Excerpts from the Final MA Project Magazine 'Ameera'

Excerpts from the student magazine project 'Ameera' .

• Created a unique concept for a title to be launched in the Dubai market. Designed the preliminary research to help explain the creative and commercial viability of the title to a panel of judges. Decided to work on a luxurious, glossy magazine for 16-26 year old young women living in Dubai. The work was exhibited at the Fashion Masters Show at The Mall Galleries.
  
  
• Held the position of editor-in-chief as I came up with a flat plan, commissioned writers to write articles, briefed them with subjects and ideas, wrote articles myself and liaised with other contributing parties.
  
  
• Organised and managed three photo shoots from start to finish, including putting together a young and talented team of photographers, models and stylists and scouting locations. Putting together the entire magazine for printers, ensuring graphic designers, writers and photographers had supplied their best work that all fit under the necessary printing guidelines.
  
  
• Researched and wrote a 10,000 word market report identifying the concept of the magazine, explaining the rationale behind it and discussing in great depth the commercial viability of the title in keeping with market research, conducted focus groups, information from major publishers in the United Arab Emirates and statistical analysis of demographics and consumer spending habits.

EXCERPTS FROM MAGAZINE

From Editor's Letter:

Ahlan Wa Sahlan (Welcome) Ameera Readers!

From our glass tower in the beautiful, tucked away Desert oasis city of Dubai, the world is looking bright and full of possibilities as we send our launch issue to print.
The Arabic word ‘Ameera’ means ‘princess’ and the ethos behind the magazine from day one was the same: we wanted to capture the essence of the privileged, beautiful, opinionated and passionate youth living in the Middle East. Growing up as a teenager in any part of the world is not free from angst and uncertainty. That delicate transition from ‘child’ to ‘adult’ is known to be wrought with frustrations and confusion.. The precarious position of teenagers growing up in the Middle East however is that they are born into a legacy ridden with multiple opposing forces, encompassing, war, political and religious radicalism, displacement, foreign suspicion, abject poverty, the oil boom, petrodollars, unprecedented economic boom, globalisation and unimaginable wealth.

Growing up in Dubai, I enjoyed the same privileged, truly unique upbringing that many of you enjoy. From the sunny beaches, to the nine hour traffic jams, Captain Majed cartoons to after-school shisha sessions...the life of a Dubai child isn’t far from blissful and a little bit surreal. However, along with great privilege comes great responsibility...growing up in and with a city that changes at an alarming rate, it is easy to forget where we come from and indeed where exactly we are going. Ameera is being launched at a time Dubai is surpassing all expectations, and becoming bigger and better than one could have ever imagined of a sleepy, trading port in the corner of the Middle East. We hope this magazine becomes a voice for the youth that this city is built around and goes on to inspire and excite them for years to come

It is with great pleasure, high expectations and sleepless nights that I am standing at the helm of the first issue of Ameera. The magazine is a fresh voice for a generation that is shaping the region we reside in. The action-packed launch issue is full of the latest news, views, reviews, and happenings that are piquing your interest this month. From international beauty and fashion trends, to hard-hitting issues and exposés that are most relevant to you- Ameera is always one step ahead, making sure we cover the issues and perspectives that you may not get a chance to read about anywhere else.

For us here at Ameera, all girls are princesses; strong, spirited and full of passion. We laugh in the face of detractors who call the girls of Ameera frivolous; because we know that you may swing your Balenciaga bags with pride, but inject just as much enthusiasm in organizing charity drives for struggling war widows in Palestine. Every day we are inspired by your unique voices and perspectives, the ones that have grown up in a golden city of health, wealth, heat and happiness, yet manage to maintain their stance on standing up to injustice, oppression or shattering the myths propagated by modern-day media. Our cover story on the sisters behind the fashion label Dinz fully supports this ideology, since the girls don’t just run an enterprising fashion label, but prove that style does come with substance with their charitable attitude and far-ranging foresight.

