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Majid gets on a call with the Founder and CEO of NMC Talent, Najwa Cherif, who gave us insight into the talent management hustle. The topics discussed include the entertainment/talent industry in the MENA region, the process behind working with big talents around the world, advice for talents to find an agent and more! Click below to watch the interview. Make sure to check out NCM Talent's Instagram ! Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

As society progresses and moves forward, women are inspired to step out of their traditional roles and reach their full potential. This is especially true in the Arab world, where women's contribution to society is becoming more and more crucial. There is a wave of strong Arab women that were able to build business empires, destroy stereotypes and make headway for other women. Here are 10 Arab business women you should know about. 1-Amy Mowafi – Co-Founder & CEO, MO4Network. Amy Mowafi is the Co-Founder and CEO of MO4 Network, a leading creative and media agency in Egypt, with offices in Cairo and Dubai. She was born and raised in the UK, moved to Egypt in 2002 and has been living there ever since. She started her career with a job in Enigma Magazine , she began as a writer and worked her way up to becoming the editor of the magazine. In 2014, she launched MO4 with her three brothers, which grew from a team of 6 people to over 200 people now. The MO4 empire started with Tazkaraty , an online ticketing platform which quickly rose to popularity, they kept on building localized versions of global platforms from that point. At first, a few of their ideas did not make it big, however they were able to learn from the process and ended up launching very successful platforms. Today, MO4 is home to some of the most popular digital publications in the region, including: Cairozoom.com, Cairoscene.com, Startupsceneme.com, Scenenoise.com, SceneArabia.com, SceneEats, and elfasla.com . Amy is also the author of the book : Fe-mail: The trials and tribulations of being a Good Egyptian Girl . A book where she talks about her dreams, family, personal experiences as well as her role as a woman in her country and what is expected from her. Amy Mowafi is considered a symbol of success for women in Egypt as she offers an interesting perspective on how she was able to succeed in her patriarchal society as a women. https://themo4network.net/ 2- Sheikha Hanadi Al-Thani- Business Women And Philanthropist Sheikha Hanadi Bint Nasser bin Khalid Al Thani, is an influential Qatari business women. She was born in Qatar, earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Qatar University, and went on to earn an executive MBA from London Business School and a master’s degree in economics at the University of London. She started her career as a lecturing assistant in the Economics Department of Qatar University, she then went on to establish the Qatar Ladies Investment Company (QLIC) in 1998, which was later renamed Amwal . Amwal is the first regulated investment company to be granted a license by the Qatar Central Bank, which allowed them to conduct investment banking as well as asset and wealth management. in 2005, she launched Al Waab City, an important real estate project that focused on providing world-class luxurious villas and contemporary apartments. Sheikha Hanadi is also an investor, banker, special adviser to Standard Chartered Bank, and is the CEO of "Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani & Sons Group", a leading trading and contracting company in Qatar. In 2012, she founded Q-Auto, which deals in Volkswagen and Audi cars. Aside from her many business activities, she is also an active philanthropist, she founded Injaz Qatar, a non-profit organization that works on education and youth programs. She's also the founding co-chairperson of the 30% Club ’s GCC chapter, which is a regional volunteer group working together towards better representation of women on boards and in senior level positions. Sheikha Hanadi was able to make waves with her entrepreneurial skills, and paved her own path despite her royal background. http://www.amwal.qa/ 3- Jouhayna Samawi- Co Founder Of Ayyam Gallery Syrian national Jouhayna Samawi, is an entrepreneur, art collector and the co-founder of Ayyam Gallery, along with her husband and two cousins. Ayyam is an art gallery that aims to showcase Syria's art history and place an international spotlight on Syrian and Arab artists. Shortly after it's launch in Syria, Ayyam became huge a success, Sammawi and her partners were able to expand Ayyam to the UAE, Lebanon, the UK and Saudi Arabia. The gallery also played a pivotal role in helping timeless Syrian art pieces and artists such as Safwan Dahoul leave the war torn country. Since it's founding, Ayyam displayed the creations of many esteemed Arab artists including: Iraqi multi-media artist, Sadik Kwaish Alfraji, French-Tunisian multimedia artist El Seed and many more. With her current headquarters located in the Serkal Avenue in Dubai, Sammawi continues to push Ayyam forward, making it a powerful cultural voice showcasing Arab art to the world. http://www.ayyamgallery.com/ 4-Loulou Khazen Baz- Founder of Nabbesh.com. Lebanese national Loulou Khazen Baz, is the founder of Nabbesh.com , the first online work marketplace in the region, an angel investor as well as a podcast host and producer. Nabbesh connects businesses with top quality freelancers from the world’s emerging markets with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa. She founded Nabbesh out of Dubai with a goal of filling the gap between the talent demand and supply pockets, as well as encouraging local businesses to hire experts from the region. Nabbesh (which means "search" in Arabic) currently hosts 100,000 freelancers, with 42 percent of them identifying as full time freelancers. Nearly 20,000 jobs have been posted on Nabbesh , with design, media and architecture landing as the most popularly offered skills. Baz not only created opportunities for people with Nabbesh , but also