The Radical Contemporary Podcast: Recent Episodes
Nour Hassan
Radical Contemporary is a Digital Curator and Podcast based between Cairo, Dubai & Jeddah for the sharing, discovery and appreciation of artistic and personal expression in the MENA region & beyond.
Radicals are people who notice things. We are observers. Artists. Writers. Designers. Musicians. Filmmakers. Intellectuals. Cultural Producers. Dreamers. Thought-leaders. We’re a community of Creators - who know that your biggest asset is your ability to ask questions, to critique & to converse with like-minded people. On Radical the conversation is always open … so hop on whenever you need a dose of creative genius & make sure to bring some coffee, tea, a snack? Whatever it is - the brain food is on us.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Adjunct Curator at Large at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project Sandhini Poddar.
Sandhini is a London-based art historian and Adjunct Curator at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, where she is responsible for acquisitions, commissions, and research for the future museum. Previously, Poddar served on the curatorial team at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation from 2007 until 2016 as part of its international Asian Art Initiative. During her tenure, she curated ground-breaking exhibitions on modern and contemporary Asian art including, ‘V. S. Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life, ‘Being Singular Plural’, and ‘Anish Kapoor: Memory’. She also organized the Guggenheim’s presentation of ‘Zarina: Paper Like Skin’. Poddar writes on contemporary art, aesthetics, and politics and has contributed articles for magazines such as Artforum, ArtAsiaPacific, and Art India. She has post-graduate degrees from New York University and Mumbai University. Poddar recently curated ‘Indra’s Net’ for Frieze London. She is a Trustee of South London Gallery.
Ishara Art FoundationIshara Art Foundation was founded in 2019 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to presenting contemporary art of South Asia. Located in Dubai, the Foundation supports emerging and established practices that advance critical dialogue and explore global interconnections.
Ishara signifies a gesture, a signal or a hint, and is a word common to several languages including Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Swahili and Urdu.
Ishara Art Foundation is presented in partnership with Alserkal.
For more information visit www.ishara.org.
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Smita Prabhakar, Founder and ChairpersonSmita Prabhakar is an entrepreneur, collector and art patron who has been based in the UAE for over four decades. She is the Founder and Chairperson of the Ishara Art Foundation. Smita is also a member of the International Acquisitions Committee at Tate Modern (London), the Middle Eastern Circle of the Guggenheim Museum (New York) and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice).
Smita’s collection, The Ishara Art Foundation and The Prabhakar Collection, focuses on South Asian contemporary artworks that reflect diverse voices and shared histories from across the region.
Ishara Art FoundationIshara Art Foundation was founded in 2019 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to presenting contemporary art of South Asia. Located in Dubai, the Foundation supports emerging and established practices that advance critical dialogue and explore global interconnections.
Ishara signifies a gesture, a signal or a hint, and is a word common to several languages including Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Swahili and Urdu.
Ishara Art Foundation is presented in partnership with Alserkal.
For more information visit www.ishara.org.
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This is a 5 minute Visualization Meditation practice by Nour Hassan that incorporates light breath work and prompts, in order to help you consciously create a positive mindset shift and prepare you for the rest of your day feeling energized and refreshed after taking a moment for you!
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Hello my loves, in this solo episode I go deep into the transition that was turning 30 for me, what has changed and what has stayed the same! It's a great one for the new season and for anyone looking to get some insight and tips on embracing the NOW.
I mention the following brands:
WHOOP
ZARA
AFKARNA
curatedbynour
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Chairman & CEO of Nile Porjects Ahmed El Naggar on the openin og contemporary luxury stores Sandro Paris & Maje Paris in Egypt.
Since its establishment in 1972 and official incorporation in 1985, Nile Projects & Trading Co. has evolved significantly, transitioning from importing tires and food products to pioneering the introduction of major international fashion brands into the Egyptian market. Initially focused on tire distribution, Nile Projects achieved remarkable success, becoming the exclusive distributor for Bridgestone products and later acquiring rights for Firestone. Expanding into the retail sector, Nile Projects marked milestones with the opening of stores for renowned brands like Charles & Keith, Tommy Hilfiger, Ferragamo, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren, and D Store among others with over 120 stores across Egypt. Recognized
for excellence, Nile Projects has consistently expanded its reach, venturing into neighboring markets and embracing e-commerce to ensure widespread accessibility to its diverse range of offerings.
For more information visit @nileprojectsretail.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Maram Aboul Enein, Egyptian-Canadian Fashion Designer and Creative Director about her eponymous fashion brand MARAM. A brand rooted in energy, spirituality and the wandering soul, MARAM's aesthetic is an idealistic example of fashion for the soul. We speak to Maram about her time at Parsons Paris studying fashion, moving to Montreal to establish her brand, and finally returning to Cairo where she set up shop for a new chapter with deeper goals. The latest collection entitled CYCLE 11 THIS IS NOT A DREAM is a comment on current times, charged with the energy of hope.
If you'd like to learn more about MARAM visit www.shopmaram.com or @maram.official.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Emirati artist and poet Sarah Almehairi.
Born in 1998, Sarah a practicing artist from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and an Art and Art History major at New York University Abu Dhabi, class of 2019. Sarah Almehairi’s overarching body of work unfolds a discourse on themes of materiality, systems & interrelations, memory, and language through the intuitive and poetic examination of narrative and abstraction. By engaging with geometric forms, she extracts and defines a structural language read time and time again to suggest a form other than its own – a map, a sentence, a puzzle piece. Through the process, they are broken down, built, and reassembled as continuous iterations of themselves. These elements towards telling a story are not so explicit, lines and layers are used throughout her pieces as a means of exploring clarity and organization of collected information.
Latest exhibitions include:
2024
“’Encounters' 'لقاءات“', Dubai Collection, Dubai
2023
“Off Centered Pauses”, JJ Joong Jung Gallery, Seoul
“Don’t Overlook the Weather (As Your Thoughts Collect)”, Alserkal Arts Foundation Public Commission. Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE
2022
“When the Ground Was”, CARBON 12, Dubai
Most recently, Sarah Almehairi is amongst the finalists for this years #LouvreAbuDhabiArtHere and Richard Mille Art Prize. Winners will be announced September 2024.
Sarah is also the co-founder of Jara Collective and a cycling trainer at one of our favorite studios in the UAE CRANK.
For more information on Sarah Almehairi's work please contact CARBON 12.
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In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lebanese artist and Creative Director Ali Cha'aban who is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ali's art traverses the liminal lines between our cultural heritage as Arabs and the contemporary world we find ourselves immersed in online. He has worked with the likes of Nike, Fendi, Gucci, Selfridges, Les Benjamins, and more prominent luxury brands, indie regional powerhouses, and sportswear titans to develop pioneering creative or innovative designs that finally speaks to MENA youth. Ali talks talks to us about grappling with identity, being a Renaissance man and how the Arabic language always makes its way into his work.
If you'd like to see more of Ali's work check out @alichaaban or https://www.alichaaban.com/
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Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast Sustainability Spotlight mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan.
The series is focused on #actionism and is entitled "Actionists: Moving from Commitment to Action."Episode 4/4:
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Curator Tairone Bastien and Fiza Akram, Alserkal Advisory Special Projects Director on the Global Co-Commission around the theme "A Feral Commons."
The Global Co-commission project, spearheaded by Alserkal Advisory, in collaboration with the Global Cultural Districts Network, unites three cultural districts across three continents: Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, Kingston Creative in Kingston, Jamaica, and Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, South Africa, in a collective response to the global climate crisis.. Working with artists in each of the participating districts, the Global Co-commission intends to inspire new narratives of possibility, ultimately creating public art that is both responsible and impactful.
The intent of the co-commission project is to harness the power of networked cultural districts to respond collectively to urgent global subjects, and invite participants to renew their current perspectives and learnings. This inaugural cycle (2022-23), curated by Tairone Bastien, asks artists from the participating districts to respond to the central theme of climate change, and more specifically A Feral Commons, urging artists in these locations can rise to new challenges and rethink modes of working, create new models of the commons and new ways of living.
For more information follow @alserkalavenue.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan visits the incredible women of the Mothers Matter Program at one of the Kindergartens of the Nahdet El Mansuria for Development Program in the El Mansuria district of Cairo, Egypt.
The program strives to educate mothers within the short time period of 3 months on everything from the dangers of FMG, Breast Cancer Awareness, proper nutrition plans and balanced diets, raising children from infancy to adolescence, healthy family dynamics and the importance of playtime, promoting lack of violence, tools to combat harassment, and most importantly empowering the women to take care of themselves first so that they can better care for others.
This episode will introduce you to the program as we speak to one of the co-founders and Board Members Nihal Mahmoud Sheta on the immense positive ripple effect the Mothers Matter educational program has had on underprivileged women, their children, their families and the communities at large. We also interview the women from these communities who were brave enough to launch as the first cohort of teachers to spread this knowledge with the guidance of Dr Lilian Hanna, Development Specialist and Psychologist, as well as the Director of the Mothers Matter Program.
If you would like to contribute to the Mothers Matter Program please find the donation information below:
***Nahdet El Mansouria CHARITY Bank Account
Ahly Bank of Kuwait
Smart village branch
Acct name. Nahdet El Mansouria for Development
Acct no. 12766426
Swift ECBAEGCAXXX
Instapay: +20 109 376 7895***
This episode is powered by Egypt's leading skincare brand SESH for more information visit @simplysesh or www.simplysesh.com.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan records a solo from Abu Dhabi. This is a fun and introspective look at the nuances of routine, perfectionism, balancing work and life, if there is such a thing? And what the tangible tools are that Nour uses to get into a state of FLOW.
If you're interested in learning how to embrace imperfection, cyclicality and flow especially in Ramadan, this is the perfect episode for you.
For more episodes and to keep up with the RC community follow @radicalcontemporary.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the Director at 421 Arts Campus Faisal Al Hassan on the cultural strides that 421 has taken over the past several years in Abu Dhbai, the UAE and beyond, since its inception.
Our second guest on the episode is Mays Al Beik, Palestinian Artist, Practitioner and Programs and Community Initiatives Manager at 421. We discuss the 421 ethos on program diversity and how the Arts Campus Program is continuously evolving.
421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi’s independent platform dedicated to supporting emerging creative practices, presents its Winter 2024: Entanglements. Running from January 12 to March 20, this season features two major exhibitions and new workshops and special events that focus on community and connection. Opening on February 11 are Network Culture, a group exhibition resulting from the Homebound Residency Program and Counting Fingers, a solo exhibition by artist Hana El-Sagini who is part of this year’s 421 Artistic Development Program.
421 Arts Campus is an independent platform dedicated to emerging artists and creative practitioners in the UAE and across the region. A site for research, learning and experimentation, 421 provides a nurturing environment for emergent creative practices and those who want to harness the arts as an agent for social inquiry and transformation.
