The Service You Do For Others: A Letter From Our Editor | Harper’s Bazaar Arabia April 2022
Bazaar Arabia’s Editor in Chief, Olivia Phillips, shares the underlying philosophy behind the beauty of our region, through the lens of the incredible, inspiring people we meet
“Words we love to say, in a city we love to live in,” is a quote from this issue that really spoke to me this month. It’s not only poetic, and in keeping with the gratitude and mindfulness that Ramadan engenders, but is also very much the underlying philosophy behind putting together Harper’s Bazaar Arabia – as much a love letter as it is a magazine, and built on words dedicated to the beauty of the place we call home.
It also chimed with an acceptance speech I gave late last month, when Harper’s Bazaar Arabia won the award for Best Fashion Magazine at the EMIGALAs in Dubai. Aside from gushing with stage-mom pride over my amazing team, I wanted to explain that while fashion may be the backbone of what we do – it is the stories of the incredible, inspiring people of this region that is the heartbeat.
In this issue, those include that of Emirati showjumper Amna Bani Hashem, experimental-henna whizz, Dr. Azra Khamissa, whose quote we read at the start and award-winning Saudi calligraffiti artist Mawadah Muhtasib. Of course, our storytelling spirit extends beyond the region, too. Our Olympian cover star, sporting champ Ramla Ali, is a Somalian-born British Muslim boxer whose art in the ring is matched only by her activism outside it.
Not only has Ramla set up Sisters Club, a not-for-profit organisation that offers free self-defense classes to women of all backgrounds, but she also used lockdown to write Not Without a Fight: Ten Steps To Becoming Your Own Champion, in order to pay forward the wisdom and strength she’s learned on her journey. A heavy-hitter indeed.
“The service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth,” she tells us in The Knockout feature, quoting fellow boxer and one of her all-time heroes, Muhammad Ali. Words to live by – both this month, and always.
From Olivia’s Desk…
Will-they-won’t-they love story aside, the most addictive thing about Bridgerton’s return is Queen Charlotte’s hair. Anyone else driven to distraction by it? Hoping it will have its own storyline next season, and maybe even a small speaking part…
Editor’s Picks…
Photography: Kwaku Alston. Styling: Jèss Monterde. Hair: Ashley Lynn Hall. Make-Up: Tami Shirey. Photographer’s Assistants: Braden Moran, Ricky Steel and Anthony Avellano. Stylist’s Assistant: Manuel Gutierrez. Producer: Jesse Vora. Digital Tech: Sara Swaty Roger. Post Production: NS1Media. Production Assistant: Adam Robert Perez
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s April 2022 issue.
