Read full article in Klat Magazine
At the most exclusive event of the year, designers are inspired by social changes to break the cycle of old-fashioned habits. Is the new trend this year moving towards inclusivity? Let us see what designers and fashion insiders at Paris Fashion Week have to say about this new trend …
Full article in Atlas Aesthetics
Decolonising North African Beauty: How the new Egyptian generation is reclaiming their natural identity
For decades, Egyptian women have straightened, lightened, and hidden their features in an attempt to align with Western beauty standards. But a new wave of young Egyptians is flipping the script: embracing their natural curls, darker skin tones, and ancestral aesthetics.
Could Egypt finally be decolonising its idea of beauty?
“Tanned skin is half the beauty,” my mother would say, in an attempt to lift my self-esteem whenever my skin turned dark instead of bronze, and my hair puffed up instead of curled. Ironically, this praise was often followed by thick layers of sunscreen – not to prevent sunburn, but to ward off a deeper tan. As for the hair, we had silently agreed to give up.
That phrase stayed with me. “Tanned skin is half the beauty,” I’d repeat it to myself, then mutter half-jokingly, “But whiteness is the whole beauty, isn’t it?”
It might seem strange for Egyptians to idealise features they rarely see around them. But colonialism runs deeper than most history books will tell you.
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Storytelling — the most effective tool that can cut through layers of bias.
As a jounrlaist, I’ve immersed myself in the UK’s cultural scene, from the Welsh Film Festival to offline dating events.
Through endless interviews and on-the-ground conversations, I’ve brought forward the voices of the public, uncovering the social and economic shifts that often go unseen.
Whether reporting and interviewing live from the red carpet or behind the mic at the radio station, I strive to tell stories that inform, engage, and inspire.
On The Debrief Podcast, I have covered controversial topics such as plastic surgery and hook-up culture.
Mary Isak 