helped changing the culture in the region when it comes to freelance work and hiring talents part time. Baz sold Nabbesh to Ureed.com last year, she then went on to establish Kickstart Ventures which is an angel network investing in early stage and seed stage startups. She is also the producer and host of the podcast Conversations with Loulou which focuses on bringing out stories of entrepreneurs and business leaders primarily from the MENA region. https://conversationswithloulou.com/ 5-Lulwa Alsoudairy- Founder Of Artistia.com Saudi national Lulwa Al-Sudairy, is the CEO and founding partner of Artistia.com . She attained her bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah, in 2011 and her MBA from Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, Wellesley, Massachusetts in 2015. Prior to launching Artistia.com , Al-Sudairy held different positions in many companies including: social responsibility coordinator at BMG Financial Group in November of 2011, a business development intern at Harvard Medical School from January to August 2013, graduate assistant at Babson College’s Center for Engaged Learning & Teaching from January 2014 to May 2014, and she is currently the head of strategic development and a board member of "Mansour Al Mosaid Group". Al-Sudairy got her entrepreneurial prowess from her mother, who is the owner of Liyano , a local production house that produces Saudi handcrafted souvenirs and gifts. As Al-Sudairy observed and realized the challenges that designers and artists, such as her mother were facing when selling their products, she decided to take action and offer a solution. In 2016, along with her co-founder, Leena Alaufi, she launched Artistia.com , an e-commerce platform that operates as a virtual mall and connects local artists and designers with global markets. Since it's launch, the site’s network has expanded from 60 to 400 artisanal brands across the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.The platform was ranked by Forbes as one of the top 50 startups in Saudi Arabia and currently registers around 15,000 visits per month. Al-Sudairy's drive and passion for problem solving and empowering artists led her to building one of the top startups in Saudi Arabia. https://artistia.com/ 6-Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun- Business Mogul Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun is a Moroccan business women, she is known as "the mysterious billionaire". Chaqroun proved to be a women that is able to compete with men and supersede them, not just in business but in many other areas. If she isn't giving orders and making millions from her office, she might be flying her own private plane, driving her favorite type of motorcycle, a Harley Davidson, playing golf at the most professional level or she might be driving one of the many race cars she's been collecting since she won the famous "Le Trophée des Gazelles" Rally championship in 1993. She was born in November 24,1962 in Casablanca, her father Abdulqader Bensaleh, a successful business man and the founder of the well known Holmarcom Group , was one of the individuals who signed Morocco's declaration of independence. At the age of 18, Chaqroun attended business school in Paris then went on to earn an MBA in International Management and Finance from the University of Dallas / Texas (USA) in 1986. Her business career began right after graduation, She held various positions at "Societe Marocaine de Depot et de Credit" from 1986 to 1989. in 1990, she joined the family business (Holmarcom Group) by heading "Eaux Minerales d’Oulmes" a company that produces bottled water and beverages under her family's umbrella, she was able to grow the company's profits exponentially over the following years. Miriem went on to inherent the entire Holmarcom empire as the only women among her fathers children, even though inheritance laws in Morocco state that a female inherits half of what her male counterpart inherit. This led the Moroccan press to praise and recognize her as the first women to succeed in breaking this old tradition. Chaqroun also headed the "Confédération Générale des Entreprises Du Maroc" (National confederation for Moroccan enterprises) where she helped solve many of the issues the private sector was facing and was able to create a better business environment for enterprises in the country, by pushing for new and better tax and labor regulations. Chaqroun did not stop at the business empire that she inherited from her father, she achieved way more by being a board member in the Al Akhawayn University in 2004, a board member in Bank Al-Maghrib in 2006, a board member in the Eutelsat corporation, a board member in Renoult Group in 2017 and much more. She is also the recipient of many prestigious awards such as the Wissam Al-Moukafa Al-Watania (Order of National Merit) with the rank of Grand Officer awarded by King Mohammed VI, the"Fès Gate"award in 2019, and she was listed as one of the fifteenth most powerful Arab woman under the category of family businesses in 2014, thirtieth most powerful Arab businesswomen in 2017 and twenty-sixth most influential woman in 2018 by Forbes Magazine. Even though Chaqroun is a controversial figure in her country, often accused of using aggressive business tactics, she still remains a symbol of inspiration for Arab and Moroccan women. 