As a Dubai child, I have carried the princess tag my entire life. Now, I finally have the opportunity to show that being a princess doesn’t have to necessarily mean having a pony, a tiara and a thoroughly spoilt and pampered lifestyle. For me being a princess has always meant taking pride in being innately feminine, always being completely humble, taking advantage of the wealth of opportunities offered to me whilst always keeping in mind those who are not afforded such luxuries. The launch of Ameera finally means the definition of Ameera- the princess, can be reworded to my satisfaction. Though I must confess I’m hanging on to the tiara, and with great pride!

We hope you enjoy and engage with Ameera, after all it is your voice. Until Next month, when we’ll be back with more fashion, trends, the latest news, views, social issues and political polemics, stay Royal!

From Cover Story:

Make Fashion Not War.
Sanam Peshimam speaks to the sisters behind Dubai-based label Dinz about fashion, culture and the infamous ghutra.

The Zahran sisters, Rima and Dina, are the perfect example of a fashion partnership that flatters. The sisters behind the label Dinz, which formed in early 2007, never anticipated the way in which their label would grow at such a rapid rate. From customizing their own t-shirts to retailing in Harvey Nichols Dubai, 14 exclusive locations across the Middle East, along with 007 boutique in Marbella, Spain and online at www.spoiledbrat.co.uk. Dinz has grown to be known as the brand to sport on the burgeoning Dubai fashion scene.

On meeting Rima and Dina, their own unique sense of style comes through. Both Dina and Rima are dressed in simple skinny jeans and Dinz t’s but with their feet encased in gorgeous Christian Louboutin stilettos, each sporting the latest It-bag du jour. The girls are the faces of easy laidback glamour. Dina explains how fashion it seems is in their blood. “We’ve both had a strong passion for fashion ever since we can remember, our mother used to design and sew her own clothes, our grandmother was a seamstress and fashion and designing runs in our family.” As Rima recalls her earliest memory being dressing little sister Dina in Baby Dior, they both explain how fashion isn’t just their business, it is their deep-rooted passion.

Dinz all began when Dina decided to customize her own t shirts. The perfect blend of good quality materials, with just a touch of bling, gave Dina’s t-shirts a real wow factor. They then began mass-producing t-shirts, and went on to design a whole range of accessories for women, men and children. Their real sell-out pieces are the Arab ghutras, which the sisters designed with their own unique twist.

Dinz ghutras are a very typical Arab piece of clothing, but the girls turned them into neck scarves, adding bright colours and embroidery to make the unique Dinz style that takes its influences from traditional Arabian heritage pieces and puts a western twist to it. Rima says “We don’t just produce the typical red and white or black and white ghutras, we have our own style with a typical pattern, and we use various different materials, colours and embellishments.” Blending traditional with modern, Eastern with Western; Indeed Dinz is a label synonymous with a dichotomous identity. Born and raised in Spain, with Palestinian roots, and living in Dubai, The Dinz sisters are a glowing illustration of the expat identity.

Referring to themselves as an ‘Arab based’ brand, the girls consider themselves Arab but are also quick to point out western influences in their work. It is this incorporation of Arab and Western elements that truly makes Dinz a label to watch out for. Says Dina, “Our heritage and Arab culture has a big influence on us and our work, but the Western environment we grew up on also has a great deal of influence on us. So by mixing these two, we’ve managed to come up with our own style which represents us.”

The fact that it represents thousands of young women throughout the Middle East is reflected in the popularity of the brand. Retailing in U.A.E, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the girls’ scarves, t shirts and accessories are being snapped off the shelves.

This doesn’t stop the hardworking girls from being extremely involved in every single step of the designing and retailing process. With sister Rima taking care of the business, marketing, sales and PR side, Dina is in charge of designing. With it being a family business, however, the roles often get intertwined and essentially both sisters are involved in every step. The fascinatingly sophisticated mother of the pair, from whom the girls inherit their good looks and innate sense of style, also helps with designs and ideas, but completely behind the scenes.

What stands out about the way the Zahran sisters work is the amount of commitment these so-called Dubai ‘expat brats’ pour into the business. From checking every piece before it is packaged and sent to suppliers, to personally answering the multitude of queries on their facebook group- The sisters demonstrate an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm into their jobs. Their down-to-earth demeanour doesn’t just attract a massive friend circle that is fiercely loyal to the brand; it also works to espouse the ethos behind the brand. Stylish sophistication with an easy, casual character that takes as much inspiration from the sunny, beach lifestyle of Dubai, as it does from the highly fashion-literate quintessential Dubai fashionista who won’t be hoodwinked into buying anything that isn’t International standard worthy.

