About❤

Abu Dhabi is breathtakingly beautiful. In my personal opinion, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It amazes me how everything is traditional and modern at the same time. The city has revolved around a culture of over a thousand years old, and it is remarkable how the people are still able to preserve that through architecture and fashion.

The most beautiful feature of Abu Dhabi is its people, both the local and the expatriates. It never fails to make me wonder in awe as both peoples live in one city in unified diversity. When I started living here, the first thing I noticed was the way both Muslim men and women still wear their traditional dresses. I used to think at how uncomfortable that may be when you’re living in a time where tank tops, denim shorts, and cardigans seem to be everywhere.

But, after living with the people for some time, I have finally understood why they still keep this tradition. In every way, I believe it marks their identity. Who they are, what they believe in, and where they are from. They say that how you dress will describe who you are without words. And I am blessed to see that everyday.

When I decided to start this blog, I didn’t have any idea about how I would manage it. I was just thinking: I’m here in Abu Dhabi. It’s such a beautiful place, and I will never get tired of photographing it. But what really catches my eye aside from the breathtaking view I get to see everyday, are the people and their style. Being a fashion student and dreaming to become one my whole life, I believe I have trained my eye well for spotting these kinds of people.

And by that I meant, the mazuona. Mazuona, as I have learned, is an Arabic word used to describe an elegant, stylish, and confident woman.  They are, I believe, the modern Arabic women, regardless of where they come from and what they believe in. These are the kind of people I want to photograph.

I created this blog simply because I am inspired by these women. When I was researching about fashion blogs, I find it hard to believe that no one has ever tried doing this here, considering how many of these women are just in the streets going about their daily businesses. They are mazuonas, but they don’t know it. And I guess it is my job to let them know.

This blog is dedicated to them, the true and modern women: the ones who walk confidently in style in the streets of Abu Dhabi. She is not perfect, but she finds ways to make her imperfections work perfectly. She may not be the most beautiful woman I’ve seen, but she has a way of holding my attention longer than the most beautiful woman ever can.

Her personal style is also the key ingredient. If she was wearing an expensive, top-of-the-line dress, I would be in awe for about two seconds. But, that’s it. There’s no story. I do not have anything against these kinds of clothes, but I don’t find them interesting as much as I find a piece from a vintage shop or a flea market interesting.

There are a lot of women with different nationalities here in Abu Dhabi. They are all different from each other, and they all have different personal styles. But I guess they share a common connection with how they express themselves through style: freely and confidently.

This blog is not made to tell you who has the greatest personal style of them all. I won’t be writing about who I liked the best. I won’t be judging them. The only words that you will find here are the words of their stories. Some may give you an idea that this woman knows herself so much, so she knows her personal style very well. But, some may not. Some may still be finding themselves.

“I think conflict about who you are often leads to even greater expression.”

 -Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist

I definitely agree. A few weeks ago, I was struggling with this blog. Like I said, I didn’t have any idea of what to blog about and how I would do it. I just know that I want to do it. But, if it weren’t for Mr. Scott Schuman and our common love for the same things but in very different places, I wouldn’t be able to do this. The Sartorialist has inspired me so much.

My idea for this blog is obviously not very original, since I got it from The Sartorialist that has been up and running for five years. But, there is no way that I am plagiarizing any of his work. I am simply inspiring from the idea and through them, making my own. Jean Luc-Godard once said, “It is not where you take things from- it is where you take them to.” So, yes, I am more than proud to say that The Sartorialist is my biggest inspiration.

Inspiration. You will soon find out that there are a lot of them in this blog. After all, this has been created from everything that has inspired me.  So, I hope that while browsing, you will find your own source of inspiration for fashion and style. Not through my eyes, but through your own.  And I hope that through this, you become your very own Mazuona.