7-Nina Saeed- CEO and Co-Founder of Alsoug.com Sudanese national Nina Saeed is the CEO and Co-founder of Alsoug.com . She is also the General Counsel for Saeed Industrial & Commercial Group in Sudan. Nina graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She established Alsoug.com in 2015, Sudan's biggest free online classifieds market for Sudanese buyers and sellers. The platform allows anyone in Sudan to buy and sell classifieds like, new and used mobiles, cars, houses, apartments, land, even jobs. Saeed described the platform as very local and very focused. It was built exclusively for Sudan and is one of the largest free online classifieds in the Northeast African country, charging for increased visibility for ads and business accounts. According to SimilarWeb , A lsoug had 350,000 visits in April of 2018. During the same year, Saeed attended the Global Online Marketplaces Summit in Miami to talk about her company, the Summit, and the classifieds marketplace. Today, Saeed continues to lead Sudan's largest online marketplace, allowing people in the North African country to easily buy and sell items and classifieds online. https://www.alsoug.com/ 8-Saana Azzam – Founder & CIO, MENA Speakers Palestinian/Swedish national Saana Azzam, is an international speaker, public speaking coach, author, co-founder of the tech platform called Experts Market , as well as Founder and CIO (Cheif Inspiration Officer) of Mena Speakers . Azzam graduated from the esteemed Stockholm School of Economics with a Masters in Economics. Her skills and knowledge in market analysis, investments, research and finance earned her the title ‘Female Economist of the Year’ in 2010. She started undertaking public speaking assignments on leadership and youth development all around Europe, as a result, she was listed as Sweden's 101 "Supertalents" in 2012, and was recognized as a "Top 30 Under 30 influencers" in 2015. Azzam also held crucial positions in several big corporations such as Saxo Bank Middle East, Swiss based company MKS/Pamp, American Express and more. However, her passion and expertise lies in the Art of Public Speaking, which led her to founding MENA Speakers . MENA Speakers is a platform that connects hundreds of international and MENA based professional speakers with events, corporations and public sector institutions. The company currently has more than 100 keynote speakers, event hosts, and moderators, including Claire Woodcraft Scott, CEO of the Emirates Foundation , and Raha Moharrak, the first Saudi female to climb Mount Everest, among others. The company also offers training in sales, public speaking, negotiation and more. Azzam's communication skills and passion for empowering professionals took her a long way and enabled her to become an inspirational figure and a business leader. https://saanaazzam.com/ 9-Dr. Sarah Al-Madani- Serial Entrepreneur Her excellency Dr.Sarah Al-Madani, is a young Emirati Fashion Designer, Business Women and the youngest board member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the age of 15, she started designing Abayas (Traditional wear for Arab women) with bold and unique styles that haven't been done before. She wanted to change the way Emirati women wore their traditional clothes. At first, she received a lot of criticism over her Avant-garde designs, with time however, Emirati women came to accept her designs and Al-Madani was able to build a long list of loyal clients for her fashion business. She then went on to venture into different industries, including: a tech company in Los Angeles called Hulatek , a celebrity concierge company called HalaHi , a marketing agency and a restaurant in Dubai called Shabarboush ( a play on words for Sheperds Bush, an area in London where many Arabs visit). In 2014, she was selected by His Highness, Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi (ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah) as a board member at Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry , making her the youngest member on the board. Later in 2017, Dr.Sara was selected to be on the board of the SME Council in the Ministry Of Economy of Dubai. She is also the recipient of many awards including, the 2012 Emirati entrepreneur of the year award – L’Officiel Arab Woman Awards and the 2012 Young designer of the year award – Emirates Woman Award. Through her tenacity and relentlessness, Dr.Al-Madani has become a prominent business women that inspires women in the UAE to be more active and self-confident in order to achieve business success. 10-Wafa Al Rimi- Founder Of Creative Generations. Wafa Al Rimi is a Yemeni Entrepreneur and CEO of Creative Generations , a company that provides Solar powered appliances in Yemen. The company came together when Wafa and a group of her peers, decided to find a solution to a major issue in Yemen, power outages. Wafa and her group put together an idea and presented it to the Injaz Association , a non-profit organization funded by USAID, with a branch in Yemen. Injaz loved the idea and supported the girls from the start, offering them a course in coordination with Yemen’s Ministry of Education, in order to develop their project. After coming up with the name Creative Generations , they put their plan into action and were able to get funding from many different sources. Today, the company has a long list of clients including The Movenpick Hotel, and Wafa received a shoutout from Queen Rania of Jordan during her address to the World Future Energy Summit. https://www.facebook.com/CreativeGenerationCompany. Make sure to follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Shahrzad is a Dubai based painter who started painting as a hobby since a young age. Guided by her inspirations, Sharzad's paintings range from portraits to Genre Art. She's been very active in the Dubai art scene with a recent showcasing at Dubai's DIFC Art Night. Shahrzad talks about her beginnings in art, the Dubai art scene, her future plans for her art career and more. Make sure to follow Shahrzad on Instagram. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

