On Wednesday, American Vogue unveiled its hotly anticipated VogueWorld 100 Street Style List to herald the start of Fashion Month. The result is a carefully curated lineup of 100 bloggers, influencers, fashion designers, and creatives with an impeccable fashion sense from all points of the globe, including Lagos, Beijing, Chicago, and more. Street style stars from the Middle East made an impact too. From Dubai-based Leena Al Ghouti to Lebanese stylist Pam Nasr, read on to see who made the cut.
Leena Al Ghouti
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. The Palestinian-Canadian, who calls Dubai her home, has amassed an impressive 233,000 followers on Instagram, where she routinely displays her effortlessly cool style. Cementing her status as one of the UAE’s most beloved fashion influencers since starting her account a year ago, Al Ghouti’s feed is a digital masterclass on dressing modestly without compromising personal style, or vice versa. The 26-year-old, who worked as a graphic designer and art director for the Cultural Office of Her Highness Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been featured in a number of campaigns including for Farfetch, and has found herself in prestigious magazine titles across the region (including Vogue Arabia).
Mariam Yehia
Mariam Yehia worked for years with Emaar at The Dubai Mall marketing brands’ communications strategies before suddenly realizing it wasn’t the life she wanted to lead anymore. Yehia duly handed in her resignation and enrolled at fashion school. She explained that while she hails from a family of designers (her older sister is one of Egypt’s most renowned bridal designers), it was her husband who encouraged her to take the leap. Reluctant to be pigeonholed as a blogger-turned-designer, Yehia enrolled herself at Esmod Dubai, and launched her label, Mrs. Keepa, in May 2016. She started her personal Instagram page around that time, and now boasts 124,000 followers. Via social media, she regularly features herself in artfully pieced-together looks (or head-to-toe runway looks) against a backdrop of Paris or Dubai, and sometimes poses with her toddler daughter.
Amine Bendriouich
This DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize alumni splits his time between Casablanca and Berlin (he wittingly refers to himself Berberlin). Born in the mid-’80s, Bendriouich draws inspiration from the aesthetics of his generation, fusing pop authenticity, androgyny, and urban aesthetics. After studying fashion design at Esmod Tunis and gaining experience by working on a number of fashion projects, the Moroccan designer launched his label in 2008. He presented his collection at the Contemporary Moroccan Roots festival, a cultural event founded by Bendriouich, which features street and visual arts, experimental music, and fashion performances. Working in his atelier in Casablanca, Bendriouich designs his unisex collections on spontaneous themes—the quintessentially Moroccan brand doesn’t follow seasons or trends.
Pam Nasr
Pam Nasr is a Lebanese stylist and filmmaker, who grew up in Dubai and is now based in New York. The 27-year-old graduated from London College of Fashion in 2014, with a Bachelor of Arts in fashion styling and photography before relocating back to the Middle East to reconnect with her Arab roots. She enjoyed a brief stint teaching a course in styling at Beirut’s Lebanese American University, before switching directions and taking on the role of director. The Lebanese creative went on to fashion direct an award-winning music video “Hitman” by renowned Lebanese band, Wanton Bishops. Dubbed the “Best Low Budget Video” at the Berlin Video Music Awards, Nasr took the accolade and used it as ammo to pursue filmmaking while juggling her love for fashion. As a stylist and consultant, the curly-haired beauty continues to champion emerging regional labels, such as Nafsika Skourti, whom she previously collaborated with.
Shahd Batal
Although she is not from the region, Shahd Batal is a Muslim blogger that deserves recognition. The Sudanese-American is one of the few hijab-wearing YouTube stars, and visibly Muslim woman in her suburban Minneapolis town. The 22-year-old first launched her YouTube channel a couple of years ago to share her tips on how she styles her natural hair. However, in 2016, Batal made the decision to start wearing the hijab, and immediately took down all of the videos with her exposed hair. She now uses her platform to detail how she does her makeup as a hijabi. With a combined following of over 400,000 across her YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, Batal serves as an endless source of inspiration for those who feel underrepresented.
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