Breaking Ground: A Letter From Our Editor | Harper’s Bazaar Arabia October 2021
Bazaar’s Editor in Chief, Olivia Phillips, shares the key to true happiness — according to the most impressive thinkers, movers and shakers in the region — in our latest issue
Fittingly for a month that will finally see Expo 2020 Dubai open its doors, we’ve covered a lot of ground in this issue – both literally and figuratively.
We shot Bottega Veneta’s most covetable confections in Paris, Vuitton x Fornasetti’s soon-to-be sell-out collaboration in Milan, and Egyptian megastar Yasmine Sabri reclining on a Riva Aquarama (what else?) in Lake Como. We have pulled together deep-dives into the psychology of nostalgia in fragrance (Message in a Bottle), how to protect yourself from gender bias, and how the evolution of the humble meme is changing fashion as we know it (The Meme Team).
From Olivia’s Desk…
The best distraction this month comes in the shape of our fabulous new Deputy Editor, Jessica Michault’s podcast, Fashion Your Seatbelt – and it’s every bit as good as its name. Tune in and let me know what you think! 
N.Y.M.P.H. GLAZE Skin Glowing Perfector, Dhs145, Huda Beauty 
Les Extraits fragrances, POA, Louis Vuitton 
iPhone 13 Pro, from Dhs4,199, Apple
We even asked a group of the most impressive thinkers, movers and shakers in the region and beyond to share as much wisdom as they could muster, the logic being that sharing is one of the most wholesome, feelgood, life-affirming things that any of us can do. It’s what makes us human, or, as our cover star Yasmine put it, “What makes a person truly happy is giving. Feeling the impact, knowing your influence on a person. If you feel like you’re participating in life and making a difference, you feel like you matter.” And with World Mental Health Day on October 10th, it’s advice like this that we felt was crucial to build the entire issue on.
Editor’s Picks
Sunglasses, POA, Stella McCartney 
Dress, Dhs10,398, Bottega Veneta 
Ring, Dhs15,500, Charlotte Chesnais 
Bag, Dhs3,650, Fendi 
Earrings, Dhs21,027, Noor Fares 
Boots, Dhs5,493, Dolce & Gabbana
With interviews with powerhouses such as Mona Ataya, the – quite frankly – formidable brains behind local e-commerce platform, Mumzworld (Mum Power), ex-monk, life coach extraordinaire and friend of Oprah, Jay Shetty (Good Intentions) and Dr. Saliha Afridi, Clinical Psychologist, MD of The Lighthouse Arabia and Bazaar’s newest columnist (Fake It Til You Make It), this issue is as close to our perfect one as it probably gets. The best bit? We get to share it all with you. The key to happiness, if you ask the experts. And we have.
Photography: Philippe Vogelenzang. Model: Yasmine Sabri. Styling: Anna Castan.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s October 2021 issue.
