Featuring: AZEEMA

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
16/01/19

Subtitle

Is there a lack of representation for Women of Colour within fashion and popular culture?

Contents

1. What is Azeema?

2. Why did you decide to create Azeema?

3. How did you go about beginning the process of creating the magazine? 

4. What does the latest issue focus on?

5. What are your plans for Azeema looking into the future/future issues?

6. How important do you feel creative outputs such as Azeema are in providing social commentary on societal issues?

Azeema

This week we had the chance to speak to founding editor of AZEEMA, Jameela Elfaki about her creative process, empowerment and the celebration of culture. AZEEMA is a fashion and culture print magazine, which explores resistance and femininity within Middle Eastern and North African women, and all women of colour.

Subtitle

Is there a lack of representation for Women of Colour within fashion and popular culture?

Contents

1. What is Azeema?

2. Why did you decide to create Azeema?

3. How did you go about beginning the process of creating the magazine? 

4. What does the latest issue focus on?

5. What are your plans for Azeema looking into the future/future issues?

6. How important do you feel creative outputs such as Azeema are in providing social commentary on societal issues?

This week we had the chance to speak to founding editor of AZEEMA, Jameela Elfaki about her creative process, empowerment and the celebration of culture. AZEEMA is a fashion and culture print magazine, which explores resistance and femininity within Middle Eastern and North African women, and all women of colour.
1. What is Azeema?

AZEEMA is a fashion and culture print magazine, which explores resistance and femininity within Middle Eastern and North African women, and all women of colour. We challenge and confront the issues surrounding diversity and representation within many industries, to create a place that is inclusive of women of colour and knowledgeable of Islamic faith, African, Arab and Asian culture. We aim to empower, not offend.

AZEEMA Magazine

2. Why did you decide to create Azeema?

AZEEMA magazine started as an out-of-reach idea in the back of my mind, which I knew that I had to pursue. Growing up, I noticed that there weren't magazines for women from the Middle East/North Africa and Women of Colour with a fashion and culture focus. I’m Sudanese/English, so I felt passionate about bringing a magazine to life that was understanding of the effects of culture clash and identity issues within young women. I wanted to make a magazine that wasn't just filled with pretty photos, but one that had meaning, depth, embraced women and celebrated culture, while challenging current stereotypes and representations.

AZEEMA Magazine

AZEEMA Magazine

3. How did you go about beginning the process of creating the magazine? 

During my placement year at university, I spent some time working with the photographic team at Dazed where I learnt a lot about the production of a magazine. This along with other internships helped me a lot when I began making AZEEMA. As a photographer, I started out with creating the images and the writing came after. I collaborated with other creatives and amazing women, most of who I found through social media – this helped me a lot during the process. I reached out to lots of amazing girls via Instagram and told them about the project and was so surprised by the responses and willingness to be involved. I'm a firm believer in the phrase, 'If you don't ask you don't get'.

4. What does the latest issue focus on?

The Habibi issue was a blend of controversial and compelling features, touching on issues of resistance, empowerment and femininity. This issue explored femininity in Morocco, protested women’s rights with ‘Sisters Uncut’ and visually explored ideas of strength and sexuality. The second issue will focus on identity. We aim to explore areas that will allow even more women to relate to AZEEMA, to help them connect to and understand their identities. Along with this, we will be focusing on self-love, beauty and strength with the objective always to empower.

We will be focusing on self-love, beauty and strength with the objective always to empower.

5. What are your plans for Azeema looking into the future/future issues?

AZEEMA now has a small team behind it and we are working hard to continue creating content for both print and digital media, which we hope will continue to empower and inspire other women. We want AZEEMA to be a recognised brand within the creative industry and a voice for like-minded women to express their views, free from censorship and misrepresentation, one that supports, motivates and encourages women along with other creatives.

AZEEMA Magazine

6. How important do you feel creative outputs such as Azeema are in providing social commentary on societal issues?

Extremely important. There is a lot of misconstrued and negative information in media, so creative outputs such as AZEEMA have the opportunity to reach out to individuals who have experienced these issues first-hand, and report or comment on them in the correct way, with the aim to educate and help others.

Be sure to go check out AZEEMA on social media and keep up to date with their work.

  • Featuring: AZEEMA

Bibliography

AZEEMA Magazine (https://www.azeemamag.com/)

Social

AZEEMA Instagram (@azeemamag)
AZEEMA Twitter (@azeemamag)

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