The Middle East is a variegated and colorful universe when it comes to clothes and attires for both men and women, which intern led to the region giving birth to many great designers. From the legendary Ziryab of the medieval Islamic period to modern fashion legends like Ellie Saab , the Middle East has been home to iconic designers that were able to leave a mark in the field. For the first time in a long time, Arab fashion and trend has become increasingly present on the world stage, with that being said, here are 10 Arab designers you should know about. 1- Amine Bendriouich Amine Bendriouich, is a Moroccan fashion designer and founder of his eponymous fashion label. Born in the mid-80s, he was inspired by the aesthetics of his generation, after obtaining a degree in fashion design at ESMOD Tunis , Bendriouite went on to establish his label which fuses pop authenticity, urban aesthetics and Moroccan cultural heritage with a hint of this certain "je-ne-sais-quoi" that keeps fashion going. Based out of his Atelier, Bendriouite works with local craftsmen to design his collections. He tells stories through his clothing, each season has a spontaneous theme that symbolizes his unique perception of the world we live in. His unisex style draws a lot of admiration, whether it's from the local young Moroccan generation or people abroad in Paris, New York, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Tunis and Lagos. Iconic opinion leaders such as Vogue ltaly ,Grazia France and Schön! Magazine recognized him for his creative energy and unique style. He was also honored as one of the laureates of the OpenMyMed Prize in 2017 of the Maison Mediterranean Des Metiers de la Mode . Bendriouite's creative energy is felt across many different fields, apart from fashion, he's also heavily involved in Morocco's cultural and music scene, and was awarded the opportunity to work with the world’s leading embroidery software manufacturers Tajima . Bendriouite was also invited to the Adidas GH as a guest speaker and to lead a workshop for in-house designers. He also often collaborates with renowned international artists, such as London-based Hassan Hajjaj , American painter Kehinde Wiley, and musicians such Keziah Jones and Massive Attack. Weather it's in fashion, the music scene or cultural scene, Bendriouite uses his creative energy to gives citizens of the world the opportunity to express their attitudes. http://collections.bendriouich.com/ 2-Arwa Al Banawi Arwa Al-Banawi is a Saudi Arabian fashion designer, she's the Founder and Creative Director of her eponymous fashion label Arwa Al Banawi . Al-Banawi grew up in a fashion savy family, -“my mum wore Chanel pieces that were designed by Coco herself and vintage Yves Saint Laurent , my father loved bespoke suiting and my grandfather owned cool, retro Versace shirts”- says Al-Banawi, so it was inevitable for her to get into fashion. The idea for her brand came after she got bored of the regular suits she wore to her corporate job as an investment banker and decided to switch up her style and cuts. She wanted clothing that is both professional and fashion forward for young businesswomen. She would then go on to establish her own namesake brand in 2015 after studying at the London College Of Fashion In Dubai , her work is mostly inspired by Middle Eastern women, she deigns garments for empowered woman that feature clever and comfortable elements mixed in with a chic aesthetic, making the pieces easy to travel and work in. Banawi also aims to bridge the gap between high fashion and street wear by blending traditional tailoring with contemporary ”East meets West” perspectives. Al-Banawi's tailored suits and statement tees have been spotted in the pages of Vogue, New York Times, Grazia and were ported by some of the hottest street style star in the world. Al-Banawi also collaborated with Adidas Originals, Levi's and Pepsi , she also designed the garments used in a Mercedes-Benz campaign and starred in Generation M.E an OSN series that premiered on E! Entertainment . In 2019, Al-Banawi a received the Designer Of The Year By Award Grazia Style Awards in 2019. Al-Banawi continues to design for "the suitable women" and there's only more to come from her. http://arwaalbanawi.com/collections/ 3-Artsi Ifrach Artsi Ifrach is a self- taught Moroccan fashion designer and the visionary behind Maison ARTC , a popular Moroccan fashion label. Artsi was born in Jerusalem, he started out as a ballet dancer and taught himself how to make clothes while living in Paris and Amsterdam. After presenting his first collection at Paris fashion week, He made a conscious choice to go back to his motherland, Morocco. That was because, he believes that in order to look at the future, we must reflect on the past, he believes in preserving rather than throwing away, that is where the idea for Maison ARTC was born. He gathers vintage garments and textiles, then recreates them using his creativity and imagination, resulting in experimental and daring designs, combining tradition and modernity. His latest series Piece Of Mind deals with identity and the art of self expression. Artsi also took part in many iconic collaborations such as The Bright Side , a collaboration between photographer Azim Haidaryan and Artsi Ifrach (Maison ARTC) for the T MAGAZINE of New York Times . Another collaboration was a showcase at the Voice Gallery in Marrakesh, which showcased a collaboration between Artsi Ifrach and a photographer by the name of Musla Bravat, they called their collaboration Artsymous , where they mixed North African culture with Western influences. In a time where fashion has often lost it's creative element, Ifrash looks beyond social media trends and uses his creativity and imagination to inspire a new evolution and makes people feel emotionally connected to every piece and image that he creates. https://www.maisonartc.com/shop 4-Faissal El-Malak Faisal El-Malak is a Palestinian fashion designer who grew up between Qatar and Kuwait. Early on, he decided to study fashion and went to Paris. For his graduation project, he created tights and leggings that were cut and sewn, rather than knit, so they would last longer. That creation inspired El-Malak to start his own brand. He returned to Qatar after graduation and spent time coming up with ideas for clothing that would incorporate his roots in some way. He started exploring embroidery and textile traditions from many different countries around the region, he would then release his creation, collection by collection working with Artisans, each one inspired by a different country in the region. After releasing a number of collections, he was able to have an impact on the fashion industry and secured a position as a finalist in the first Dubai edition of Who’s on Next? — a competition run by Vogue Italia . One of the