Located in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed, 421 presents a year-round program of exhibitions, talks, workshops, special events and educational initiatives that offer accessible learning opportunities to the wider community and the general public.
Special thank you to the team at Rouya Consultancy. For more information visit @421.online or www.421.online.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to various stakeholders across Art Dubai 2024 including Simone Gibertoni Swiss CEO Clinique La Prairie, Sara Naim London-based Syrian artist, Alia Zaal Looteh Emirati Artist and Curator of the Dubai Collection show "Encounters", Hala Khayat Special Advisor for Art & Culture Art Dubai, Emirati Artist Mohamed Kazem, and Dr Christianna Bonin Curator of Art Dubai Modern and Professor at AUS.
The episode also features excerpts from various talks at Art Dubai's 17th Edition of the Global Art Forum and the Art Business Conference Chaired by Aimee Dawson including a talk on the importance of Art Publications in telling the stories of Modern Arab artists with writer Mona Khazindar, MISK Institute, and Saudi Arabian Artist Lulwah AlHomoud. As well as the talk on Myrna Ayad's book ALCOVE, featuring a forward by Dr Nada Shabout and Sultan Al Qassemi of Barjeel Foundation on the panel.
Art Dubai, the leading international art fair for the Middle East and Global South
today opened its 2024 edition. The 17th edition, which runs from 1 – 3 March at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai welcomed over 120 contemporary, Modern and Digital gallery presentations – over 65% of which are drawn from the Global South.
Since its founding in 2007, Art Dubai has sought to rethink the institutional role that an art fair can play in supporting the region’s evolving cultural ecosystem. Set against the backdrop of Dubai’s rapid growth, the breadth of Art Dubai’s programming includes significantly expanded partnerships, a wide-ranging education, talks and thought-leadership programme that reflects an increasingly mature local and regional
creative scene.
Art Dubai's partners this year included Piaget, BMW, A.R.M Holding, HUNA Living, and Madinat Jumeirah. For more information visit @artdubai.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Adib Dada, the founder of theOtherDada, regenerative Beirut-Based consultancy and architecture practice. The episode dives into Tarabot: Weaving a Living Forum a pavilion designed by theOtherDadaand commissioned by Art Jameel, showcasing innovative materials developed locally and inaugurated at COP28 Duabi, UAE. Tarabot is commissioned by Art Jameel and supported by Abdul Latif Jameel Saudi Arabia. The pavilion tells the story of the UAE’s landscapes through material and design, Tarabot is a pioneering, sustainable and immersive structure hosting talks, presentations and community programmes during COP28 and through April 2024.
Jameel Arts Centre serves as a home during COP28 and beyond for multidisciplinary members of the local and the international community working across culture and climate change.
Adib Dada, architect and founder of theOtherDada, said: “Tarabot is our first project that meaningfully bridges our work of building habitats for humans with building habitats for other organisms. By re-integrating our place within nature, we are able to offer a shared forum for humans and other organisms to thrive in the city. Tarabot – which means ‘to weave together’, offers a shared space for humans and other organisms to come together as interdependent equals, sharing food, water and habitat.”
For more information visit @art_jameel and @theotherdada.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Antonia Carver, Director of Art Jameel. The episode dives into Tarabot: Weaving a Living Forum a pavilion designed by regenerative Beirut-Based consultancy and architecture practice theOtherDadafounded by Adib Dada, showcasing innovative materials developed locally and inaugurated at COP28 Duabi, UAE. Tarabot is commissioned by Art Jameel and supported by Abdul Latif Jameel Saudi Arabia. The pavilion tells the story of the UAE’s landscapes through material and design, Tarabot is a pioneering, sustainable and immersive structure hosting talks, presentations and community programmes during COP28 and through April 2024.
Jameel Arts Centre serves as a home during COP28 and beyond for multidisciplinary members of the local and the international community working across culture and climate change.
Antonia Carver commented, “Tarabot is a radical space that pioneers exciting new research and architectural materials and also actively engages the community in thinking-in-public about a shared sustainable future. It illustrates in such a dynamic way Art Jameel’s long-term approach to foregrounding the role of the arts in addressing the climate crisis – from international collaborations such as the World Weather Network, to major grants programmes that fund artists to produce thematic work and institutions to decarbonise, such as the current regional Anhar: Culture and Climate Platform, in collaboration with the British Council, and UAE-based Research and Practice Platform, with Dubai Culture, through to our role convening a regional network of arts leaders and ecologists, with whom we are collectively publishing a
bilingual sustainability charters and toolkits for the Middle East.”
For more information visit @art_jameel and @theotherdada.
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In this Solo episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks about the idea of building character outside of social media, the importance of figuring out who who are, the dangers of becoming a social clone and finally she gives three tangible takeaways as to how you can navigate social media and ultimately use it to your advantage.
Enjoy xx
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Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast Sustainability Spotlight mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. These interviews were recorded and released during COP28, UAE, 2023.
The series is focused on #actionism and is entitled "Actionists: Moving from Commitment to Action."Episode 2/4:
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to multihyphenate Alice Audouin the Founder & Chair of non profit organization @artofchange21. Alice is also a Curator, Advisor, Author and Sustainability Advocate.
On the occasion of the COP28 Climate Conference, taking place in Dubai, UAE, Art of Change 21 and Alserkal Initiatives are excited to collaborate and present the climate-related exhibition “Melting Point” by the French-Swiss artist Julian Charrière. On view at Alserkal Avenue, the show brings to light rarely seen perspectives of our planet’s polar regions.
"The ecological transition is also a cultural transition. Art plays a crucial role in accompanying the change towards a lower-carbon society by giving sense and meaning to this new future. That is why we believe in bringing art to the table at the climate COP, with artist Hassan Hajjaj at COP22 in Morocco in 2018 or John Gerrard at COP26 in 2021 in Glasgow. This year, we are thrilled to work with Julian Charrière, a close partner since 2021, who is very concerned by climate change, as well as Alserkal Initiatives, whose expertise and commitment to promoting socially-responsible and forward-thinking art make them a perfect collaborator in this important and unique exhibition." - Alice Audouin, Founder-President of Art of Change 21.
Since its creation in 2014 just ahead of the COP21 in Paris, Art of Change 21 has played a key role during COP Climate (Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) attending every year and merging art, culture and sustainability.
For more information visit @alice.audouin and @artofchange21.
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Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast Sustainability Spotlight mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. These interviews were recorded and released during COP28, UAE, 2023.
The series is focused on #actionism and is entitled "Actionists: Moving from Commitment to Action."Episode 3/4:
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Artist Rashid Rana, one of the most prominent artists in South Asia today. Rashid is notable for his pioneering works in new media art, pictorial strategies, and working in dramatically different modes; Rana has exhibited extensively at various galleries and museums globally. We speak about his current solo exhibition It Lies Beyond at Volte Art Projects at Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE and how his creative process has evolved over the years and across cultures.
Rana is a recipient of multiple awards including the Game Changer Asia Art Award and his works are in various public and private collections including the British Museum, London, Metropolitan Museum, New York, Fukuoka Museum of Art, Japan and Saatchi Collection, London. Rana’s recent design of the Pakistan Pavilion exterior at the World Expo 2020 Dubai received international acclaim.
For more information visit @rashidranastudioand @volteartprojects.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks about the power and importance of language, harnessing your voice, accepting others, embracing our differences and how to combat judgement and negativity, and ultimately stick to your guns and continue to grow and succeed!
Enjoy x
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lebanese couture and Bridal designer Jean Pierre Khoury. JPK has dressed some of the world's biggest stars such as Yasmine Sabri, Mary J Blige, Myriam Fares and more. He is also the designer who created the iconic and timeless masterpiece that is Nour Hassan's wedding dress.
JPK's interest in the fashion industry can be traced back to the year 2000, when he was just four years old. Growing up in a household with a fashion designer mother and a painter and pianist father fostered an environment that was rich in artistic expression. Spending time with his mother Isabella Boustany at her atelier honed his skills and provided him with an early advantage in the industry.
To check out the mystical world of JPK visit @jean.pierre.khoury or @jeanpierrekhoury.bridal.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian Model Mai Yackout. Mai is a young Hijabi model breaking barriers and carving out her own path in industry. With her unique look and killer fashion sense, Mai takes us through what it takes to make it on your own, and against all odds, in the most grueling industry of all: Modeling.
We speak about how she started, being veiled but also creating her own specific style even within the Hijabi community, the pros and cons of working with an agency and finally the world of social media and how it can be both a blessing and a curse for a young aspiring model.
To check out Mai's work visit @maiyackout_.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan takes you through the first RC gift guide for the Holidays, New Year and beyond.
Enjoy and happy holidays Radical ones!
Find all of the mentioned brands on Instagram tagged @radicalcontemporary.
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In this special holiday episode of The Radical Contemporary Podcast founder Nour Hassan speak to CEO of Gates Developments Hassan Nasr on their impactful initiative this season called The Giving Gates.
Gates Developers are hosting a transformative Christmas event at Espana Plaza Mall, centred around the spirit of giving back to the community. This initiative, spanning from December 15th to January 7th on weekends, aims to unite families in joyful activities while supporting notable foundations.
Espana Plaza Mall's three gates symbolise Hope, Love, and Humanity, each aligned with specific charitable causes. The "Hope" gate partners with Baheya Foundation, "Love" aligns with Magdi Yacoub's Foundation, and "Humanity" supports the Egyptian Food Bank for Palestine.
Furthermore, the interview covers Espana Plaza in Sheikh Zayed and the future of Gates Developments and of course what comes next.
PR by Clannish Communications.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the co-founders of NUNIZ Cairo Nadia Al Zarkani and Carole Nathan. Founded in 2009 by Nadia, NUNIZ Cairo emerged from a steadfast dedication to precision and quality. Over the span of 15 years, Nadia embarked on a journey of mastering the art of bag making and imparted her team with a global perspective on fashion.
In 2021, the fateful reunion of Carole, the bold visionary, and Nadia, the embodiment of beauty, reshaped Nuniz's narrative. In 2021, the fateful reunion of Carole, the bold visionary, and Nadia, the embodiment of beauty, reshaped Nuniz's narrative. NUNIZ Cairo has embarked on many milestones since, hiring a full in-house team, opening a store at the Grand Egyptian Museum, launching their first Men's collection "Bahawat" and more.
To check out the full NUNIZ Cairo collection visit www.nuniz-cairo.com.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian lifestyle and fashion influencer Noha El Sherbiny. Noha's passion for fashion started since she was a little girl, growing up she realized that she's more into styling that actually making clothes.
Noha is not only a fashion influencer but believes in "styling your life", including clothes, art, food, accessorizing and everything else. We speak about getting married at a young age and being a young mom, the responsibility of making a home while also trying to come back to herself and her passion. Noha started blogging on Instagram on November 18th 2013, capturing her outfits and inspiring women with her creative style, while spreading the positive message that just because you are married and a mom, that does not mean you can't have your own sense of identity and true personal style!
