Welcome to The Summer Escape Issue. Download your FREE copy to escape, unwind and indulge in some serious wanderlust. We’ve partnered with Farfetch for this cover, featuring Rania Fawaz in our beautiful castaway-inspired cover shoot Harbour Island.
Also featured are exclusive interviews with Stephanie Phair, Farfetch’s Chief Customer Officer, master milliner Ruslan Baginskiy, Lisa Marie Fernandez and Greenpacha – the brand weaving it’s own kind of sustainable magic into beachside-appropriate hats. FREE DOWNLOAD or in PRINT from Sunday 5th July.
Words & Creative Direction: Amy Sessions
Photography: Greg Adamski
Styling: Gemma Deeks
Makeup: Melanie Meyer At MMG Artists
Hair: Jordan Robertson At MMG Artists
Location: Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
With special thanks to Seawake
Rania Fawaz is focused, free-spirited and unfailingly hard-working. On a 12-hour shoot day in 45-degree heat we saw just the metal she’s made of, and we liked it.
You’ve skillfully mastered growing your brand, how do you manage this whilst still having time for yourself?
Building my name (brand) is really a lifestyle, there is no off switch. I think the key to being sane is always to be yourself across all platforms, that way it was not draining and I didn’t feel like I had to have time for myself. I feel like the entire day is time for myself because of the way I choose to be.
You studied fashion design, is this something you’d like to focus on in future and what would be the design focus?
Yes, for sure, fashion has been something in my family for generations. My dream is to have my own label and it’s something I’m currently working towards.
You mentioned on set this was an unusual shoot for you – how so?
Yes, it was unusual and I’m so happy I stepped out of my comfort zone. It’s a shoot I will show my children one day, very different and another side of me I only discovered that day at the shoot!
In which way have you approached growing your following and what works best with your followers?
I’ve made a rule for myself with social media to not really care about your growth as much as your content.
What advice would you give to your younger self starting out?
Honestly, it might sound like a cliché but I would tell my younger self everything happens for a reason and to take everything at ease.
This issue is ‘The Summer Escape’ – where would you like to escape to?
I want to escape to a beach destination somewhere where the water is so blue – Ibiza or the islands in Greece.
To read the full interview, pick up a copy of ‘The Summer Escape Issue’ or download it here
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram.
Images: Emirates Woman