Indeed the deeper philosophical message that lies behind every ghutra created for Dinz lies in the girls’ hope for recognition. “We’re motivated by a want to get our roots and culture accepted in the International fashion world. We want to bring the fashion focus to the Middle East and have our culture be recognized not just as a fashion influence, but as a formidable fashion player to the rest of the world.” The girls are completely dedicated to expand and grow their collections and business to reach every corner of the world. They also want to assert that once they get their impending global recognition, they want to highlight causes that are dearest to their hearts.

The Palestinian keffiyeh, is very similar to the ghutra, and is a symbol of resistance. Recently adopted by young college students all over the world as a fashionable neck scarf, the Dinz sisters express how much the symbolism behind the keffiyeh and the ghutra means to them. Rima says, “The fact that we are Palestinian but are not able to go to our own home country because of the violence and uncertainty is a very big deal to us. We would love to see the war and mindless bloodshed come to an end. All we can do right now from our end is to create more awareness through our brand for what’s going on in the region from our perspective.” The girls paint a picture of the Middle Eastern girls across the region, who may attend International schools, watch American T.V shows and obsess over French fashion designers, but never forget their roots and the painful socio-political history associated with them. Dinz often has charity fundraisers and retails limited edition pieces to help raise money for those in need of help in Palestine, and they promise to continue donating a portion of their profits to the causes that mean most to them.

The girls are part of a movement that is bringing some much-needed fresh air to the Dubai fashion scene. A very young city, and until recently without a street fashion style to boast of, The Dinz sisters are slowly but surely changing the fashion climate in Dubai. By operating an Arab-based brand, influenced by ethnic heritage and tradition, and catering to the thousands of multi-cultural nationalities that form the melting pot of Dubai, The Dinz sisters are writing their piece of fashion history. They will go down as the fashion duo that dared to define street style in the United Arab Emirates, and did it with their heads firmly in mind of their roots and history, whilst looking expectantly forward to the future and international shores.

From Feature:

Victims without Voices

With sexual abuse statistics growing at an alarming rate throughout the Middle East, Sanam Peshimam uncovers the truth behind the facade of family honour.

Mariam*, now 26 speaks with glazed eyes at memories of the summer when she turned 8. What was meant to be the perfect summer spent in Jordan with her entire extended family, turned into a dark blot on an otherwise idyllic childhood, whose painful memories followed her through most of her adult life.

“All my life I was protected and sheltered by my parents and siblings, the youngest of four kids, it seemed like I was always chaperoned, followed, monitored, says Mariam, “I remember not even being allowed to go to the supermarket alone, you could say my parents were aware of all the dangers that lurked out in the big bad world.” What Mariam’s parents failed to anticipate, were the dangers lurking within her own family. She recounts how a particular older cousin took a liking to her and spent a lot of time taking her around the city, playing with her and giving her special attention. Mariam welcomed the attention, remembering how being the youngest; nobody usually had time for her. “Ahmed* was the prodigal son of our family. Ivy League-educated, working in a dynamic job, filled with warmth, compassion and witticisms, all us younger kids looked up to him and adored him.”

Over the course of that summer, Ahmed sexually abused Mariam at least a dozen times. “It all started out with hugs, some which went on a little longer than necessary, and always when nobody else was around, the hugs led to touches in inappropriate places and later, much worse. I was completely lost, bewildered and confused. He was so calm and seemingly normal, and pretended like what he was doing shouldn’t be making me feel uncomfortable.” Against this smooth-talking cousin, adolescent, sheltered Mariam began to doubt and isolate herself. She knew, deep down inside that these touches and ‘games’ were wrong, yet she didn’t have the courage to tell anyone else about them. “Nobody ever suspected, says Mariam with a shake of her head, “Nobody ever wondered why we spent so many evenings together, it was just considered family bonding…nobody asked once why my behaviour was changing, nobody even noticed in the mayhem of a large family. Nobody asked, and I never told.”

