Celebrating its one-year anniversary, Dazed MENA [IG] releases an extra special cover story starring supermodel Bella Hadid. AOC is not out of line to say that Hadid is absolutely beloved in the region, endowed with celebration of Bella’s every move.

With the supermodel being very strategic and precise with her important business moves, fashion runway and media appearances, this DAZED fashion story is Bella Hadid’s first cover in the region in almost a decade. The perfectly-timed event happens as Bella’s beauty brand Orebella launches in the GCC.

The Gulf Cooperation Council is a political and economic alliance of six countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates [UAE]. For the fashion and beauty industries, the GCC is a highly significant and growing market, known for its high consumer spending, wealthy population, and demand for both luxury and mainstream brands.

Released with two covers, Bella is photographed by Iranian-American photographer Yasmine Diba [IG], her best friend since destiny [perhaps] brought them together in eighth grade in 2009. While private photos are prolific on their IGs, this is their first cover shoot together.

Styled by Ashling Sarveen Massoumi for this story, Hadid is dressed and accessorised solely in Chopard, for whom Bella is a global ambassador, and NY cult label Michael and Hushi, founded by Hushidar Mortezaie and Michael Sears in 1997.

Bella wore her red-and-white keffiyeh dress off-duty, strolling down the Cannes Croisette at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May, 2024. With photographers everywhere, the designers’ 2001 collection keffiyeh dress became a viral sensation worldwide and is celebrated here by Dazed MENA.

British Vogue’s November 10th web headline is ‘Bella Hadid Returns to Her Office Siren Roots’. Swiping Bella in a form-fitting, waist-cinching burgandy suit from her IG after opening Orabella in Kuwait, Vogue writes:

In these murky times, there’s something to be said for staying true to your essence, even if that happens to be someone who unironically wears tie-dye and speaks in TikTok affirmations. Proving the hypothesis that you can’t outrun your archetype, Miss Bella Hadid, who, despite her newly acquired cowboy boyfriend and enduring horse girl spirit, is unable to strut away from her office siren leanings.

It seems safe to suggest that Bella was channeling her ‘office siren leanings’ in this photo shoot, as well. Perhaps her creative process and not a presentation to investors beyond Celebrand.

AOC adds that all is not calm on the supermodel’s IG. Bella is accustomed to controversy, but in aligning herself with Darfur in Sudan and — which is suffering indescribable assaults on women and children — she invites new controvery connected to Orabella.

Women and children in South Sudan are suffering equally.