looks from that collection was acquired by London’s prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) . El-Malak would also go on to explore different creative fields other than fashion. He created two textile works that were part of the Maraya Art Center Collection and another that he presented at Dubai Design Week in 2018. He also participated and won in the Sabeel competition to design drinking fountains for Expo 2020, along with his friend Alia bin Omair who is a jewelry designer. Faissal El-Malak's explorations are guided by his curiosity about the Arab world and beyond, it result in the creation of objects that reflect his identity and personal narrative. https://www.faissalelmalak.com/ 5-Faiza Bouguessa Faiza Bouguessa is a French Algerian fashion designer and founder of Dubai based fashion label, Bouguessa . Her love for fashion and clothing started when she learned the basics of knitting and sewing on the hands of her grandmother as a child, she went on to intern in many in tailor shops while studying English literature in university. Through those internships, she was able learn the basics of pattern making and developed an understanding for fabric characteristics. in 2014, she founded Bouguessa , her own fashion label, which focuses on blending minimalist sophistication and feminine elegance, merging global trends and contemporary classics inspired by art, architecture and modern design , as well as blending Middle Eastern style with Western chic. Bouguessa releases 3 collections a year, and in In 2017, Beyonce attended the Saint Heron party in Los Angeles on Monday wearing a tulle House of CB mini-dress paired with an emerald green velvet by Bouguessa, which led to the entire collection being sold out after Queen B Instagramed it. For 2021, Bouguessa plans to take a step towards sustainability, In an open letter, she admits,"Being part of an industry that is one of the most polluting in the world, I feel it is my responsibility to take that mission a step further by starting a new chapter and shift the way we run our business, and produce our collections towards a more Eco-conscious and sustainable approach." She plans to do this by re-lunching her Signature line using only recycled material from existing stock. Bouguessa was able implement her ethos of minimalist sophistication and feminine elegance into unique clothing pieces and she plans to continue and build upon her success in the future, making her brand global with a bigger emphasis on sustainability. https://bouguessa.com/collections/all?view=bc-original 6-Fatema Al-Fardan Fatema Al-Fardan is an Emirati fashion designer and the founder of her namesake ready-to-wear women’s label in Dubai. She was born in the UAE in 1987 and graduated from the American Intercontinental University (AIU) in London with a First Degree Honors in Fashion Design and Marketing. Al-Fardan grew up in a fashion forward family and developed a fascination for colors, styles and fabrics at the age of 9, filling her textbooks with sketches of dresses, tops and skirts. As a young designer, her innovative style earned her the "Most Outstanding Student Award"and the Fashion Show Competition at the AIU in London for women’s wear design in 2011. Al-Fardan's career began with designing for formidable fashion houses such as Tata Naka and Bora Aksu in the UK, as well as an internship with Louis Vuitton in the Middle East. She then went onto explore Textile Design and Fashion Marketing at the London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martin’s , where she has developed an international vision for design. A vision to establish a label that would set a new standard of elegance for women's designs that are masterfully draped, well tailored, and that emphasize femininity and luxury through colors, fabrics and prints inspired culture, ethnicity and values. Al-Fardan debuted her 2015 collection in New York Fashion Week , as the first Emirati designer to ever participate in the festival. She turned her gallery into a garden and brought the Middle East to NYFW with her folklore inspired pieces, making her debut a memorable one. Shortly after launching her label, she dressed the actress, Eva Longoria, at the Dubai International Film Festival press conference with a feminine, floral pink chiffon dress, that was part of her first collection. Fatema designs for the self assured woman of today, to flatter their subtle sensuality and feminine simplicity. https://www.instagram.com/fatemafardanofficial/?hl=en 7-Lama Al-Bluwi Lama Al-Bluwi is a Saudi Arabian fashion designer based in Jeddah city. Growing up in metropolitan Jeddah, Al-Bluwi felt disconnected from her ancestral home of Al-Ula (a city in the North-West of Saudi Arabia) which led to her craving for the the wealthy cultural heritage of her household's Bedouin roots. This craving manifested in the creation of unique fashion pieces that blend the cloth designs that her ancestors once wore with the latest trends in fashion. Shortly after she graduated in Trend Design from Jeddah’s Dar Al-Hekma College , she debuted her first collection, made up of hand-drawn portraits of the Bedouin that she prints onto native materials such as coats, jackets, crop-top hoodies and out-sized T-shirts. “I’ve all the time drawn Bedouin portraits, so I combined all my concepts to current a modern assortment for my senior assortment and my senior venture at college,”-she stated. Her collection became an instant hit on Instagram, it grabbed the attention of prospects uninterested in the extra predictable high-street fare. Even though Al-Ula's Bedioun heritage is the muse of her work, she is also inspired by Japanese tradition, notably the idea of wabi-sabi — the artwork of imperfection."Whenever you see my clothes, you’ll discover that the seams are inside out, and the perimeters are uncooked. I applied the imperfections in my designs." -She stated, “I don’t like seeing one thing polished, so I began to enter the historical past of imperfection, and I got here throughout this Japanese philosophy.” With the Saudi Arabian government implementing it's 2030 