Photographed by Valentina Frugiuele for Vogue Arabia at Paris Fashion Week fall 2018
In a world saturated with celebrity style, front row stars, and brands vying for your attention across several different digital platforms, team Vogue Arabia shortlists the must-follow regional influencers, Arab models, and It-girls so you can detox your social media feeds. With Forbes releasing its list of top 10 most influential Arab women on social media, our focus has turned to who to follow now for street style bites. Be it for a crash course in outfit ideas that beat the Middle Eastern heat, or to suss out where to brunch in Beirut or downtown Dubai, these social stars have the VIP low-down on where to be seen and what to wear.
Nora Attal
Followers: 12.8K
What to Expect: From Vogue Arabia shoots to darting across London from library to showspace for LFW, Attal is an international supermodel on the rise and one to watch.
Imaan Hammam
Followers: 481K
What to Expect: Go behind the scenes at the runway hero’s Vogue shoots with the likes of Pharrell Williams, and capture insights Imaan’s personal trips ‘home’ in Egypt or Morocco. The Fendi and Brandon Maxwell runway model Hammam lives the high life like no other.
H.E.R
Followers: 364K
What to Expect: Choosing to remain partially covered on social, the rising music star proves to have sartorial and lifestyle pulling-power via the lens of her Insta account. En route to the studio or darting about the Middle East on tour, you’ll want to keep a close watch on H.E.R as she redefines ‘making it’ in music.
Simi & Haze
Followers: 585K
What to Expect: The Saudi sister act can be seen chilling in LA hot spots or jetting to Tokyo to take in the fashion scene. From premium streetwear threads to their experimental make-up tangents, you’ll find plenty of inspo for your New Year new look here.
Golden Barbie (AKA Jasmine Sanders)
Followers: 2.7 million
What to Expect: Global go-getter Sanders takes you on a whirlwind journey through her social and hard-working calendar of events, shoots, and flights across continents. Wearing It items that will get you clicking to buy, have your sartorial notebook at the ready.
The Abduls
Followers: 77.5K
What to Expect: Join the fashion fast lane with Saudi sister Thana and Sakhaa who live in London and have co-founded brand Coded Nation. Alongside other high fashion projects, the sisters redefine twinning and winning.
Jessica Kahawaty
Followers: 383,000
What to Expect: The Lebanese-Australian model and activist gives the world a peek of her glamorous daily life on the set of shoots, darting about the globe (her Vogue Paris Foundation diary for Vogue Arabia), and on her philanthropic adventures for through the Instagram lens.
Ascia
Followers: 2.1 million
What to Expect: With a strong focus on her family life and stylish projects across the globe, the Kuwait-based blogger takes entrepreneurialism to chic new levels. From her wardrobe and so-photogenic snacks, to her natural flair for setting up inspirational shots, add @ascia to your follow list pronto.
Mrs Keepa
Followers: 101,000
What to Expect: The Egyptian-French fashion designer behind brand Mrs.Keepa, Mariam Yehia, is a busy mother and businesswoman with an impressive balance of family life and career go-getter vibes to inspire your weekly pursuits in the office and at home.
Related: Mrs. Keepa talks to Vogue.me about motherhood
Diala Makki
Followers: 222,000
What to Expect: Follow the daily outfit updates, inspirational quotes, and happenings of the producer/writer/TV host. Plus, her #dogsofinstagram contributions are cute enough to eradicate Sunday morning blues.
Karen Wazen B
Followers: 305,000
What to Expect: The chic mom of three and lifestyle influencer takes her followers on a tour inside her world of pitch-perfect outfit combos, family life, and cool travel destinations. Get your notepad and pen out.
Soraya Bakhtiar
Followers: 105,000
What to Expect: With hectic work and social diaries, and a wardrobe to go with it, Soraya takes you to all the corners of the globe in style, brimming with poolside luncheon notes, tried-and-trusted beauty must-haves, and edgy accessories to copy/paste into your lifestyle regime.
Related: Read Soraya’s summer vacation diary for Vogue Arabia
Dalal AlDoub
Followers: 2.1 million
What to Expect: With an instantly recognisable aesthetic (bright and contemporary shots every time), @dalalid is the go-to account for box-fresh outfits ideas that tap the conservative, elegant look with highlights of beauty edits, and capsule wardrobe curations. Plus, cameo spotlights of her social scene keep the feel-good factor for scrolling through her feed on a high.
Lana El Sahely
Followers: 190,000
What to Expect: With her first Vogue cover under her belt (in a group shot for Vogue Japan August 2017), a turn on the runway for Dolce & Gabbana, and starring in Nike’s Middle East campaign, Lana’s schedule is predictably packed with street style looks of enviable quality, vacation stops, and society dinners of note.
Related: Read Lana’s 72-hour Cannes diary for Vogue Arabia
Leena Al Ghouti
Followers: 182,000
What to Expect: With an on-point wardrobe of premium streetwear worn with her own inimitable edgy style and a DKNY Ramadan collection campaign on her fashion CV, this is one street style star to watch.
Nour Arida
Followers: 162,000
What to Expect: The front row It girl and international jet-setter seemingly has a spring in her stilettos as she hops from city to city in remixes of zeitgeisty outfits and with mouth-wateringly good plates of fuel to keep her beauty/lifestyle/fashion blogging remit going at 120km/h.