For lifestyle inspiration follow @satisfashionbysn on Instagram.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan interviews French artist Louis Barthélemy on his cross-cultural collaboration with Egyptian heritage handmade rugs staple Kahhal Looms and luxury hair care icon Oribe, bringing ancient Egypt to life with the "Eternal Rituals" limited-edition holiday box sets.
Kahhal Looms and Barthélemy, reunite to create an astounding tapestry that was unveiled December 2023 at an Oribe event in Los Angeles. The initial partnership between Kahhal Looms, who’s long-rooted legacy is renowned for excellence in artisanship in handmade rugs, and Barthélemy, a multidisciplinary artist with a deep commitment to preserving traditional crafts, birthed the phenomenal, “Weaving Eternity” collection presented at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Egypt. The second collaboration between the two, reinforces Barthelemy's fascination with blending the rich history of ancient Egypt and the exceptional craftsmanship of Kahhal Looms.
For more information and to shop the box sets visit @oribe or www.oribe.com.
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In this solo episode our founder Nour Hassan shares a principle she calls "Be First or Be Sheep" ™️. Topics covered include how to identify and harness your taste, how to avoid following the herd and the responsibility that comes with being an early adopter aka First Mover Advantage.
Enjoy!
This episode is brought to you by Prada. #BornInRoma
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Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast Sustainability Spotlight mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. These interviews were recorded and released during COP28, UAE, 2023.
The series is focused on #actionism and is entitled "Actionists: Moving from Commitment to Action."Episode 1/4:In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the co-founder of water sustainability platform and solutions provider WAYOUT.
Wayout is a new drinking water solution revolutionizing the way we produce and access perfect drinking water while reducing our environmental impact to an absolute minimum. Wayout drinking water is always 100% locally sourced, 100% plastic free and scientifically perfected with a naturally balanced pH and mineral composition.
For more information visit www.wayout.com.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Source Beauty founder Lydia Schoonderbeek. Lydia has over 15 years’ experience in the fashion industry. Lydia has dual heritage, Dutch and Egyptian and has lived and worked in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Leeds (UK), Munich and London. She recently completed her MBA in fashion from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts.
Alongside her MBA she was the Managing Editor at Cairo West Advertising, a publishing group in Cairo, Egypt for five years.
She worked at Harrods UK for a number of years as a member of the senior management team responsible for all departments, namely as an Executive Assistant to HR Director and Retail Director, and was involved in managing the operations of a luxury department store. Previously, she was a Senior Account Manager for an Italian luxury licensing company which designed eyewear for Vivienne Westwood, Missoni, Moschino and Dunhill. She studied at Leeds Metropolitan University (UK), Business Information Management and German, and whilst doing this she also gained work experience in fashion at Harvey Nichols.
In 2016, Lydia founded Source Beauty, which began as a blog that simplified the often-intimidating beauty world. A couple of years later, in 2018, Source Beauty transitioned and became the first Egyptian beauty e-commerce company, focusing on local and price-friendly products for all of your beauty needs. Our platform features over 90 brands, and over 3,500 products, making Source Beauty a go-to in the Egyptian beauty industry.
For more information and to shop 100+ brands visit www.sourcebeauty.com.
Instagram @sourcebeauty.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks about the infamous "3o2det el Khawaga" concept in Egyptian and Middle Eastern societies, how this "masal" came to be, and how we can get rid of this toxic mentality in order to help our youth believe that they are enough and thrive! This is a spicy 25 minute solo - Enjoy!
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In this solo episode our founder Nour Hassan talks about the "fun girl" phenomenon affecting girls in their 20's and how to be THE girl instead. Enjoy and DM us your feedback.
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Our founder Nour Hassan shares the story behind her Instagram bio "Leaves Early, and shares her top 6 leveling up tips to help you map out your day and set yourself up for success. Enjoy!
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Vilma Jurkute is the Executive Director of Alserkal Initiatives, overseeing Alserkal Avenue, Alserkal Arts Foundation, and Alserkal Advisory. Her professional and academic experience is centered on placemaking and the development of sustainable, community-centric creative economies with both global and regional impact.
Vilma has been instrumental in the evolution and growth of Alserkal and its initiatives. Since joining the organisation in 2012, she led the $20 million expansion of Alserkal Avenue into a 500,000 square foot cultural destination that is now home to over 70 prominent cultural organisations and entrepreneur-led businesses. Under her leadership, Alserkal has grown into a socially responsible and forward-thinking cultural enterprise. She oversees Alserkal’s three primary areas of activity: cultivating a creative economy in Dubai and building a collaborative network of civic-cultural institutions through its renowned cultural district, Alserkal Avenue; providing advisory services to public and private sector entities through Alserkal Advisory; and supporting public artist commissions, residencies, research grants, and educational programs through its non-profit, Alserkal Arts Foundation.
Vilma has been featured in numerous global publications including The Financial Times, CNN’s Great Big Story, Forbes, Arabian Business, The National, Yatzer, and Place Observer. A regular
commentator on cultural districts and sustainable urban development, Vilma has spoken at Art Basel Hong Kong, We Are Museums, New York Times: Art for Tomorrow, Talking Galleries, WRLD City Forum, and Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW), among others.
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The philosophy of Joint Space is to create a patient-centric environment within an ecosystem of evidence and science-based physical therapies and medicine, movement practices and movement coaching, educational workshops, seminars and talks. Joint Space recognizes that each individual has their own unique biological landscape, and alongside providing physical therapies, we encourage individuals to become students of their own bodies, understand how to prevent injury, create longevity in their structure, and develop the physical capacity to move well.
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In this episode our founder Nour Hassan takes you through her tips and tricks for setting boundaries in real life and on social media. The power of the BLOCK button and some funny anecdote in between. Enjoy!
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Our founder Nour Hassan spills the tea on MEN vs. WOMEN on social media and how being smart is more difficult that being aesthetic. She does not hold back - Enjoy!
Follow @radicalcontemporary on Instagram & Tiktok.
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Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. This series of 6 episodes spotlights the risk-taking entrepreneurs who have molded and shaped the culture and community at Alserkal Avenue, across the MENA region and beyond. We share the unique stories of 6 founders from multidisciplinary backgrounds who chose Alserkal as their home, and through challenging convention and pioneering in their respective fields, have shifted the status quo.
Episode 4: JAIPUR RUGS
NK Chaudhary founded the idea of Jaipur Rugs in 1978, working beside nine artisans on two looms. He started his business on the principles of dignity. Today, he is the entrepreneur behind the one of the largest manufacturers of hand-knotted rugs and is often referred to as the ‘Gandhi of the Carpet Industry’.
Raised in a traditional family in Churu, Rajasthan, NK Chaudhary took a loan from his father after college to buy a bicycle and some raw material to set up two looms for nine artisans in Churu. The first carpets were identical twins of 24 square meters and were exported under the name ‘Bharat Carpet Enterprise’.
NK Chaudhary’s greatest achievement was subverting century old practices that shunned women, artists and the poor. In the company’s early days, he removed middlemen to connect directly with tribal artisans. He treated them with dignity, empathy and respect who were considered untouchables.
Jaipur Rugs is an Indian company that combines the pursuit of profit with the spreading of kindness, with the aim of benefiting all the people sitting around its rugs; customers, artisans, local communities, employees, suppliers, buyers and partners.
Jaipur Rugs is a family business. The founder NK Chaudhary is the company’s president, while each of his children have their own responsibilities and areas of expertise. The eldest daughters Asha and Archana are CEO and COO of Jaipur Living in the US. In India, Kavita the middle-child is the Design Director with her own label 'Kavi', while his son Yogesh is the Director of Sales & Marketing. The youngest, Nitesh is the Director of Supply Chain & IT working with both the US and India team.
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Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. This series of 6 episodes spotlights the risk-taking entrepreneurs who have molded and shaped the culture and community at Alserkal Avenue, across the MENA region and beyond. We share the unique stories of 6 founders from multidisciplinary backgrounds who chose Alserkal as their home, and through challenging convention and pioneering in their respective fields, have shifted the status quo.Episode 3: CINEMA AKILButheina Kazim is the founder of Cinema Akil, the only independent arthouse cinema in the Gulf region programming repertory cinema programs at their flagship home in Alserkal Avenue in Dubai and through the nomadic cinema across the UAE. Kazim is a member of the Steering Committee of the Network of Arab Alternative Screens where Cinema Akil is a member. Kazim holds an MA in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University and lives and works in Dubai.
Find Butheina on Instagram @butheinahk.
Cinema Akil is an independent cinema platform that brings quality films from across the world to the audiences in the UAE. Showcasing directors and filmmakers across the decades, Cinema Akil aims to create awareness and interest in film and the cinematic arts. Launched in 2014 as a nomadic cinema, Cinema Akil has held over 60 pop-up nomadic cinemas attracting over 50,000 attendees in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. In September 2018, Cinema Akil opened its first permanent location in Al Quoz, Dubai making it the GCC’s first arthouse cinema. Cinema Akil’s flagship home is brought to you in partnership with Alserkal Avenue. Cinema Akil is a member of the Network of Arab Alternative Screens (NAAS) which includes members from the MENA region such as Metropolis in Beirut, Zawya in Cairo and Cinematheque du Tangier in Morocco. Follow us into the dark.
To learn more www.cinemaakil.com or @CinemaAkil.
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Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue *podcast mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. This series of 6 episodes spotlights the risk-taking entrepreneurs who have molded and shaped the culture and community at Alserkal Avenue, across the MENA region and beyond. We share the unique stories of 6 founders from multidisciplinary bacIkgrounds who chose Alserkal as their home, and through challenging convention and pioneering in their respective fields, have shifted the status quo.
Episode 2: NIGHTJAR*In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to NIGHTJAR Founder, investor & active co-owner Leon Surynt. Leon has a history of innovating the food & beverage industry in both New Zealand and United Arab Emirates. A creative director of signature branded concepts that are consistently highly regarded & often play to a cultural need.
Leon has collected many awards along the way, including concurrent years for Best Cafe (Dubai) & Restaurant of The Year (NZ), one of the top 20 bars of the world, with accolades at New Orleans prestigious 'Tales of The Cocktail'. Founder of Nightjar Holdings (2006), with its first venture being Nightjar Coffee Roasters, now a market leader in UAE's Craft Coffee & Beverage Sector. Currently growing Nightjar's distribution and store footprint regionally, alongside R&D for brewing zero ABV craft beverages.
To learn more visit @nightjar.coffee.
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Our founder Nour Hassan talks about the adoption of META's new app Threads, App swapping, removing Instagram comments and likes, figuring out your app strategies and how content creation is now officially a glam 9 to 5 but with more hours and less awareness.
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Our founder Nour Hassan takes you along with her for 25Hours at the 25Hours Piazza San Paolino .