An all too familiar story with one in three girls in the Middle East, who have been sexually abused in the past by a family member. The statistics are astonishing; A poll carried out by a Women’s Rights Advocacy Group in the Middle East says 47% of women have been sexually abused or molested by a family member, some recalling incidents of molestation aged as young as 4. Sexual abuse by definition is a form of child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an adult or older adolescent. In addition to direct sexual contact, child sexual abuse also occurs when an adult indecently exposes their genitalia to a child, asks or pressures a child to engage in sexual activities, displays pornography to a child, or uses a child to produce child pornography.

“It is a big problem, and one which often goes unreported due to the stigma attached, says Dr. Roghy McCarthy, of The Counselling and Development Clinic, Dubai. Just as a woman is more likely to be murdered or attacked by a person known to her, a case of molestation often occurs close to one’s home, sometimes even under their own roof. The depravity of such an act and the devastating effects it can have can only be imagined. As Dr McCarthy explains, above and beyond the humiliation of being abused, it is the complete and utter loss of faith in one who is meant to be ‘safe’ is what affects the victims of child abuse well into their childhood.

Why are the statistics of sexual abuse (nearly 90% unreported) so high in the Middle East?
The notion of family honour could be one explanation. Mariam eventually confessed to her mother, shaking and shuddering of what happened that summer in Jordan. Her mother was aghast, but said nothing and made Mariam promise to forget it ever happened. The close-knit family ties in even modern middle-eastern families demand respect and honour of a girl should be withheld at all costs. “I was devastated my baby girl had to go through that, says Mariam’s mother, but I kept my anger and sadness to myself. Firstly, if word got out, my daughter would forever be tainted, in the eyes of the family and even possible potential suitors in the future, secondly, Ahmed is my Husband’s brothers son, it would sever ties within the entire family, everything would be in shambles…people would talk, rumours would spread, everything would be a mess. So I kept quiet. I watched Mariam cautiously after that and never let her be alone with Ahmed again, but nothing was ever said.”

This sad and frankly galling explanation alas makes sense. The family model is time-honoured and no matter what lurks beneath, family members are told to uphold the honour of the family name at all times. This means sweeping under the carpet any indiscretions or suggestions of foul play.

The ones to suffer the most in the entire situation are obviously, the victims. Rabiyah, 36 recounts how such an incident during her pre-teens left her completely devastated for a large part of her adult life. “I disrespected my body, often finding myself in compromising positions…every vice, you name it I’ve done it.” Girls like Rabiyah who learn at a young age of the truly despicable side human nature can stoop to, and more often than not, never face any form of justice, grow up to self-harm. “My warped subconscious logic was, it was OK to treat myself and my body like dirt, because someone I trusted with all my life thought it was OK to do so” says Rabiyah.

After years of counselling and battling their demons, Rabiyah, and Mariam both have tried hard to move on from those fateful encounters. “I will never let it go, but I’m working hard to move on and make positive decisions. I can’t help the fact that some sick individual took advantage of me when I was vulnerable, but I can help the decisions I make here on out, says Rabiyah, and if anything like this ever happened to my child I would make sure justice is served, no matter what the consequences to family.”

It is a powerful assertion, against a backdrop of injustice. Almost nobody is blameless in this situation, the perpetrator for this most vile act upon the most innocent of prey, those that involuntarily allowed it to happen and let the perpetrator get away with it, and indeed society itself, which allows incidents like these to occur every day. The only one who leaves without blame is the victim, who will forever carry scars, but will hopefully break the cycle of secrecy and never allow it to happen to another.

FACT BOX

Signs of molestation or sexual abuse to look out for in a child

*The child may refuse to attend school or start to have difficulty concentrating so that their schoolwork is affected.

*They may show unexpected fear or distrust of a particular adult or refuse to continue with their usual social activities.

*They may start using sexually explicit behavior or language, particularly if the behavior or language is not appropriate for their age.

*The child may describe receiving special attention from a particular adult, or refer to a new, "secret" friendship with an adult or young person.

Physical signs of abuse

*Pain, itching, bruising or bleeding in the genital or anal areas

*Genital discharge or urinary tract infections

*Stomach pains or discomfort walking or sitting

*Sexually transmitted infections.

