Not content on just being an internationally acclaimed designer with a celebrity fan base including Kim Kardashian Nancy Ajram, Alanoud Badr, aka Lady Fozaza, has announced she is spreading her stylish wings and launching her own YouTube channel, FozazaTV.
Alanoud Badr, who is one of the top five most popular local fashion figures on social media (she has over 23,000 followers on Twitter and over 300,000 on Instagram), has teamed up with YouTube to offer the first online ‘reality fashion’ channel of its kind in the region.
FozazaTV will deliver recurring shows and episodes directly to passionate fan communities. It will offer behind the scenes content of the young Arab designer’s day-to-day life as she teams up with international and local brands and launches new product lines, including her latest venture designing Lady Fozaza abayas and a women’s jewellery collection with L’Azurde.
“I see more and more brands creating compelling content on YouTube and people with creative ambitions become stars in their own right” said Alanoud, a former Emirates Woman cover star. “I’m very happy that I’m now part of that global community. I have the chance to continue doing what I love and share that with people in a whole new way.”
“Fashion and beauty is one of the fast-growing categories on YouTube in the region”, said Diana Baddar, head of YouTube partnerships in MENA. “People have the creative freedom and the chance to experiment on the platform, there’s never been a better time to be a creator. We’re excited to see more high-quality original programming in MENA like Fozaza TV coming to YouTube”.
Ahead of her live launch, Emirates Woman spoke to Alanoud about the new YouTube show:
Why branch out to YouTube?
Teaming up with YouTube has been a fantastic opportunity to take my online presence to the next level and is the only platform by which I can speak directly to my fans through my own dialogue and with my own creative license. Instagram is a fantastic tool and photos can speak volumes but there is nothing like a personal interaction on video to really show the world what you are truly about. No filters, no editing, no script – just me!
What can we expect from the programme?
You can expect all kinds of crazy! Behind the scenes footage, Q&A sessions, Google+ hangouts, competitions, giveaways and much, much more. It’s a fashion journey about the different struggles and accomplishments one goes through trying to make their dreams come true. Viewers will be the first to know what is happening with my latest fashion lines and collaborations, all you need to do is subscribe!
How will it affect brand Lady Fozaza?
Fozaza TV enables me to reach people and be a positive voice and influence for women around the world; showing them the different ways of going after their dreams. It’s an inside story on how Lady Fozaza works and how the brand is growing.
How did the idea come about?
My followers have broached this topic several times in comments and honestly, I never really had the guts to do this before as I like my privacy, but my fans are so important to me. I’m hoping this venture with bring me closer to them.
How will you take this to an international level?
The Middle East is already one of the largest consumers of video content on YouTube and since the launch of FozazaTV we’ve seen immediate reach, spread from the Middle East across to USA, UK, France and even Australia! YouTube is a global community.
How regular will the show be and how long will each one last?
The channel will feature videos in different formats in both English and Arabic. Some, like the Fozaza Cam, will be short ( around one minute) to satisfy my mobile audience, while Q&As, behind the scenes footage from events and activations will be longer (between three to 10 minutes).