Visit 25Hours Hotel for more cool cities.
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Our founder Nour Hassan takes you along with her for 25Hours at the 25Hours Dubai One Central.
Visit 25Hours Hotel for more cool cities.
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Nour Tarek El Zayat is an Egyptian Qatar-based architect and interior designer turned graphic designer and artist. Her work focuses on social and global issues while always adding a nostalgic twist.
She is the founder of Nstudio and through her ‘Talks with Nstudio’ podcast, she speaks with inspiring creatives about design, career success and struggles all while staying authentic in such a saturated field.
She is currently a senior graphic designer and creative director while also being a digital artist with TAM Gallery.
Doina Ciobanu known as simply Doina, is a Milan and London-based fashion influencer turned Creative Director and Sustainability Advocate. Described as having one of the strongest personal brands in the United Kingdom’s fashion industry, Doina has modeled and collaborated with a list of luxury fashion brands that includes Agent Provocateur, Burberry, and Versace.
Doina started her influencer journey and gained a global fan base through her fashion blog, The Golden Diamonds in which she combines her love of traveling with her distinct personal style. In past years, often seen front row during Fashion Week, Doina has been recognized by the likes of Vogue, GQ and Harper’s Bazaar. She was also tapped as the Fashion Icon under 30 in Harper’s Bazaar’s Fabulous at Every Age and further boasts a cover for ELLE Romania.
A millennial mogul, Doina’s entrepreneurship extends to her participating on several panels including Google’s start-up grind and at Web Summit, the world’s largest tech event which has led her to receive a mention on Forbes 30 under 30 list.
Doina, having graduated from university with a degree in political science and history, has worked with luxury fashion brands including Tom Ford, Fendi, Cartier and Versace. She also worked alongside MATCHESFASHION for the curation of their Zimmermann edit.
A pioneer for movement towards a more sustainable fashion industry, Doina has recently been announced as an Ambassador for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal, a feat which was covered by WWD.Most recently, Doina spoke at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh representing major fashion and sustainability giant WOLFORD, where she met our founder Nour Hassan and where this conversation was born
Follow @doina for more fashion, sustainability, and more.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Chiara Costa , Head of Programs at Fondazione Prada.
Chiara Costa, Head of Programs at Fondazione Prada since 2019, is the volcanic mind behind the projects organized in the Fondazione Prada ecosystem. Art historian and researcher, she has collaborated with la Biennale di Venezia, Manifesta, CCCS Strozzina in Florence, Swiss Institute in Rome, Ordet and ICA in Milan among others.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to scenographer and light artist Soheil Rad. Soheil Rad’s work was displayed @leilahellergallery at Alserkal Avenue during Dubai Art Week and Alserkal Art Week.
Soheil Rad is an Iranian scenographer and light artist passionate about combining his design background in Italy with Iranian arts creating light sculptures and objects.
Because of his fascination of ancient Iranian architecture from a very young age combined with his love for contemporary design, he decided to move to Italy in 2006 to follow his passion. Then after acquiring his Bachelors in product design in Florence and Masters in scenography in Milan in 2016 he started to produce his limited edition light sculptures. Mostly expressing the contrasts of the underground and conservative life in Iran with his scenic vision and came up with a concept that brings these two worlds together.
He is now based between Milan and Teheran working as an Artist and designer.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Bangladeshi immigrant artist Asif Hoque.
As a Bangladeshi immigrant raised between Rome and South Florida, Hoque draws on his own experience to figuratively and stylistically merge aspects of multicultural identity within his painting practice. Combining his early fascination with the classical fine arts with a palette of earthy browns and neutrals, Hoque infers the importance of more diverse representation of skin colour in the visual arts.
Asif Hoque is known for his exploration and celebration of Brown bodies through epic mythological scenes, in which angelic figures and ancient beasts erupt from raw linen canvas and swirling clouds to claim space and reverence.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the Regional Director of Art Dubai, Hala Khayat.
Hala Khayat is a scholar on Arab and Middle Eastern Modern and Contemporary art and has been integral in developing Christie’s Dubai since its inception in 2007, playing a key role in the expansion and globalisation of the Middle East’s art market both within the UAE and the greater region.
Khayat develops strategies for local and regional collectors’ engagement. As Art Dubai continues to foster regional relationships, and with Khayat’s extensive expertise in the Middle East and UAE, the fair aims to drive the growth and development of sustainable long-term engagement.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the Associate Director of VIP Relations at Art Dubai, Zain Mahjoub.
Zain Mahjoub leads Art Dubai’s VIP and regional engagement strategies, bringing diverse experience across the commercial and not-for-profit arts and culture sector in the Middle East, having worked as a practitioner, project manager, and researcher.
She is currently associate director of VIP Relations at Art Dubai, and was previously director of Ayyam Gallery, a commercial gallery in Dubai, and held several positions at Sharjah Art Foundation, where she worked on the Sharjah Biennial and looked after the Foundation’s collection.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian fashion designer Sara El Emary. They talk about not only fashion design and how Sara started her career but also about women empowerment, finding yourself after starting a family, being confident in your own skin and pursuing your dreams.
Sara El Emary's concept for starting a clothing line was born out of the demands that were placed on her and her own quest to discover a look that suited her personality and fashion needs. The designer felt the urge to reintroduce the notion of modesty and communicate that a woman’s clothing can be fashionable and functional at the same time.
She is fervent about feminism and encouraging other women to be persistent as well as to find and express their passions in life.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to our fitness guru Rowana Badry. They speak about Rowana's fitness journey, starting from being on the National swimming team to her moving to the United States. Rowana shares with us a big part of her life as a fitness coach but also as a wife and mother and how she balances it all.
Rowana Badry is a certified fitness trainer and nutrition specialist who's career started at BeFit 360 and spans across all disciplines. She's currently the health and wellness director at LA7 Gym. She's also a brand ambassador for Optimum Nutrition Egypt.
Our founder Nour Hassan takes you through her 3-year journey to joining the 5AM Club, and how the book by Robin Sharma, who Nour has met and interviewed, changed her life. This is a quickie for the road. Enjoy.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to SNAP14 Productions co-founder Nadia El-Dasher. They speak about how Snap14 came to light, how Nadia's interest in Fashion Production started and the behind the scenes of some of the amazing shoots they did such as Vogue Arabia, GQ Middleeast, Harper's Bazaar Arabia and many more.
SNAP14 is a creative production agency producing stills, motion and digital content in the fashion, jewelry, luxury and beauty industries. Based in Cairo, yet working with clients around the Middle East and the globe, they quickly became the go-to for a huge array of creative services. The power couple, Nadia El-Dasher and Adam Mostafa, founded the production house with, what we can safely say, a twist of fate.
From working with Adriana Lima and Samir Ghanem for Vogue Arabia, to producing a vintage shoot for The Holiday magazine, they proved they can do it all. They skyrocketed in their field, and crossed all barriers, working for international magazines in Germany, Ukraine, and more.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Relaxscent founder Nour Zanaty. They speak about their candle collaboration "A Light That Never Goes Out", which sparked a friendship over a mutual love of words and candles. The challenges of starting a business at a young age, and turning a creative hobby into your dream job.
Nour Zanaty is now a contestant on SHARK TANK Egypt. Having been selected out of many contestants, she was made an offer she could not refuse.
Stay tuned for bigger and better things coming to you from our favorite scent provider Relaxscent.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Hana Rashad the founder of jewelry brand HRH or Her Royal Highness. This episode marks the drop of Radical Contemporary and HRH's collaboration "RADICAL ROYALTY" which the two hint, as well as one of many topics covered in this conversation.
HRH was built because we believe that every woman has her own definition of femininity. You can wear our jewelry in many different ways and still look gorgeous doing so. At HRH, we believe that women can exude the utmost femininity and still be a force to be reckoned with. You don’t have to choose between power and elegance, we pride ourselves on creating pieces that are a hybrid of both. The modern woman is strong, fierce, and also delicate, and all our pieces are a testament to that.
We also heavily focus on customization because we believe that jewelry is an extremely personal symbol.
You can now shop the "RADICAL ROYALTY" by clicking on this link to check out the collection made with so much love and passion for our Radical Royals.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Delta Venus.
In this episode we spoke to Delta Venus about oneness, spirituality and the practice of mindfulness. We cover topics such horoscopes, divine femininity, creativity, readings and the connection to our Egyptian ancestors.
Paige Hasaballah otherwise known as Delta Venus is a visionary artist & conduit of ancient wisdom teachings exploring themes of non-duality & syncretism.
Paige works deeply with her Egyptian lineage incorporating ancient spiritual practice into her creative expression and practice.
Her intention is to create opportunities for her audience to connect to themselves and the resonance of loving awareness.
You can checkout her work on instagram @deltavenus.
In this week's episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Naeem Khan.
In this episode we spoke with Naeem Khan about his inspiration, the importance of being unique and what are his future plans for the brand.
For the first time in Egypt, legendary Indian-American fashion designer Naeem Khan had his sensational SS’23 fashion show at LMD’s Cairo Design District . His designs are inspired by ‘Jardin-De-Nuit’ or ‘Garden-at- Night’; blooming flowers, luscious gardens, life, and happiness.
In this week's episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Hend & Mohamed El Kahhal.
In this episode we talked to Hend and Mohamed El Kahhal about their latest collection "Weaving Eternity", landing a store at the Grand Egyptian Museum - one of the biggest museums in the world - and finally the dialogue between heritage and contemporary carpets.
El Kahhal family has the oldest heritage in handmade rugs production and trading. Proudly still operating from the same factory and our oldest existing retail store in Khan El Khalili since 1936. Following the legacy of Wekalel El Kahhal est 1871 in the same historic area by our first generation in Egypt.
For more information visit www.kahhallooms.com.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to People and Places founders Mohamed El Assal, Karim El Assal and Nabil Amasha, .
The episode covers many topics including the vision behind People & Places as well as the founding story, why this name in particular was chosen for a real estate company, how the launch of their star project The Med was an integral part and why they chose to begin t the Mediterranean North Coast of Egypt.
We also touched on the brand's partnership with Campbell Gray Hotels and Resorts for: The Gray Beach Hotel and Residences and what to look forward to from People & Places in the Summer of 2023.
In this week's episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Seif Fawzy.
Seifeldin Fawzy is the co-founder & COO of The TriFactory. A former corporate lawyer, Seif has been developing The TriFactory's sports events portfolio since 2015, including Egypt's flagship running race, the Pyramids Half Marathon, which is proudly supported by global sports giant Puma.
For more information and to join the Race Through History on December 10th 2022 visit https://www.pyramidshalfmarathon.com/.
In this week's episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Essa Ramadan.