If you or a friend notice a child in trouble, or have yourself been a victim of sexual abuse in the past, please contact Dubai’s Counselling and Development Centre on 04-3471712.

*names have been changed to protect identities.

From Trends Watch:
Trend Alert: PURPLE

Shades of Purple, from feminine lavender to deep aubergine were seen all over the catwalks in Paris, Milan, New York and London. The colour most famously associated with royalty, really rocks with shades to suit every skin tone or mood. This versatile colour brightens up any outfit with pink or white undertones, and deepens with accents of blue or black. Wear it understated and casual with a pair of amethyst tights or a chunky violet sweater, or really glam it up with hues of floor-sweeping eggplant or thigh-skimming mauve. Purple looks fabulous in velvet, suede, satin, brocade and chiffon. Accessorise any outfit with a clutch, pair of statement heels or killer belt in flowery lilac or a deep wine. This season stand out from the fashion pack as a truly rocking Ameera with royal colours to match!

EXCERPTS FROM MARKET REPORT
From Conclusion:

Dubai is a young city with a very young population. The city is cosmopolitan in its very nature and this lends itself very significantly to launching an English language title geared towards a population comprised of a myriad of cultures. An extremely wealthy consumer market, with a great deal of spending power and disposable income is at our disposable in Dubai, and the attractive investment opportunities, virtually no taxes and economic stability all point towards the sustainability of this massive growth even through the next couple of tumultuous years in the global economy. Dubai’s population and market on the whole is ready and inclined towards accepting a new title to be launched. What needs to be paid special attention to now is the magazine market in particular, and our specific target reader to ensure commercial and critical success for the title I am proposing.

So who is the Ameera reader? According to our statistics, the reader of Ameera is not only a single young woman in the age range of 16-26 years, but she most likely studies, lives at home with her parents, is an expatriate from the Subcontinent, Europe, or another Middle Eastern country, loves shopping and partying, spends most of her money on fashion, beauty, technology and leisure activities and often travels outside the U.A.E.

The ethos behind Ameera Magazine is that it is a title for the young women of the United Arab Emirates, who like the country they live in have grown into economically attractive, glamorous, entities. They are the generation next, the future of the region.

Ameera readers, like their Western counterparts, worry and obsess over their grades, future, fashion, celebrities, television, technology, movies, music, how to deal with parents, siblings, friends and lovers…however they are unique in that they are growing up in a region, linked closely to a culture and in some cases, follow a religion that is closely scrutinised and often misrepresented and misunderstood in the foreign media. Ameera is not only a voice for a region of young girls who have thus far been silent, but it is also a tool by which we hope to break some of these myths and stereotypes.

The Unique Selling Point of Ameera Magazine is that it will be comprised of two categories of features that will work together to create a beautiful and inspiring publication.

The first will be for the fashion-conscious reader, with edgy fashion shoots, hair and makeup editorials, shopping pages, trends pages and a street style section. The second will be for the politically conscious reader, who cares a great deal about the world around her, be it the environment, politics, socio-cultural issues and wants to read hard-hitting articles that raises awareness and promotes autonomous thought. There will be an emphasis on articles written by young women who are in very similar position to our readers, so the honing of local talent and skills will be an important part of Ameera.

The competition in the magazine market in Dubai is wide-open for a unique title like Ameera to bridge the gap between dated, ‘safe’, tried-and-tested cookie cutter method magazines that exist, and the need for a title that addresses the glamorous, inspiring and discerning young female reader.

Through our thorough research and evaluating statistics and data collected on both the market and the magazine, the proposal for Ameera Magazine is not just an adventurous idea, but one that has all the components to make it a commercial and viable title when launched. Always making sure it is tailored to the exciting and unique market and target reader will be central to Ameera’s viability. The features and editorial content I have attempted to present in this sample issue, and the ideas for potential future content for further issues all reflect the high-quality material that Ameera promises to deliver.

In conclusion, Ameera Magazine is a title that if launched, would be able to commercially and critically permeate the consciousness of Dubai’s young women to become a successful title in every sense of the word.