Beauty Boss, Fashion Inspiration And Role Model; Haneen Alsaify is Rewriting The Script And Forging A New Path For Herself

Harper’s Bazaar Qatar’s Autumn 2024 cover star talks trials, tribulations and taking risks in starting something new

Beauty boss, fashion inspiration and role model; Haneen Alsaify is rewriting the script and forging a new path for herself

When you look at her perfectly curated social media feed – alongside her over one million followers – and scroll through the jetset locations, intricately curated high fashion looks, and immaculate make-up application, you don’t immediately think: “chemical engineer!” The style maven, who is juggling her young son as she fields questions and tries to eat her takeaway salad during a short break during the Bazaar cover shoot laughs, “It was not the plan”, when this is put to her. She admits that at first these two paths seem utterly divergent, but actually, when you study the skills involved in her earlier degree and now-profession, you’ll see the similarities.

A Palestinian native, who was born, raised and educated in Doha, Haneen has called Qatar home her entire life, and feels a deep-seated gratitude and allegiance to the country that has given her so many opportunities. We chat with the amiable modest fashion style star, beauty queen and entrepreneur to discuss her unexpected success, being a role model and adjusting others’ misconceptions about who she is, what she does and all she’s achieved.

You’re a trained chemical engineer so how did you end up in the digital and fashion world?

I love to tell people this story. I was doing an internship in an aluminium factory before graduating from Doha University. I started posting stories about my everyday life, especially my skincare routine because we were working under the blazing sun. It started to get traction as people were not used to someone talking about beauty and skincare while working in a factory. So I started to get the recognition, but it was not planned at all.

Was there a moment when you realised how your profile had grown to new heights?

Yes, I remember it clearly, like it was yesterday. I had just re-entered university in 2016 to finish my senior year after my internship. I was just walking around the campus, and suddenly everyone’s saying: “Hi Haneen! Hi Haneen!” Others are whispering, “Oh, that’s Haneen!” as they pass me. I knew that I had engagement when it came to my Instagram posts, but I didn’t expect this…

Was there a particular topic that started it all?

During summer I posted my travel looks, and those posts got a huge amount of attention, because the main focus was me – and the fact that it felt genuine. I hadn’t planned to showcase the beauty of modestwear, but at that point it wasn’t fashionable and shown off with taste, so perhaps it struck a chord. A couple of posts in which I showed my outfits while traveling got the most engagement – those made my account.

So do you think the fact that you found a niche – modest styling – set you apart from everyone else?

Those in the region, and especially in Qatar, were surprised: “What is she trying to do?” It was not usual for women to post their outfits and tag brands. People didn’t know what to think. “Why is she tagging the brands?” they would say.

Was there much negativity you had to deal with?

Yes, of course. I always say that the first movers have the advantage of being first movers, but they also have to deal with the negativity. They are often bullied or have to deal with derogatory comments, or with people not understanding what they are doing. The audience feels that this is something weird, strange – it’s too new.

Many celebrities say they just don’t read that feedback…

Actually, I do read the negative comments, but I never interact with negativity. I do consider some of them, because they’re sometimes valid. Not all the negativity is hate. Some comments may make you feel uncomfortable, but when you think about them, you understand that they might be valid. It’s constructive criticism.

When did you realise that you could make a career of this?

So there are two parts to this question. I have my social media accounts and I have my businesses. The social media part, I knew how to monetise it, because at that time many brands were looking for ambassadors, or people to work with them in Qatar because there weren’t many influencers at that time. So I knew how to take advantage of that. I had my own team, and I set up an email and we started doing it professionally.

Who were some of the names that reached out to you?

Sephora was one of the first brands. Dior. Because of the uniqueness of my content I had a lot of diverse lines reaching out. I show the luxury, but I also show the spontaneous side of my life, so I can fit in all in.

When it came to how I started my website, and became an entrepreneur – that grew from the people, not from me. I always used to wear my turbans – this kind of scarf was not so popular at that time – so people used to ask me how I tied the turbans and where I got them from. I went to my mum and told her that I could perhaps monetise this. I brought the fabric, explained what I had in mind and she made them for me. That idea grew as a company and has a huge team, designers, distributors, and now warehouses. It went to something big from a small idea.

Our society is quite traditional and you’ve just mentioned your mother – were your family supportive?

There were mixed responses. Some were supportive, and others didn’t understand what I was doing. My father was always supportive of everything his daughters did. But one day he came up to me and he said, “Haneen, I want to ask you something. People tell me you put your pictures in a place called Instagram” – he didn’t know what it was -– Facebook was more popular at that time. “Can you explain it to me?” So I went through it all. After that he said: “Okay, set up an account for me so I can follow you”. But there were others that didn’t get it at the beginning.

How did you get all the skills you need for setting up your own business and becoming an entrepreneur?

I observe and see small details, work hard and always stay motivated. A common misunderstanding is that chemical engineering is all about chemistry. It is not. It is about processes. So it’s about building something from scratch – the same thing I’m doing. I’m building something from scratch. It doesn’t matter if you are working with oil refineries and making petrol, or making scarves and selling them, the whole process is the same. It is a way of thinking.

