Famous Last Words: Olivia Phillips On 200 Issues Of Bazaar Arabia
At the helm of the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Group, Editor in Chief Olivia Phillips recounts some of the best memories of her tenure
The last five and a half years have been filled with many a milestone and iconic moment, but Olivia still looks forward to “the next issue, always!”
The issue that changed it all for me was… Iris Apfel for her 100th birthday, in all-Arab designers. We shot the cover with Richard Phibbs at The Colony, Palm Beach, next to Iris’ cornucopia-filled house. It went viral, breaking all records, and was then published in over a dozen other Bazaars around the world.
The best on-set experience has to be… shooting Halima Aden with Yulia Gorbachenko on the Maasai Mara. Halima singing Jambo Bwana with the locals, Yulia capturing magic as the sun set on the savannah, and me solemnly asking for a receipt for expenses from an incredulous-looking Maasai tribesman.
I always wanted to be… a writer. My mum and dad sent a manuscript I wrote aged eight to a bunch of publishers. It was called Freddie the Little Warlock so I always joke that I drafted the original Harry Potter. If I can encourage my daughters to follow their dreams even a fraction as much as my parents did, I will have done a good job.
What does success mean to you?
Being happy to go to work, and being happy to come home.
I started this journey with… Covid looming; taking the reins at a time when the entire purpose of magazines was being called into question. After some initial tussling about frivolity and just how badly we needed escapism, it felt like the world fell in love with beauty and art in a more profound, more grateful way. Bazaar Arabia held a mirror up to that. It really made me interrogate what a magazine can and should be in this day and age.
My job means… being able to bring ideas to life. Something can start as a pipe dream and end up on a page. There’s something magical about that.
I will never forget… lighting up the Burj Khalifa with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s May 2021 cover reveal; six covers celebrating female Emirati excellence. A truly iconic moment. I’ve never felt prouder of this beautiful magazine and what it represents.
Is it more important to be liked or respected? It’s nice to be liked, but it’s essential to be respected. You’ll never be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have enough self-worth, you’ll know that it really doesn’t matter.
What did your last Spotify Wrapped look like? A rather confronting mix of what Spotify called ‘Indie Sleaze Grime’ and ‘Wanderlust Beach Folk’. Basically a portal exposing the tossed salad that was my postpartum brain last year: Gerry Cinnamon, Caamp, Alex Cameron, but also Stormzy, Wiley and Dizzee Rascal apparently. The numbers (sadly) don’t lie.
What would you tell your younger self?
The time is now.
What is your motto? “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim” – Nora Ephron. She also said, “Everything is copy,” which, even if you’re not a writer, is still a good reminder to use whatever plot twists life throws your way as fuel/ lessons/ inspiration. “Put it all in the book,” my old Editor used to say whenever something outrageous happened. Working on magazines for 20 years, I can confirm that is almost constantly.
Who are your heroes? Badass women who have been through it and lived to tell multiple tales. Tina Brown, Oprah, Joan Collins, Dolly Parton, mums everywhere… Hats off to you, it’s the hardest job in the world. I also think about Jane Fonda at least once a week. She is my Roman Empire.
Your greatest extravagance: Salon blow-dries. I haven’t washed my own hair in 10 years.
I am proudest of: My husband and our daughters. They are excellent humans. 10/10.
What’s your guiltiest pleasure? I use too many emojis for someone of both my age and profession.
The trait I admire most in others is… Wit
Images supplied.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia April 2025 Issue.