JEDDAH: Al-Balad, Jeddah's historic district, was ablaze with youthful energy as Vogue Arabia's first gala, Hi Vogue, arrived in the city.
On February 8 and 9, the space was filled into the early hours with mini activities and expertly curated spaces showcasing talks, performances, and of course the big reveal of the magazine's February cover, filmed just steps away in the country.
“Tonight is the culmination of years of effort and work from Vogue Arabia here in the Kingdom. Nearly six years ago, we began this special journey that actually began in Jeddah. So, returning to Jeddah for the first ever event for our Vogue brand is a special moment.” “Very much for us, and we are very excited to be here,” said Shashi Menon, CEO and founder of Nervora, publisher of Vogue Arabia. ,” he told the crowd.
Saudi artist Amal Al-Harbi started the concert with her distinctive booming voice and sharp intelligence, as she presented on stage a delicate poem inspired by the beauty of Jeddah. Hijazi dancers entertained the audience with traditional folk dancing and singing throughout.
With an abundance of Instagram-worthy spots, ticket holders are invited to join in a friendly game of mini golf, basketball or play on Jimmy Choo's ping pong table. Other brands that have created formulas are Michael Kors, Birkenstock, Steve Madden, Aigner, Dyson House of Creed, Kiko Milano, Asteri Beauty, among others.
One of the most attractive spaces is the wall presented by Al Jazeera Paints, which was decorated with original writings by artist Noura Bin Saedan.
There was also a fun installation that mimicked the bathroom scene from Netflix's 'Al Rawabi Girls School' – perfect for taking mirror selfies. The young actresses from the show traveled to Jeddah from Jordan for a Hai Vogue panel to talk about their upcoming season in a special panel discussion.
The actresses are the stars of the first cover of the February 2024 issue, which was revealed on Vogue Arabia's Instagram account shortly before the event began.
The second February 2024 cover, which was revealed for the first time on stage during Hai Vogue, features 11 Saudi millennials.
The cover was shot on the country's picturesque streets, and the stage was lit up in homage to the surroundings where it was shot. The cover stars are the designer sisters Alia and Abeer Arif from Atelier Hekayat; Designer Arwa Al Banawi; Aisha Al-Mami, CEO of Basamat Arabia Fashion Consulting Company; Olympic rower Hussein Ali Reda; Entrepreneur and director Lina Malaika; Designer Mehmet “Mo” Hoxha; Entrepreneur and popular personality Nujoud Al Rumaihi; Actress Sarah Taiba; Model Via Food; The only boxer from Generation Z on the list is Ziad “Zizou” Al-Mayouf.
In addition, Saudi designers Yousef Akbar and Mohammed Khoja from Hindami and Alia and Abeer Arif from Atelier Hekayat held conversations with Saudi media personality Lama Al-Aqeel to discuss their personal journeys in the industry and their thoughts on fashion in the region and beyond.
There was lots of music on both days. On the first day, Saudi pop star Meshal Tamer serenaded the audience while rapper Da Vinci impressed the crowd. Saudi DJs Heavy, Cosmicat and Malek filled the space in each of their sets with pulsing beats that had the crowd swaying in their seats. There were also food trucks offering a range of options.
On the second day, DJ Loujain Al-Bishi, known professionally as Biirdperson, as well as DJ brothers Abbas and Hassan Ghazawi from Dish Dash, played songs on their indie sets. Saudi singer Tamtam offered her encouraging words to the listeners who sang along with her. Saudi rapper Hatun Idris filled Al-Balad newspaper with the distinctive sound of her electric oud guitar, and the Saudi-American rapper known as $kinny performed his first show in Jeddah.
After his set, $kinny took time to interact with fans in a special meet-and-greet session that lasted until 2 a.m. Many performers and artists — as well as cover stars — were there to mingle with the community.
“I love this combination of doing something historic in a historic place, and then doing something for young people,” Manuel Arnault, editor-in-chief of Vogue Arabia, told Arab News. “So, I felt like (the country) was really the perfect place that allows us to talk about the past, but also envision the future… It couldn’t be more magical than this.”
Arnott said the High Fog logo includes a silhouette of a cat because of the large number of cats that roam the country area. They are, in a sense, the unofficial mascot of the city.
“I had this commitment and this passion to really talk about the creativity that was happening here in Saudi Arabia. Since then, we had been thinking about the perfect event that we could do to showcase it. One day, we were walking in the country with a friend of mine from Jeddah, and I said : “I am waiting!”.
The block party was set up in the same space Arnott had pointed out to his friend.
Vogue Arabia, which launched in 2017, was created in response to the Arab world's appetite for fashion, and has often featured Saudis in its pages. It is published in Arabic and English, and has become a leader in amplifying Saudi voices and faces for most of the past decade.
The magazine has hosted formal events in Dubai for the past several years, and felt that the Saudi youth energy could do so in a more informal setting. It also invited the public, for the first time, to join by purchasing tickets to attend one or both days, with a VIP card for those wishing to access the after-roof party.
Hayat Ousti, who has been living in Jeddah for five years and works in the field of tanning and cosmetics, came to Hi Vogue with her French friend Tata Fatia, known in Paris as the “Queen of Tanning.”
“I came to Saudi Arabia for the first time ever for this Hai Vogue event. I brought me my friend Hayat, who I trained in Paris in the tanning technique. I do Fashion Week and Cannes and I have airbrushed many American stars,” Tata Fatia told Arab News. “.
“I came to see the Saudi market because I am thinking of launching my business here. Saudi women are very beautiful and modern – I was very happy to see them. I want to meet Saudi influencers like Lama Al-Aqeel, she is incredibly beautiful, like all the women here,” she said.
As the number of visitors began to decrease, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Arabia said that this was not the end.
“We want to definitely do it next year. The idea is that it's 'Hai Vogue', so it's the neighborhood. We also want to explore other neighborhoods; we would also like to do it in Riyadh. This will also allow us to explore different areas to show our readers places,” Arnault said. Different in Saudi Arabia – like a postcard.”