They spoke about the event, “Waking Up,” which was Dar Al Funoon’s introduction and official launch into the Egyptian art market which took place at Marmonil factory, in collaboration with El Beit Magazine. Waking Up seeks to break through the confinements of the medium of paint, by providing motion through the motion of our own lived world.
Working closely with Flare PR, Dar Al Funoon has managed to create a very significant buzz in the Egyptian art scene. The event itself featured an Egyptian artist, KAIRO, a Syrian artist Fadi Yazigi, a Kuwaiti artist Amira Behbehani, as well as Egyptian award-winning visual artist Walid Tahir Sadek. We spoke about the state of the art scene regionally, as well as why Dar Al Funoon chose this moment in time to enter the Egyptian market with a physical space. We also spoke about Essa’s first time visiting Cairo and how this created an absolute shift in his perspective of where the art scene is going, as well as fueling his passion to make sure that Middle Eastern artists are given the correct platform to thrive.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lana Sawiris.
This is Lana's second time on our podcast. Since our last conversation a year and a half ago, a lot has changed! Most notably, Lana launched her new company &LANA, a creative incubator committed to the development of emerging and established brands. Based in New York & Paris, &LANA works with clients globally to nurture growth and deliver impactful creativite. Services include art direction, marketing activations & strategy, brand partnerships, and PR & events. The company also provides opportunities for long-term investment through equity partnerships and strategic network development.
We speak about &LANA, what it takes to achieve a work-life balance that allows you to thrive, and what points you have to keep in mind when starting a new business and becoming your own boss.
For more information visit andlana.co.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Sophia Khalifeh.
Sophia is a third culture creative and photographer based in Dubai who’s passions drive her ambition for creation and collaboration. She graduated from Parsons The New School for Design in NYC during a global pandemic , where she majored in Culture and Media Studies, and Minored in Fashion Communication.
Her breadth of knowledge spans across the beauty, apparel, editorial and entertainment industries, including V Magazine, Vogue, Vogue Italia, Milk Makeup, and renowned fashion stylist Patti Wilson. Her personal work has been featured in VMAN, GQ, Jdeed Magazine, and 3asal Mag. Sophia has also shot for brands like Fendi, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Adidas, Les Benjamins, Okhtein, and Tania George.
Sophia has also assisted on several editorial fashion shoots for Vogue Japan, Vogue Australia, Vogue Italia, V, PAPER, GARAGE, and L’oreal with the likes of Gigi Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Anok Yai, Halima Aden, Billie Eilish and photographers like Steven Klein and Luigi and Iango. She currently is existing in Dubai, taking pictures of magical people and magical brands.
In this week's episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to actor, writer, producer and comedian, Shadi Alfons.
He spearheaded SNL Arabia for the very first time in the Middle East. He was the main cast member and news anchor for Weekend Update. He made his American TV debut in season one of Hulu's award-winning show RAMY as the titular character's over the top cousin, Shadi. They speak about how he gets the inspiration from for his material, how to work in an ensemble cast, how to get an audition, his time at SNL, the experience on working on the extrordinary and iconic show, Al Bernameg with Bassem Youssef, as well as the experience of filming New York City for RAMY and finally stage fright, how it's actually the key to success.
In this week's episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian competitive swimmer, Farida Osman.
She specializes in the butterfly and freestyle stroke and she's known as "el farasha" which means butterfly in Arabic. She's an All African gold medalist and Egyptian National champion and record holder. They speak about all things swimming, the importance of mental health in sports and much more.
This episode is powered by NEF & AKH.
In this episode, our founder, Nour Hassan speaks to musician and singer Nadine El Roubi.
Nadine El Roubi is a Sudanese artist currently based out of Cairo, Egypt. Through music that blurs the lines between hip-hop, RnB, and neo-soul, Nadine El Roubi hopes to expand the understanding of what it means, and looks like, to be an Arab Muslim woman. Influenced by the likes of Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and modern popular artists like SZA, Jhené Aiko, and Doja Cat, Nadine enjoys channeling both timeless and contemporary sounds. Having performed in Sudan, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, Nadine's artistry has reached audiences from various walks of life. After the release of her EP 'Triplicity' in October 2022, Nadine El Roubi will be relocating to the States to pursue music full-time.
We speak about her moving from country to country across the region and finding her sound, meeting people, and launching her career over social media, her upcoming EP, as well as her singles including 'The Woods' that are coming out as we speak.
This episode is powered by NEF & AKH.
In this episode, our founder, Nour Hassan speaks to contemporary artist extraordinaire, Hana Afifi.
Hana Afifi is a multi-disciplinary artist and sculptor, hailing from Alexandra, and currently residing in Cairo where she staged her second solo exhibition “The Keys to Growing Up” at her personal workspace and home. The exhibition took place in the very same space that played an integral part in the artist’s personal and artistic evolution, which allowed guests to experience a more holistic appreciation and understanding of the art on display. Her paintings are an invitation into the brilliant and complex mind of the artist; ever-evolving, contemplating, and disrupting, brimming with emotional power and raw energy with the self-taught artist Hana herself being the common denominator.
They speak about the three-year journey of creating her solo exhibition, the keys to growing up, how transformation leads to brilliance, finding joy in the darkest places, capturing the essence of forgotten childhood naiveties, and the significance of the teddy bear in her work.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Mohamed Kahhal, the fifth generation inheritor of Kahhal 1871.
Kahhal is one of the creatives that has taken the contemporary scene by storm, completely revolutionizing his family's heritage brand that has been around for over 150 years. Introducing new concepts, new ideas, as well as new aesthetics to a heritage brand that is a staple in every Egyptian home.
In this episode, we speak about the process of inheriting such a heritage and legacy brand and turning it into one of the most convented carpets and looms brands today once again.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian author and creative, Alya Mooro.
This is Alya's second time on the podcast. Since our last conversation, she launched the newsletter The Greater Conversations born from the response to her debut bestselling book The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes. The newsletter aims to facilitate continued dialogue and be a place where subscribers can continue to see themselves, and the many nuances of their lives, explored and represented.
In this episode, we speak about her new venture in creating a book club, as well as taking the newsletter to the next level, introducing matcha dates, and, the dichotomy of living in London and Cairo, falling back in love with Cairo, and what this means now, her second album syndrome, and what comes next.
For more information go to www.alyamooro.com
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Shahira Hemeda, co-founder of NŪR Meditation app.
NŪR is a mindfulness and meditation app tailored for the Arab world. It offers culturally relevant meditations in several Arabic dialects to allow a deeper personal experience. Its mission is to offer easily accessible tools for daily mental health support
After leaving her job at CNN International, Shahira tackles the tricky and challenging task of creating meditation in all the diverse, beautiful, and varied dialects of the Arabic language. We speak about how meditation can be life-changing, as well as an even more enriching experience of meditating in your own language and dialect, takes us through the experience of how she's a non-tech founder of a tech application.
For more information check out Nur Meditation’s page or at https://www.nurmeditation.com/
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Noha Mohsen, founder of lighting design company, Enlighten.
Noha Mohsen is the cutting-edge founder of Enlighten, a lighting design company that was established in 2008. Enlighten recently opened a stunning new showroom in Zamalek, that brilliantly fuses art and design. Over the past ten years, Mohsen has successfully established Enlighten’s status as the preeminent lighting design brand for Egypt’s high-end projects, collaborating with the best designers and architects in Egypt and abroad. After graduating from the American University in Cairo with a degree in mass communication, Noha Mohsen went on to earn an interior design diploma in London, and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Enlightenhosted Egypt’s biggest multisensory experience exploring spirituality in all of its forms. Spirituality: Perspectives & Perceptions is a multisensory experience focused on showcasing varying forms of lighting design through the lens of creatives working in varying mediums and disciplines.
The pieces answer the question: What does spirituality mean to you? In collaboration with 10 Egyptian multidisciplinary creatives, The show includes installations by renowned Fashion Designers Mounaz and Aya Abdel Raouf of OKHTEIN, pioneering jewelry designer Dima Rashid of Dima Jewelry, Architect and Innovator Hala Saleh founder of TDF+, Furniture Design duo Hassan Abu Seda and Jihan Touni representing HAF, Gourmet Chef Karim Abdelrahman known by his experiential culinary kitchen Avec Karim, Visual Artist Karim El Hayawan, Mohamed Talaia Creative Director at The Design Avenue, Multidisciplinary Creative Director Kegham Djeghalian, Composer Ahmed Fahmy and internationally acclaimed Zamalek Art Gallery curating “3, 2, 1...” a show on illumination.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to artist, Dina Fahmy El Rouby.
She made it a life mission not to settle, and her adult life saw her traveling to several countries to broaden her experiences. In 2011, she fully embraced her artistic career. In 2020, and after nine editions of the” Colours of Egypt Exhibition,” Dina Fahmy and her three artist colleagues Farida Darweesh, Rasha Ghaleb, and Farida El Kouni, decided to open their own art gallery, CLEG Art Gallery.
Dina Fahmy's paintings stretch across continents: at the Egyptian Embassy in Germany, the Egyptian Cultural Center in Paris, the Egyptian Cultural Office in Vienna, the Hassan El Sharq Museum, in Menya, and customers in the UAE, USA, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Switzerland, Spain, UK, Italy and Canada. Her art appeared at the Dubai EXPO 2020 as part of CLEG Gallery's exhibit at the Egypt Pavilion. She is also set to show at the NEMC - National Egyptian Museum of Civilization and the Egyptian Embassy in Denmark later this year.
In 2022 Dina Fahmy launched an NFT project “Myth of the 99” as one of the first artists in Egypt and the region to traverse into the realm of Web 3.0. Myth of the 99 will appear as a physical solo exhibition this May 21st 2022 at CLEG Gallery in Cairo. The exhibition will include informative talks on the topic of NFTs, as the regional art community dives into the world of Web 3.0. Dina intends on giving a talk, to help educate and spread knowledge on this emerging medium and market.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Noha Mohsen, founder of lighting design company, Enlighten.
Enlighten was established in 2008 as a shop selling chandeliers and lampshades, and recently opened a stunning new showroom and workspace in Zamalek that brilliantly fuses art and design. Over the past ten years, Mohsen has successfully established Enlighten’s status as the preeminent lighting design brand for Egypt’s high-end projects, collaborating with the best designers and architects in Egypt and abroad.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Enlightenhosted Egypt’s biggest multisensory experience exploring spirituality in all of its forms. Spirituality: Perspectives & Perceptions is a multisensory experience focused on showcasing varying forms of lighting design through the lens of creatives working in varying mediums and disciplines.
