Spring 2020 called on the world to become more creative and resourceful. As a result, businesses, designers, and brands of varied calibers stepped up to the plate to inspire their audiences. Among the brand’s redefining the moment and embarking into unchartered territory is Vogue Arabia. Their May 2020 cover featured Moroccan models Nora Attal and Imman Hamman in a fresh edition entitled “Do It Yourself”.
To capture the beautiful images for Vogue Arabia when nearly all productions had been suspended due to the Coronavirus distancing measures was not easy, however, Editor in Chief Manuel Arnaut thought outside of the box. He asked his models to style themselves, do their own makeup, and provide the viewer with an authentic look at how they looked during confinement.
“If the world is practicing new skills and we are invited to do more and more with our own hands, why not ask our cover stars to produce, style, and photograph their own cover shoots?
The result completely “blew away” the editor. Arnaut was captivated by how each model thoughtfully expressed herself. Hammam, who is half Moroccan, photographed herself in her New York City apartment. She adorned an abaya and headscarves reminiscent of her Moroccan heritage.
Attal, whose roots stem from Larache, a northern coastal town south of Tangier, chose a western look. In her photograph, she was elegantly dressed in a white collared shirt and light denim blue jeans. While originally grateful for lockdown, “the quarantine is a completely different and restless world,” claimed Attal. She expressed hopes the fashion industry will adapt after the COVID-19 crisis. “Maybe brands won’t feel the need to express their collections as fashion shows, but instead tap into different, more sustainable ways.”
Attal also appeared in British Vogue’s May 2020 edition alongside Moroccan models Malika El Maslouhi and Tilila Oulhaj.