vision for financial diversification and showcasing cultural diversity, Al-Bluwi along with other young Saudi designers are set to spread their wings in the coming years. https://crateksa.com/brand/lama-albluwi/ 8-Mayada Adil Mayada Adil is a Sudanese fashion designer and doctor living between Khartoom and Paris. Her first collection released in 2017 under the name A Nubian Queen , which was dedicated to Sudanese women, and inspired by the queens that once ruled Sudan The Kingdom Of Kush , to remind them of their history. The idea for her second collection came about when she started working with the World Health Organization to help refugees and give them treatment as a doctor. Adil worked with South Sudanese refugees, she interacted with different cultures and tribes in Sudan, she found that the garments they wore were beautiful, very colorful and had unique patterns on them that she'd never seen before. That inspired Adil to create a fashion collection dedicated to them in 2018. Her work as a doctor was very stressful to her, so she would always turn to fashion as a getaway. Through her collection that she dedicated to the refugees, she was able to merge her work as a doctor with her passion for fashion. Her collection, which was showcased at UNESCO in Paris in 2018, was also a way for her to empower those refugees she worked with. The refugees were not allowed to work outside of the camp, so the collection allowed them to have an income through collaborating with Adil, to help create those unique fashion pieces. The clothes were made from sustainable material sowed on Wool, which was the first of it's kind in Africa. Adil's upcoming third collection will be a collaboration with two other fashion designers who are refugees, Ibrahim from Chad and Zahra from Somalia, the aim is to create a collection that merges the three cultures. Adil was able to use her passion for fashion to empower refugees, showcase her culture and build something creative in the fashion industry. Based on the plans she announced for the future, she's only getting started. https://www.instagram.com/mayada_adil/?hl=en 9-Meera Adnan Meera Adnan is a Palestinian fashion designer and owner of her contemporary, ready to wear namesake label, which is based and operated out of Gaza city. She was born in Gaza, grew up in Saudi Arabia, and moved back to Gaza ( her grandparents aren’t originally from Gaza but from the town Lod, located in Palestine next to Midreshet Ben-Gurion, both of her parents were born in refugee camps.) As a refugee under UN laws, she met fellow refugees who aren't originally from Gaza but now live there as refugees. While attending university in Gaza to study accounting, Meera developed a passion for style and fashion as, she saw it as a way to express her feelings and emotions. Eventually, she enrolled in school for fashion merchandising in Munich, but couldn’t attend due to border closures. Instead, she took an internship at a fashion-marketing firm in Hamburg, Germany. During this time, after working under someone, she realized that she wanted to start her own label. She chose to start the label in Gaza with hopes of shedding light on a different perspective of where she is from. Adnan’s collection is deeply personal. The clothes skew oversized, a feature that stemmed from her smaller frame, she also took much of her inspiration from family photo albums from the ’70s and ’80s, when the men wore pink, blue, and green pants and the women experimented with their hairstyles. The latest campaign photo shoot from MEERA ADNAN has been inspired by the struggle of uncertainty and isolation currently being felt across the globe, and reflects that of feelings of the residents of the Gaza Strip, who have felt isolated due to living under siege. “Personally experiencing isolation has opened my eyes to the crucial consequences of the social and cultural separation and how it shapes younger generations”-said Adnan. “Thus, with this pandemic, I believe that many people have experienced a small part of how geographic limitations can affect human psychology and creativity, as highlighted in the photo-shoot. It shows how much separation can manipulate and affect human emotions and consequently increase uncertainty, sense of displacement, and self-indulgence. Visualizing self-indulgence humanizes the experience of individuals living under siege, displacement, war etc. It highlights diversity and individualism while also craving human connection and familiarity.” Adnan's style highlights the importance of story telling, it allowed her to create something original in the fashion industry. https://meeraadnan.com/ 10-Karim Adduchi Karim Adduchi is an illustrator and fashion designer from the mountains of Imzouren in Morocco. He received an art education at the University of Barcelona, he then moved to Amsterdam to further his education. After an urge to express himself through fashion, he decided to tell his story and showcase his heritage through his first collection, which received much attention from the press, a week later, he was asked to open Amsterdam Fashion Week. The success of his show led him make a second collection dedicated to Syrian refugees and give them that same opportunity of creative expression. That same year, Forbes Europe and Forbes Middle East included him in their 30 under 30 list, as one of the most influential designers to watch. He was also honored with the Amsterdam Culture Business Award as a Moroccan designer in Europe, showcasing the bridges between Arab and Western cultures. His fashion was bringing a new approach that had never been seen before. That success led to him being asked to join the official program of Paris Fashion Week AW 19/20 with his first ever Ready-To-Wear collection. The collection, titled Maktub (Written), tells the story of destiny using Moroccan fabrics, embroideries, prints and designs. Karim Adduchi broke boundaries by being the First Moroccan in many fields. Nowadays, Adduchi continues to support migrant and refugee artisans through the World Makers Foundation, a platform that connects these talented