The pieces answer the question: What does spirituality mean to you? In collaboration with 10 Egyptian multidisciplinary creatives, The show includes installations by renowned Fashion Designers Mounaz and Aya Abdel Raouf of OKHTEIN, pioneering jewelry designer Dima Rashid of Dima Jewelry, Architect and Innovator Hala Saleh founder of TDF+, Furniture Design duo Hassan Abu Seda and Jihan Touni representing HAF, Gourmet Chef Karim Abdelrahman known by his experiential culinary kitchen Avec Karim, Visual Artist Karim El Hayawan, Mohamed Talaia Creative Director at The Design Avenue, Multidisciplinary Creative Director Kegham Djeghalian, Composer Ahmed Fahmy and internationally acclaimed Zamalek Art Gallery curating “3, 2, 1...” a show on illumination.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to co-founders of Don Tanani, Alia, and Tamara El Tanani.
Don Tanani pushes the envelope for Egyptian design creating pieces designed by Egyptians that are handpicked and selected to create collections under the Don Tanani brand. Each of the pieces emulates art, can be collected as art, and is numbered as art. Don Tanani's inaugural collection "Duality" is designed by product designer Lina El Orabi, exploring Ancient Egyptian design and culture through a contemporary art lens, redefining and disrupting the perception of contemporary Egyptian design.
Alia is the co-founder of Living in Interiors, a family-owned award-winning interior design business known for its avant-garde approach in the creation and curation of luxury spaces. Tamara is the Creative Director of Living In and Don Tanani.
For more information about the collection, go to www.dontanani.com
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Feras Abushaar, co-founder of the online luxury e-commerce platform Thahab.
Co-founded with his sister, Sarah Abushaar, Thahab is one of the first e-commerce marketplace coming from the MENA region to go global and is part of the next wave of e-commerce players like GOAT, and Stadium Goods. During his time in San Francisco, Abushaar was influenced and inspired by the tech-driven innovations that were disrupting industries led by the Bay area’s start-ups. He returned to the MENA region with the hopes of leading the digital transformation of the economy. With the lack of tech-driven infrastructure for global commerce, he and his sister built a much-needed bridge between retailers' and consumers' growing demands. Hosting 40,000 live products and retail stores spanning MENA, Asia, North America, and Europe, THAHAB has established itself as the go-to digital destination for the most sought after drops of global brands sold out everywhere, shipping highly coveted luxury and sustainable pieces for women, men, children, home and beauty to over 190 countries. From a $150 pair of the latest New Balance sneakers to $50,000 limited edition bags and watches, THAHAB delivers on their commitment to bring their customers the most in-demand goods at some of the best prices globally and with record delivery times out of the region, for the first time.
While many brick-and-mortar stores suffered during Covid-19, Thahab provided businesses with the digital backbone, allowing them to power online and empower them to digitally transform, compete and grow. It has established itself as the go-to destination for sought-after brands making it easier for consumers to enjoy. Driven by a vision to build the new economy online, THAHAB is poised to continue its rapid expansion at the forefront and is determined to redefine what the digital economy will look like in the post-pandemic world.
If you like to see more, visit Thahab's website
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to celebrity and editorial stylist extraordinaire, Yasmine Kenawi.
She has assisted top New York stylists including, Erin Walsh, Rachael Wang, and Sandy Armeni. Her celebrity styling work includes the likes of Anne Hathaway, Mark Ruffalo, Adriana Lima, and Kate Upton. Her branded projects include working with Victoria’s Secret, Neiman Marcus, and NARS. She has dressed Arab celebrities including Felukah, Asmaa Galal, Salma Abu Deif, Lara Scandar, Yosra El Lozy, Samira Said, and most recently, Cynthia Khalifeh. Her work has been featured in Vogue Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Elle Arabia, Teen Vogue, and Elle USA.
We speak about her journey studying and working in New York City, living across the world between MENA and the United States, her transition into styling after studying fashion buying at FIT, and how her return to Cairo feels like a homecoming and place of opportunity.
Minotti is an Italian company with a solid reputation at an international level as an excellent expression of “Made in Italy” in the field of contemporary furniture design and ambassador of a classic-modern lifestyle in the residential and hospitality segments.
The company was established in 1948 and born out of the intuition of Alberto Minotti. The small scale artisan workshop grew quickly and, starting from the Sixties, became more industrialized in character and size. The next step was taken by Renato and Roberto Minotti, who, after the premature death of their father in 1991, took over the reins of the company and began a process of growth and expansion into the international markets.
Responsible for the corporate strategy, since 1998 they have shared their creative vision and aesthetic keyprinciples with the architect Rodolfo Dordoni, who has been assigned the strategic role of Art Director and coordinator of all the company collections. A story of Italian excellence also been shared by the third generation: in the forefront, Alessio, Alessandro, Susanna and Leonardo who are facing the challenges of the third millennium, of the digital and multicultural world.
In 2022, Minotti gets a prestigious recognition that includes the company into the Special Register of Historic Trademarks of National Interest, established by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE), to enhance the Made in Italy excellences which have been registered for at least fifty years and historically rooted into the territory.
Minotti’s international vision has resulted in a widespread presence in 64 countries, through a network of 44 flagship stores and over 300 qualified dealers around the world, where people can fully experience the international refined lifestyle of the company.
www.minotti.com
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Hala Khayat Regional Director of Art Dubai. As Art Dubai aims to continue fostering regional relationships, Khayat’s extensive expertise in the Middle East and UAE will drive the growth and development of sustainable long-term engagement. Khayat is a scholar on Arab and Middle Eastern Modern and Contemporary art and has been integral in developing Christie’s Dubai since its inception in 2007, playing a key role in the expansion and globalization of the Middle East’s art market both within the UAE and the greater region.
During her time at Christie’s, Khayat was known as a specialist on Arab, Iranian and Turkish art, and she worked closely with collectors on an international scale to oversee the production of catalogues. She also established research criteria for the Middle East’s top modern artists, establishing key relationships with artist estates. Khayat is also an advocate for Syria’s art community, having founded an NGO titled SAFIR in 2014 that aims to support and bolster the work of young Syrian artists. She also played an integral role in documenting the collections of key Syrian collectors, including the Jalanbo Art Collection and the Khair Collection of Fateh Moudarres. Furthermore, Khayat has lectured on Arab art history and the market throughout the region since 2010 and developed curriculum on Modern and Contemporary Arab art that were later adopted into short courses under Christie’s education in Dubai and Doha.
In this episode Nour Hassan speak to Norshek Fawzy - a graphic designer turned entrepreneur, she is the founder and CEO of her eponymous brand NORSHEK. Creating eco friendly, sustainable and environmentally conscious products for the Hair, Body and Spirit. We speak about her move to El Gouna, a Coastal Town in Egypt, what are the tools to build a sustainable lifestyle, what her name "Norshek" means and the inception story for the brand, how to cater to your spirit and not only your body, and cultivating relationships through life and work that make it all worth it!
This season is powered by INERTIA and is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Ziad Abbas and Salah El Abd are the dynamic duo behind some of Egypt and the region's biggest tech startups and innovations. Both Ziad and Salah have worked on the Ai-Da project, contributing to creating what is now widely known as the world's first robot artist. Ziad was in charge of developing the creative algorithms that allowed Ai-Da, the robot, to be able to draw people from sight. Ziad joined IBM UK for a year, where he was a DevOps software engineer in charge of developing and maintaining Event Streams on Cloud, one of IBM’s managed cloud offerings. Ziad's robotics foundation was nurtured through completing both a Bachelor and Masters in Robotics at Leeds University. Ziad conducted intensive research in bio-mechatronics at Leeds.
Salah studied Mechatronics and Robotics also at the University of Leeds - where the two met. Salah joined the team that developed Ai-Da also working on the robot's creative capability to sketch anything that it can see. After finishing his bachelor's degree, Salah took a different turn and went into construction briefly. Finally, Ziad and Salah founded Collard together, a start up focused on revolutionizing the art of networking through digital business cards. The startup then went on to develop different platforms such as penetrating the online ticketing market and becoming the lead online ticketing platform in Egypt. We speak about the relationship between technology and magic, how working on a robotics project pushes your creativity to its limits, and what it means to be two young men in their early twenties at the forefront of the tech industry in the MENA.
For more information check out www.collardeg.com.
This season is powered by INERTIA and is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Deanna Marsigliese, Canadian born Animation Art Director and Illustrator living in San Francisco, CA.
Specializing in storytelling through character design, Deanna has worked at Pixar Animation Studios since 2012. Her credits include Soul (2020), Onward (2020), Toy Story 4 (2019), Incredibles 2 (2018), Bao (2018), Inside Out (2015) & The Good Dinosaur (2013), and Luca 2021.
Past clients include Laika, Sony Pictures, Universal Feature, Walt Disney Feature, Reel FX, Disney TV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network & PBS Kids, among others.
Deanna delivers panel talks & leads workshops world-wide, having been hosted by SXSW, D23, ILM, Leaders London, CTNX & The Walt Disney Family Museum. I met Deanna at Abdeen Palace in Cairo for an event by Lebanese Fashion Designer Elie Saab, hosted by EMAAR. She was in Cairo giving the closing talk at Rise Up Summit hosted at the Great Pyramids of Giza Plateau.
We speak about harnessing the creative spark, the importance of walks, taking in life, sketching daily, how to turn your passion into your job and why Deanna is a lover and advocate for all things vintage clothing.
Check out Deanna's work at www.dmarsigliese.com.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to executive and entrepreneur Maha Gaber, who has more than 28 years of global communications experience advising global corporate giants, high growth tech startups, top governments and high net worth individuals. She helps people and brands tell their stories to build and protect their reputations.
She is the Managing Director & Founder of Digital & Savvy, a strategic communications consulting firm that has offices in the USA and Dubai. She manages the personal brand PR for Gary Vaynerchuk and consults for other high profile individuals and companies. She is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Now Gaming (an esports consulting firm). I had the pleasure of meeting Maha at the Rise Up Summit at the Great Pyramids of Giza Plateau in November 2021. I have been following Maha for years and she is one of the key individuals who encouraged me to harness my personal brand and start The Radical Contemporary Podcast in 2020. We speak about integrity, reputation, building a name for yourself and your brand, workin on being a lifelong learner, asking for help, finding mentors and the state of PR in the Middle East and North Africa region.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lara Maysa - British Egyptian Nude and Women's Empowerment photographer, Portrait Photographer, Documentary Filmmaker, Storyteller, Consciousness Explorer, and Believer in all things Magic and founder of Haus of Light.
Lara was born in Egypt, raised in Thailand and adopted by Bali. Her mission through photography is to activate women into stepping back into their raw, authentic power and beauty in a filtered and photoshopped world. Having gone deep in her own spiritual journey, she uses creativity and art as a bridge to profound transformation and healing. She is based between London and Bali to balance the stimulation of the city with a strong dose of nature. When visiting her hometown, Cairo, you can find her meditating in the Pyramids and stumbling upon desert Stargates.
This episode taught me so much about the creative process, self discovery, transformation, and how to harness your own life narrative and make it into something meaningful. We speak about going from the rat race in London to spiritual exploration in Bali, what the camera lens can truly reveal and unveil about a person, how to get your life back on track and how to lose yourself and then find yourself again through magic.
