reminder from writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron to always stride in with leading-lady confidence. In life, as in films, the challenges will be plentiful, but the important thing is to remember that you can always write your own ending to them. You are the main character. Act accordingly.
Nora’s words speak of independence, of the ability to empower oneself, and of the need to take the steering wheel and not hand it over to chance – or to others who might decide the narrative for you. Luckily, there has been an abundance of women who have, and continue to, tread the path before you, offering unlimited inspiration on how to do it for yourself. To celebrate this month’s International Women’s Day, we have included a multitude of them in these pages; incredible women from the region and beyond, each with their own main-character energy serving as blueprints, roadmaps, or even just jumping-off points for your very own heroine’s journey. The biggest lesson? That most of them didn’t do it alone – that they had the support of other amazing women (and men) who cheered them on, often when they needed it the most. Camaraderie, sisterhood, community – it’s all crucial to achieving a happy ending for everyone. To paraphrase David Bowie – we could be heroines. All of us. But we have to do it together.
From Olivia’s Desk…
I have spent a disproportionate amount of time wondering whatever happened to Von Dutch; the juggernaut Y2K brand that dominated many a wardrobe during the era hugely influencing fashion right now. Hulu’s docu-series has the answer.
Editor’s Picks…
Photography: Vladimir Marti. Fashion Director: Anna Castan. Model: Hind Sahli at Elite Model World. Hair: Giannandrea Marongiu at Hair Prescriptives. Make-Up: Jeff Ernoult. Market Editor: Nour Bou Ezz. Fashion Producer: Seher Khan. Producer: Jesse Vora. Production Manager: Ghalia Chraibi. Fashion Assistants: Christian Marchesich and Cristina Burca. Special thanks to Berber Lodge Marrakech
Lead image credits: Shirt, POA; Skirt, POA; Leather Belt, POA; Shoes, POA, all Hermès; Hat, stylist’s own
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s March 2022 issue.