communities with the outside world in the hopes of building a network of opportunities to showcase their work, in addition to his collections and shows, with the latest one being in June last year. http://karimadduchi.com/ Make sure to follow Visionary Magazine on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Lulu Al-Hasan is a Saudi Arabian Shoe Designer and TV Show Host who started designing shoes after obtaining a certificate from Ars Sturoia – Milano for footwear designing in 2016. She started designing shoes for other brands such as Arwa Al Banawi, Daneh Buahmad and Nora Al Shaikh before debuting her own brand Luvixen at London Fashion Week. Al-Hasan is also the host of a very well know TV show on SBC TV called Design which sheds a spotlight on talented Saudis that are doing extraordinary things from all different areas of design. Lulu Al-Hasan talks about how she started in the shoe design industry, being one of the few Saudis in the profession, her debut at London Fashion Week, the second season of her TV show and much more. Watch the interview below: Make Sure To Follow Lulu Al-Hasan On Instagram! http://www.luvixen.net/ Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Jeff Hamilton is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who was born in Morocco and moved to LA in the 70's. Hamilton started his career by launching Guess Jeans for men. He then went on to design iconic leather jackets for celebrities including Micheal Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Mike Tyson, Bill Clinton and many more. He also had licenses to design jackets and merch for the NBA, NASCAR, The Weekend and more. Jeff Hamilton talks about his beginnings in the fashion business, how he started to make jackets for celebrities, his favorite pieces he ever designed, how he is able to make such unique pieces, what he learned from his journey and more. Make sure to follow Jeff Hamilton on Instagram! https://jeff-hamilton-2020.myshopify.com/ Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

After it's March show, Satwa 3000 has taken over D3 with an exhibition featuring great artists and creatives from the region. Satwa 3000 was born as an ode to the colorful Dubai neighborhood of Satwa. Celebrating the melting pot of cultures, sounds, flavors, and people from all over the world that gathered in the same spot and city. The exhibition featured graffiti from IPOT and POSER - graffiti and tattoo artist from the Philippines, Lebanese illustrator RAM AFIFI and TESSELAT. In the spirit of keeping things simple, they cast aside the color spectrum and any shades of gray leaving only black and white. By doing that, they brought cohesiveness to different styles while giving a raw street feel and bringing a focus on space, shape and line. All surfaces were painted in an immersive Black and White box. Dintage also joined the exhibition with a curated mix of pre-owned luxury items and surprising thrift digs, challenging the status quo. Visuals taken by: ANTIIMUSE. https://www.instagram.com/antiimuse/ follow Satwa 3000 on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/satwa3000/ Follow Dintage on Instgram at: https://www.instagram.com/dintage/?hl=en Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Hosted by the legendary N.O.R.E and DJ EFN, Drink Champs is known as the most professional unprofessional podcast. The hosts sit down with some of the most legendary figures in Hip Hop culture to pay homage to them, share iconic stories and discuss pushing the culture forward. With a guest list that includes people like Pit-bull, Nas, Rick Ross, Fat Joe and much more, knowledge and gems are always being dropped in this show. With that being said, here 5 Drink Champs episodes that are guaranteed to motivate you. 1- Swizz Beats On this episode, the legendary Swizz beats pulled up to the Drink Champs podcast for Happy Hour with N.O.R.E., DJ EFN along special guest Angela Yee. The super producer was fresh off of the celebration a hit song with Lil Wayne and the completion of a Harvard course when he did the show. Therefore, Swizz came filled with big energy and motivation. He spoke about being underrated, his business moves, what we learned from his Harvard course, as well fatherhood and co-parenting and much more. This episode is sure to motivate you as Swizz breaks down how he keeps his life balanced in order to be able to progress and move ahead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNrf8EbztUo&t=6s 2-DJ Khaled In this 3 hour episode, the one and only DJ Khaled pulled up to Drink Champs and broke down his musical journey in detail for the first time. He shared stories from his underground radio days to co-hosting a radio show with Uncle Luke. He talks about his love for reggae and dance hall, and how grateful he is to Beyoncé and JAY-Z. Khaled also talked about his friendship with Drake, and his evolution as a producer to a hitmaker! DJ EFN and DJ Khaled even reminisce about the early days, coming up in Miami, recording freestyles for mixtapes, and deejaying clubs. This episode was filled with keys... Major Keys that is! And you do not want to miss it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWPpyzYQQi0 3-Akon In this episode, pop star Akon shared his story, from growing up in the rough streets of Jersey as a Senegalese immigrant and being locked up, to becoming a hit maker and signing Lady Gaga. He also spoke about being more financially responsible, shared some advice on investing, and also the economic influence of Africa. He talked about his initiatives in Africa, including bringing electricity to Africa, building his own city in Senegal and creating his own Crypto currency. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNsMHAMPMLs 4-Dame Dash In this episode, Hip Hop mogul Dame Dash sits down with N.O.R.E and DJ E.F.N. The Rocafella co-founder brought his raw unfiltered energy and passion to the show as he talked about his history in the music business and well as his current projects and his feelings about stepping away from the music industry. N.O.R.E. and Dame Dash also discussed their long history of working together through music and films, as well as working together in the future. Dame Dash always makes sure to preach independence, empowerment and consciousness every time he is on a mic, this Drink Champs episode was no exception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZs9iQ6LyPg 5-Daymond John Entrepreneur and Shark Tank host Daymond John hops on the Drink Champs podcast with N.O.R.E and DJ EFN in this almost 2 hour long special. He talked about how he started his entrepreneurial journey in the gritty streets of New York, his biggest boss moves, working with Obama and his future vision for FUBU. This episode was filled with gems as John shared his story of how he went from selling newspapers and looking for coins between the coach, to building a billion dollar brand, working with Obama and being a co-host in one of the biggest shows on TV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ZbTNM6yWw Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

With his recent appearance on SNL and the price fluctuations he has been causing in the crypto space, Billionaire businessman Elon Musk has become the poster child for billionaire entrepreneurs in 2021. With that being said, here are 20 Elon Musk quotes that will make you think about life. -" I think life on Earth must be about more than just solving problems... It's got to be something inspiring, even if it is vicarious." -"Focus on the impact of your dreams, not the odds." -"Money alone cannot create credibility, you need the right amount of expertise for that." -"Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up." -"You should know what is important to you. It will help you forecast your future." -"You don’t need to be an inventor, but can be an improviser." -"If you're trying to create a company, it's like baking a cake. You have to have all the ingredients in the right proportion." -" If humanity doesn't land on Mars in my lifetime, I would be very disappointed." -" I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact." -"When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars people said, 'Nah, what's wrong with a horse?' That was a huge bet he made, and it worked." -"I don't create companies for the sake of creating companies, but to get things done." -"If you owe the bank $100 that's your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem." -"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." -"The factory is the machine that builds the machine." -"I think there should be regulations on social media to the degree that it negatively affects the public good." -"It's very important to like the people you work with. Otherwise, your job is going to be quite miserable." -" I think we have a duty to maintain the light of consciousness to make sure it continues into the future." -" I will never be happy without having someone. Going to sleep alone kills me." -"Starting a business is not for everyone. Starting a business - I'd say, number one is have a high pain threshold." -" When I was a child, there's one thing I said: 'I never want to be alone.' That's what I would say. I don't want to be alone." "When I was a child, there's one thing I said: 'I never want to be alone.' That's what I would say. I don't want to be alone." Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Outgoing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has shone a light on his plans after he steps down from the company he founded. After his last day at Amazon — reported to be July 5 — Bezos and his brother Mark plan to fly to space on July 20 on the New Shepard spacecraft produced by Blue Origin , a company Bezos founded in 2000. Announcing his intention on Instagram, Bezos added “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend.” Jeff and Mark Bezos will occupy two of the six seats on the trip, which will last for 11 minutes and see the crew members travel 62 miles above the Earth’s surface. One of the four vacant seats is currently open for auction, with the current offer reportedly approaching $3 million USD following 6,000 participants from 143 countries. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

According to reports, the NFT market has officially crashed after just four months of growth. On may May 3, the NFT market reached a peak with $102 million USD worth of Non-Fungible Tokens sold just that day. But looking at sales data from the last week of May, only $19.4 million USD in NFT sales was processed. Compared to the $170 million USD in NFTs transacted the week of the peak, the market saw a 90 percent drop. Although NFT collectibles like CryptoPunks and Hashmasks are still going strong, there looks to be a shift from crypto-art to “metaverse” NFTs. It is also important to note, the number of active NFT wallets has dropped from over 12,000 at each NFT category to just 3,900. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

A photo of Harambe — the silverback gorilla who took the internet as a viral meme — will be auctioned off as an NFT , marking the fifth anniversary of the animal’s untimely death. Harambe’s official photographer, Jeff McCurry, snapped the up-for-auction image of the silverback’s first day at the Cincinnati Zoo, according to BBC . The auction’s organizers told the outlet that the photo had been shared online more than five billion times. The viral gorilla was fatally shot after dragging a three-year-old boy who entered into his enclosure five years ago. His death garnered major traction across social media and sparked several viral hashtags, including #RIPHarambe and #JusticeForHarambe. The shooting of Harambe was met with heavy backlash from animal rights activists. But zoo officials claimed that even if harm was unintended, the 400-pound animal could have critically injured the boy. Harambe is the latest meme to enter the metaverse. Earlier this year, “Overly Attached Girlfriend” sold for a whopping $555,000 USD and “Nyan Cat” was auctioned off for $560,000 USD. Meanwhile, “Charlie Bit My Finger” sold for a jaw-dropping &760,000 USD last week. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!