Lara is organizing a one of a kind retreat experience at the end of 2022 in Egypt so follow her page Haus of Light and keep an eye out if you're in the mood to completely shift perspective on what it means to be alive.
In this episode Nour Hassan speak to Lino Meoli, the son of iconic stylist, photographer and cultural producer Maripol. Born and raised in New York City, Lino is an artist, film maker, disk jockey and actor who has traveled to over 70 countries.
He is primarily a coveted international DJ, Lino has been invited to grace with his talent private events, galas, and parties for some of the most iconic individuals, such as Prince , Kenny Scharf, Grace Jones, Maison Valentino x Vogue (Venice Bienale, Italy), Snoop Dogg, Gipsy Kings , Afrika Burn, and more.
As a Creative Producer, Lino was commissioned as director of photography for brands such as Dior, Moussy, Disney, Beats by apple, Joy Rich, Patricia Field…
Above and beyond his Artistic service, his angelic work extends into worlds of philanthropic support, as Lino has assisted to help raise over 600k euros for the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Saudi Arabian creative, model and make-up guru Nouf Abdullah.
Nouf considers herself a beauty trainer by profession and hobby, but an organic being and a caretaker in reality. A lover of heritage, language and cats we delve into all things spirituality and more.
Nouf has worked with multiple magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia and GQ; her take on beauty is trying to blur the forms between fashion and beauty, always going for natural looks and desert hues reflecting her Bedouin culture and Arabism.
A firm believer in spiritual well being, Nouf is a full moon lover and a practitioner when it come to cleansing, beauty detoxing, a skincare expert, and believer in inner-beauty.
"What I think an artist has to do is to keep learning, I’m always in search of knowledge and I’ve never been one to shy away from dense research. I like to link earth to my work because I feel so attached to nature." - Nouf Abdullah.
To check out Nouf's work visit @nouf.and.more.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Margarita Andrade who was born in Ecuador, where she grew up. Margarita came to Egypt to visit a friend and ended up living here, after falling in love with the country.
While growing up in Ecuador, as a young child, Margarita felt how much injustice, racism and inequality was prevalent in the country. Coming from a charitable family, she learnt from a young age how to care for others– a lesson she holds as one of the greatest gifts a parent can offer to their children.
From early on, Margarita wanted to work independently. She was not willing to be tied to a system.This is what led her to come up with a concept of how to develop a product that will actually change people’s lives - from there came Threads of Hope, a space that has offered refugee women employment, shelter, safety and so much more.
Threads of Hope is a social impact business that recruits, trains and subsequently provides talented underprivileged, marginalized women and girls such as refugees and local Egyptian women with work so they can attain a sustainable income. Threads of Hope is specialized in high end embroidery and aims to serve clients in the international textile and fashion industry.
One of her lead educators at Threads of Hope as they told the story of hope the space came to life!
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Karen Wazen - International Style Icon, Entrepreneur, Wife, and Mother of three.
Originally from Lebanon and now based in Dubai, Karen is redefining the concept of the modern working mother.
By sharing her life with an intimacy that reflects her style and personality - Karen has amassed over 6 million followers on Instagram, appeared on International magazine covers, worked with the world's biggest brands such as Christian Dior, Prada, Jimmy Choo and more and now runs her own eyewear company ByKarenWazen which most recently launched in Cairo, Egypt to huge acclaim.
To follow her work follow @karenwazen.
In this episode Nour Hassan speak to Gallery Director Aidan Meller a specialist in modern and contemporary art. With over 20 years’ experience in the art business, he works closely with private collectors and is often consulted by those who wish to begin, or further develop their collections. He regularly has original works by the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, to older works such as John Constable and Turner. Aidan has been an Art Dealer for over 20 years with an Art and History of Art Degree, then training at Sotheby’s Institute. He set up the longest established gallery in Oxford. He has appeared on BBC News, Sky TV, CNN and more. In 2019 Aidan developed the concept of the world’s first ultra realistic robot artist called Ai-Da. Bringing a team of experts together, called the Oxfordians, Aidan was able to devise a cutting edge artistically creative robot. Named after Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer of all time, Ai-Da’s first exhibition at the University of Oxford created a media storm, appearing in over 1000 publications worldwide.
Ai-Da's latest exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum showcased the artist robot dressed in AURO BOROS in a biomimicry sustainable dress, that expanded and came to life, as the exhibition did. An intersection between art, tech and fashion in the Metaverse.
To follow Ai-Da and her work visit @aidarobot.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Manjit Thapp, UK based artist and illustrator. Her latest show “My Head Is A Jungle” is open to viewers at NOW Gallery in London until October 31st.
NOW Gallery, one of London’s most exciting public exhibition spaces housed on Greenwich Peninsula, announcing My Head Is A Jungle by Birmingham born illustrator Manjit Thapp as its Young Artist Commission 2021.
Available to the public to view for free from 23rd July – 31st October, this annual commission celebrates the best rising talent in the fields of visual arts and illustration, with previous commissions including award-winning Pakistani visual artist and internet sensation Sara Shakeel and popular London illustrator, Hattie Stewart.
My Head Is A Jungle will see Thapp transform the gallery space into a three-dimensional maze-like structure adorned with large-scale murals and sculptures for visitors to explore, with a large fluorescent red sun hanging above. This symbol is an integral theme of the young illustrators’ renderings, as well as snakes, tigers, tropical flora and a young Asian protagonist, which feature regularly to represent empowerment, particularly for women, within today’s modern, cultural landscape.
Manjit Thapp is an illustrator who graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2016 where she studied Illustration. Her work combines digital and traditional media and she enjoys layering textures and patterns to create her illustrations. Much of her art revolves around female characters that often have an air of mystery and silence. She balances working on both commission and personal work. She illustrated her first book ‘The Little Book of Feminist Saints’ with Penguin Random House in March 2018 and her debut graphic novel, ‘Feelings’ is to be published in Spring 2021. Clients include Penguin Random House, Google, Apple, Tate, TIME and Stylist. Her work has been featured in British Vogue, Vogue India, Wonderland, Dazed and Instagram.
Check out her work at @manjitthapp.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Writer, Media Guru and Bonafide storyteller Amy Mowafi co-founder of one of Egypt’s most expansive media agencies MO4 Network. We speak about women in media in the MENA region, building an empire while juggling motherhood and the madness of Cairo, and her ability to expand at an exponential rate with a team of social media mavens!
Checkout Amy's work on MO4 Network's various media platforms @mo4network @cairoscene @thecairozoom @startupsceneme @elfaslaonline @scenenoise @scenetraveller @sceneeats @scenehome
This season is powered by INERTIA and is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_.
For more information on INERTIA's developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt's Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Bea Bongiasca, an Italian Jewelry Designer. Bea's inspiration stems from her deep passion for pop culture, contemporary art and design, conflated with her love for everything colorful. Hers is a spirited and non-traditional take on jewelry which does not compromise on quality but remains accessible to people of her own age.
Bea’s focus is on jewelry as an art form, a concept that is pivotal to her design process. Each piece – at once playful and intricate – functions as a miniature fantasy world for the
wearers to immerse themselves in and evade reality, even if just for a minute!
Her pieces have been worn by Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, and most recently Kim Kardashian. Check our her work @beabongiasca.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to adventure traveler, humanitarian and entrepreneur Omar Samra, whose accomplishments include being the 1st Egyptian to summit Everest, climbing the 7 summits, and skiing to both Poles as well as 3 first ascents in Antarctica.
We speak about finding your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses, Omar’s journey across the Atlantic with Omar Nour and the much anticipated cinematic release of Beyond The Raging Sea - a film that tells this story of survival and sheds light on the refugee crisis in our world today. I asked Omar what matter most when you’re on top of the world? And he allowed us into the mindset of an introvert who loves to travel the world with people and discover places few have had the pleasure of experiencing.
If you would like to learn more about Omar Samra's work, causes and dive into adventure travel visit @wildguanabana @basecampegypt @beyondtheragingsea and more.
Our summer season is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_. This season is also powered by INERTIA. For more information on INERTIA's developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt's Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Asmaa Naga, an Egyptian Musician and Songwriter. Asmaa is an English Language Professional and studied at the University of Oxford. She grew up in Cairo and moved to Jeddah, pursuing her music career in parallel to her teaching career as a hobby. Asmaa writes her own original music, and has performed in several cities around the world.
To listen to Asmaa music visit her Instagram page here.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Interior Designer and Furniture Designer Nadia Salem the found of Beit Nadia and co-founder of Noun for Contemporary and Modern furniture. We speak about finding inspiration in spaces, pin pointing your own personal style, playing with materials and creating homes that feel like a sanctuary for their owners.
Our summer season is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_. This season is also powered by INERTIA. For more information on INERTIA's developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt's Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to brand architect Amir Fayo, the brains behind concept stores Maison 69 and Villa Baboushka as well as his latest brand One True Find. We speak about moving from Architecture and designing buildings to building brands and offering a strategic services that allow entrepreneurs to realize their wildest branding dream. Amir coined the term “Brand Architect” in New York City and brought the concept to Cairo, we discuss the idea of living in the now, building a life not just a brand, and finally what it takes to capture your true self within a brand and not just stay authentic but stay real!
Our summer season is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_. This season is also powered by INERTIA. For more information on INERTIA's developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt's Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian Fashion Designer Farida Temraz, the Founder and Lead Designer of Temraza Haute Couture for women’s ready-to-wear, evening wear and bridal dresses. In addition, Farida is the first and youngest Egyptian designer to successfully participate in London Fashion Week, Los Angeles Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week twice and the First Egyptian to win the First Place award among 15 International designers in Paris Fashion Week and “Best Female Couture Designer” in New York Fashion Week.
We speak about the intersection of fashion and social responsibility, entrepreneurship as it crosses over with motherhood, and what it takes to succeed in any industry as well as serve your country in the process. To check out Farida's work visit www.temraza.com.
Our summer season is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_. This season is also powered by INERTIA. For more information on INERTIA's developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt's Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Amr Mansi, a professional squash player and sportsman by nature Amr took the events landscape in Egypt by storm in 2010 introducing the El Gouna Squash Open, followed by the El Gouna Film Festival in 2017, and in 2021 Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards. Amr's story is a great example of what happens when bold opportunity, relentless hard work and epic timing meet at a crossroads.
For more information on the EEA and to check this year's winners visit their website www.eeawards.org.
Our summer season is in collaboration with Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event's winners visit @eeawards_. This season is also powered by INERTIA. For more information on INERTIA's developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt's Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Tasneem El Aidy, a singer turned TikTok star overnight. An incredible example of how social media has the power to catapult careers and shine light on young talents waiting to be heard. We speak about her video going viral with over 35 million views on TikTok at the moment, moving from covers to working on original music and the paradoxes of social media fame: the good, the ugly and the magical!
