There are moments when putting together a fashion magazine takes on a different weight – or rather, a greater responsibility. In the April issue of Vogue Arabia, that shift feels more present, as we use our platform to amplify voices of impact. As the region navigates a period marked by unrest and uncertainty, we turn towards the people who remind us why storytelling matters and why hope and community spirit feel more vital than ever.
At its centre are two cover stories that anchor the issue. In the UAE, we spotlight individuals whose lives reflect the country’s social fabric, defined by generosity and ambition. “In the UAE, everyone is Emirati through their love for this land and their contributions to it,” said HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a sentiment that feels especially resonant in the current tumultuous geopolitical scenario, when the meaning of community is tested. Together, these narratives reveal an evolving spirit shaped by those who continue to show up for one another. From a former blue-collar worker who built his own business to initiatives that give back to the hands that built the city, each story reflects a shared sense of purpose.
In Lebanon, we focus on the women leading grassroots organisations, holding together communities under immense strain – offering care and protection where it is needed most. From mental health hotlines to feeding displaced families, securing medication and caring for abandoned pets, their work responds to urgent gaps. It is immediate and essential. “Hope, for me, comes from people. From the courage of those who reach out and from those who answer,” says Mia Atoui, founder of Embrace, a Lebanese NGO dedicated to mental health support.
Elsewhere, the poignant account of Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon who has spent decades working in war zones, brings us face to face with the human cost of war through the lives of children he treats in Beirut. “Each child is memorable; they never become faceless, they never become numbers,”
In moments like these, support extends beyond immediate aid into the ecosystems that sustain communities. In Dubai’s Al Quoz, championing local businesses has never felt more important – not only as global systems shift, but as the need to invest in regional creatives becomes clearer. In the issue, we spotlight a portfolio across galleries, cafés, studios and concept spaces that form the backbone of the district’s creative economy.
In fashion, our feature on Arab designers working through major crises – political and economic – explores the responsibility of continuing to create. From the Beirut port explosion, which disrupted the city’s design ecosystem, to the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the industry to a standstill, designers reflect on navigating periods of instability while sustaining their work. “Creativity does not stop during difficult times – it becomes more meaningful. Surrounding ourselves with beauty and hope is not superficial; it’s human,” says Rami Al Ali. At the same time, we celebrate Arab fashion at its most expressive, with Zuhair Murad continuing to shape a global conversation following his widely celebrated couture show, which has a viral moment on social media. “It is a message. There is light after darkness. You don’t see dark colours. No black. It is about life, about revival, about celebrating the beauty of women,” says Murad of the collection.
We also spotlight culture in its many forms. At the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin celebrate 40 years of image-making through a retrospective. The husband-and-wife duo, pioneers of digital manipulation in photography, have shaped the visual language of fashion for decades through designer campaigns, celebrity portraits and many Vogue shoots. And at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Schiaparelli exhibition brings the house’s surrealist legacy into focus, placing Daniel Roseberry’s contemporary vision in dialogue with Elsa Schiaparelli’s original creations.
.jpeg)
Meanwhile, Dries Van Noten positions artistic expression as a form of resistance with the launch of Fondazione Dries Van Noten in Venice. Housed in the Palazzo Pisani Moretta, its inaugural presentation, The Only True Protest Is Beauty, brings together works across disciplines, placing craftsmanship at the centre of a wider cultural dialogue.
The issue also brings regional voices across art and entertainment into focus.Armenian-Lebanese painter, Paul Guiragossian’s daughter reflects on the life and legacy of one of Lebanon’s most influential modern artists on what would have been his 100th birthday. While Emirati conceptual artist Zeinab Alhashemi turns her lens to the UAE’s rapidly shifting landscape through site-specific installations that examine the relationship between land, material and memory. “In times of uncertainty, faith anchors the heart and reminds us of the importance of creating spaces where people feel protected, grounded and hopeful,” she says.
And actresses May Calamawy and May Elghety come together for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, a reimagining of the iconic horror franchise that reflects on Egypt’s long-standing portrayal in global cinema and how this film approaches it with greater care. “There were Arabic-labelled folders, case studies written out in full, environments built to look authentically Egyptian,” recalls Elghety.
Finally, fashion itself reflects the moment, with a summer wardrobe that feels considered and culturally attuned – from poetcore’s sense of romance to the return of opera gloves, reimagined beyond eveningwear.
.jpg)