What have been some of the highlights of your career?

When I first got invited to Paris Fashion Week in 2021 by Dior. That same year I got invitations from Givenchy, Christian Louboutin and many other labels. I did Milan Fashion Week with Prada. It was an important step to represent modest fashion because we don’t usually see it in an international setting. It was a milestone for me.

How does it feel to be an ambassador for Qatar and for women in the Middle East in general?

This is something I dreamed of my whole life, because I always used to tell myself that I needed to give back to Qatar. I didn’t know how. I always try to represent modest fashion and Muslim women on the global stage. It makes me feel proud because I can show people that we are just the same. We just come from different backgrounds. Everyone is unique in their own way, with their own traditions.

Any issues you face being in the public eye?

It’s becoming a challenge because in Qatar we are a small community. Everyone knows everyone. So no matter what happens in your home or with your life, you feel all these people know about it. They know where you are going, or if you are angry or sad or happy. This can be tricky, especially when it’s something sensitive or important to you, and you don’t want to disclose it.

How do you decide what to share?

I want my content to be organic – but with some limits. Those limits include, for example, the fact that I will never talk about politics. I will never talk about religion. I will never talk about something sensitive to me or private to me, like family matters that should stay within my family. I set boundaries, and I stick to them.

And any tips to creating the perfect modest look?

When I travel, I like to wear Prada and Dior. They have so many modest pieces, so I feel more comfortable wearing them. My main tip for modest dressing? Don’t take an immodest look and try to make it modest. Because if it’s not modest, then it’s not modest. Don’t add extra sleeves underneath and more tops. I don’t like that way of putting outfits together. I like to wear something that is already modest, and you just add your touch to it, your accessories.

How do you unwind or relax?

There’s this secret about everyone in Qatar – we love to drink karak. We drink it in hot weather, in cold weather, all the time. This is a ritual for everyone. So even if you are not interested in drinking karak, you will just drink it with your friends to have a random chat together. And usually people in Qatar, they like cruising in their cars. So we don’t go to places, we just go round and round in the car driving everywhere.

Who do you follow and learn from?

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned is so inspirational. I met her once, and it was a dream come true. To be honest, I didn’t say a word, because I was so nervous. So I just shook her hand and said: “I love you”, and that was it.

In the beauty sector I follow Huda Kattan, because she’s always giving tutorials and sharing new make-up tips.

You must have your pick of fashion finds. Anything on your wish list?

I want a Birkin Croc. Hopefully one day…

You are also known for posting a lot of aspirational travel content. Where have you been to recently that you’ve absolutely loved?

Paris and Istanbul are my favourite destinations. I have to go to Paris four or five times a year. When I travel I take a lot of luggage, because I always need back-ups incase I take looks that I end up not wanting to wear when I get there. I need to change my shoes, accessories… I always take extra with me. I even use my husband or baby’s extra luggage allowance! I have one suitcase just for my shoes.

What’s next on the agenda? You’ve got scarves, you’ve got make-up products and beauty under your eponymous line, can you share your future plans?

I am so excited about getting my Executive MBA next June. This is the only thing I’m focusing on. [Her manager interjects about other projects]. Yeah, of course, there are new campaigns coming, but for me, the degree is so important. I’ll tell you something. Woman don’t get much support in business. The only support for women is from other women. Most industries are are ruled by men, even the fashion industry. But whenever I needed something, it happened because of the women around me. They supported me. We need mentors. We need someone to tell us the truth without feeling it’s personal, and we don’t want them to be one of our relatives or our father or mother, because we feel sensitive to their feedback. We need guides who we trust.

Do you feel perceptions are changing when it comes to modest wear?

People are starting to figure it out. I remember once I was in Lisbon, and the ladies there stopped me and asked me where I was from and about my covered head. They wanted to know if there was a specific reason for me to cover myself. So I it explained to them, and they were very interested. They told me that they didn’t know that this was something religious for Muslim or Arab women but that I looked stunning to them. They were surprised, because perhaps they thought that being modest doesn’t equate with being stylish. It was gratifying to change their mind – and very flattering.

Cover image credits: Alaghband Ala Necklace in Rose Gold with Diamonds; Alaghband Kite Earrings in Rose Gold with Diamonds and Blue Sapphires; Left Hand from Right: Alaghband Kite Twisted Bangle in Rose Gold with Diamonds and Blue Sapphire, Alaghband Kite Bracelet in Rose Gold with Diamonds and Blue Sapphire Right Hand: Alaghband Kite Ring in Rose Gold with Diamonds and Blue Sapphire. Dress, POA, Loro Piana

Photographer: Sam Rawadi. Stylist: Nour Bou Ezz. Set Design: Yehia Bedier. Senior Producer: Steff Hawker. Make-Up: Sharbel Hasbany. Styling Assistants: Marguerita Christoforidis, Maanoshri Ganguly and Samar Ali. Lighting Assistant: Mark Anthony Navarro

From Harper’s Bazaar Qatar’s Autumn 2024 issue.