To check out her music @tasneemelaidy.
This episode is powered by Tommy Jeans exploring the creative journeys of the two artists, bringing to life the spirit of the Spring 2021 TOMMY JEANS campaign, “Music Takes Us Further”. The "Music Takes Us Further” campaign, built on the brand’s deeply rooted music heritage. The campaign was brought to life by an eclectic mix of creative talent including musicians, poets and activists from diverse walks of life, each sharing their unique perspective on using music to drive social change.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Malak an Egyptian singer and songwriter. She launched her career in 2014 to critical acclaim with Rolling Stones Middle East describing her voice as 'warm and evocative' and her songs as 'mid-tempo slow burners with a pop feel'.
Malak has since opened for major musical acts such as Oscar and The Wolf and Balthazar - her debut album bedside dropped in June 2021. We talk about music, fashion and the rise to stardom while simultaneously searching for yourself along the way. bedside the album explores the nuances of love, loss and relationships.
You can listen to bedside now on all streaming platforms.
This episode is powered by Tommy Jeans exploring the creative journeys of the two artists, bringing to life the spirit of the Spring 2021 TOMMY JEANS campaign, “Music Takes Us Further”. The "Music Takes Us Further” campaign, built on the brand’s deeply rooted music heritage. The campaign was brought to life by an eclectic mix of creative talent including musicians, poets and activists from diverse walks of life, each sharing their unique perspective on using music to drive social change.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Haydy Morsy Egyptian Olympic Pentathlete who has been competing at a professional level since she was 14 years old. Haydy was the first Egyptian athlete to be on two different national teams at the same time, which were Fencing and Modern Pentathlon. She qualified and traveled to Rio for the 2016 Olympics. Her sports in Modern Pentathlon include fencing, horse-back riding, running, swimming and shooting. She was also the first Egyptian female athlete to qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympics coming up this July and August 2021.
This episode is part of our #shemovesus season with our friends at PUMA Middle East. Speaking to women who are inspiring, empowering and pushing their community forward.
To shop PUMA visit www.puma.com.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian-American fashion designer Mina Tahir whose design sensibility seamlessly blends her heritage, artwork, and textiles with the past, present, and future.
She is a graduate of the BFA Fashion Design program at Parsons School of Design and was awarded the CFDA Future Fashion Graduate, as well as the CFDA+ Award for her thesis collection “Youth” which explores the relationship between Eastern and Western subcultures through the use of technological advances via the re-contextualization of traditional crafts and dress. Mina Tahir is known for being a sustainable brand.
In 2021, Mina Tahir was named one of the Debut Talent finalists for the Fashion Trust Arabia Award for her namesake brand. Her work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, GQ, and others.
This episode is part of our #shemovesus season with our friends at PUMA Middle East. Speaking to women who are inspiring, empowering and pushing their community forward.
To shop PUMA visit www.puma.com.
In this episode I speak to Lebanese Filmmaker Pam Nasr who's debut film Clams Casino was released in 2018 to critical acclaim. Pam is a film director, model, and creative who has lived and worked in New York, Beirut and Dubai. She has worked with brands such as Farfetch, OKHTEIN, Gucci, Versace, and more.
This episode is powered by Farfetch. To shop the latest and greatest pieces in luxury fashion and emerging regional designers use our link below or visit @farfetch. Use our promocode "RC10" and the link below for 10% off your next purchase: https://bit.ly/31BeXik
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian Montenegrin actress, model and podcast host Tara Emad. We speak about being creative from a young age, the pressures and benefits of fame, staying healthy to endure challenging working hours, using your voice to shed light on important causes such as Bullying, and the joys of truly loving what you do. Tara has been featured in Vogue Arabia, Harper's Bazaar Arabia, and Marie Claire Arabia to name a few. She has been in roles on projects such as The Blue Elephant, El Salook, El Jam3a, and Zay El Ward. Stay tuned for her role in Moussa this Ramadan 2021. This episode is part of our #shemovesus season with our friends at PUMA Middle East. Speaking to women who are inspiring, empowering and pushing their community forward.
To shop PUMA visit www.puma.com.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Rebecca Odeh a Jordanian fitness professional, Guinness world recorder holder, founder of the infamous Bikini Bootcamp, runner, black belt, TV presenter and overall advocate for living an active life. We speak about finding the sport that works for you, waking up at 4AM to stay ahead, running through life, and how she managed to leverage lockdown and secure a Guinness World Record.
This episode is part of our #shemovesus season with our friends at PUMA Middle East. Speaking to women who are inspiring, empowering and pushing their community forward.
To shop PUMA visit www.puma.com.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to one of Egypt’s most celebrated abstract expressionist painters Britt Boutros Ghali. Born in Norway, Britt has shown her artwork across Europe from Norway to France to Germany and Back - she started her career in the fashion industry modeling for fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire in Paris. Britt moved to Egypt upon Marrying Raouf Boutros Ghali. In 1996 Britt was awarded the St Olav Order by King Haakon of Norway - the highest accolade to be given to an artist in Norway. She is well known for her vibrant, colorful and large pieces full of life. She has spent more than 40 years living and working in Egypt, she paints in her studio on a boat by the Nile. We talk about her career trajectory, finding discipline as an artist, being fearless and trusting destiny!
This episode was recorded at Britt’s Nile Boat studio and is powered by UPTOWN CAIRO EMAAR Misr as part of Art & Deco a show spotlighting artists and interior designers in Egypt curated by Cleg Gallery and featuring Madaar Furniture.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Mona Hamdy who is a PhD candidate and teaching fellow in Applied Ethics at Harvard Business School. A native of Egypt and the United States, her research examines modern morality for the 21st century—one based on common values of meaning, story, and holistic existence in our hyperconnected machine age.
Prior to co-founding the Al Baydha Society and Development Corporation in Saudi Arabia in 2009, Mona served as the Executive Director of the Mosaic Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of women and children around the world and increasing cross-cultural understanding between the peoples of the Arab World and the United States. She was the Director of Development of the Arab American Institute, and served as the Director of the Middle East Text Initiative and Islamic Translation Series at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
Mona's active board memberships focus on technology, education, and culture in social development and poverty eradication. They include: Global Blockchain Business Council, XPrize AI for Good, Bretton Woods Committee, World Bank SDG1 Special Council, UN Global Council on Poverty Eradication, Center for Democracy and Technology, and the Harvard 3D: Women in Defense, Diplomacy and Development.
She holds a Special Jesuit Liberal Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Scranton, a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Art History from the University of Pennsylvania, Master of Arts in Political Science from the American University in Cairo, and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.
Follow her work @monamhamdy and find her on Clubhouse @monahamdy.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Celine Hajjar founder of sustainable fashion label NAFSI. Celine is based Canada and sources her materials from around the world including Egypt. In 2017 she began working on NAFSI a brand that promises high quality hand-crafted garments that are kind to your skin and to the environment. She officially launched in 2020. NAFSI only works with materials that are up-cycled or verified by the Global Organic Textile Standards - which is the golden standard for global production.
NAFSI has a line of basics & limited quantities of unique pieces. Garments are handcrafted using sustainable fabrics — organic Egyptian cotton or upcycled materials from the local atelier.
To shop @nafsi.official visit www.nafsi.online.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Creative Lana Sawiris, who is currently the Art Director at American apparel and streetwear brand KITH. Lana grew up in Cairo, moved to Paris for high school, then studied Strategic Design at Parsons The New School in New York City. Lana’s entrepreneurial nature allowed her to work across the creative and digital industries - interning at Christian Louboutin and eventually landing a job at the world renowned fashion house upon graduation. Feeling the need to leave the luxury fashion landscape she eventually took on a role at KITH. We talk about how growing up in different cultures builds character, coming from a successful family and the pressure to find your passion point, moving from luxury to street fashion, and finally conquering NYC one day at a time.
To check out her work @lanasawiris or www.kith.com.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Fashion Psychologist and founder of Pstyled Yasmina Nessim. Yasmina completed her masters in Fashion Psychology at London College of Fashion and founded her business Pstyled in 2019 in an attempt to raise awareness on the potential of using fashion psychology as a means of maximizing well-being. Pstyled is the first business of its kind worldwide; it uses an application and AI technology to help its users feel better and do better using nothing more than the content of their closets.
To book a consultation with Pstyled visit www.pstyled.com or @pstyled on Instagram.
In this episode I speak to Saudi Arabian photographer Hayat Osamah. Hayat is a fascinating creative who is both self-taught and self-made. Hayat’s photography career took off after shooting a campaign for Farfetch Middle East in 2017 - she is since shot several Farfetch editorials and brand campaigns. Her work has been featured by major brands like OFF-WHITE, and she has shot for Diesel, LeGray, Alaa Hashim, Fendi, Dior, Fenty and Cartier to name a few. Hayat shot the Jan 2021 cover of Marie Claire Arabia, and the December 2020 ode to Saudi Arabia cover of VOGUE Arabia that went viral.
This episode is powered by Farfetch. To shop the latest and greatest pieces in luxury fashion and emerging regional designers use our link below or visit @farfetch.
https://farfetch.onelink.me/4218782940/d198e7e6
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Osama Chabbi a French-Tunisian stylist based in Dubai. Born and raised in Lyon, Chabbi moved to Dubai over 2 years ago to pursue his career in fashion. After freelance styling for a year and a half, Osama is now a Private Client Stylist at Farfetch Middle East. He has styled some of the biggest influencers in the region over the past two years and has worked with various names of the industry including Nike, Bvlgari, Amina Muaddi, Level Shoes and Prada.
This episode is powered by Farfetch. To shop the latest and greatest pieces in luxury fashion and emerging regional designers use our link below or visit @farfetch.
https://farfetch.onelink.me/4218782940/d198e7e6
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Pakistani Saudi Arabian Independent Curator and Artist Zahra Dar Bundakji. We speak about her experience leaving Jeddah for college in Montreal and ending up at art school in San Francisco, starting MMEAN - a platform to advocate for Middle Eastern artists, the cultural shifts that have occurred in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and their impacts on the creative community at large, and how her art reflects our times and enables Zahra to be part of a greater collective of young Arabs archiving the real stories of what it means to be and to live in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the year 2020 and beyond.
This episode is part of our 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
Thank you for listening to our podcast. We had powerful conversations that got us through this year and on to the next! Please make sure to Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave us a review. Happy new year Radical people!
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to French-Persian Creative, DJ and Model Parvané Barret. We speak about her experience skipping college to pursue a career in the creative industries, starting a fashion blog before Instagram was established, a breakthrough shoot with Gucci that lead to opportunities and real influence, her visual diary and platform Mon Visuel, and finally branching out into the DJ world, making Parvbar a true jack-of-all-trades.
To check out Parvané's work check out @parvbar or @monvisuel.
This episode is part of our 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to creative consultant and luxury goods brand manager Shooq Al Shawi. We speak about how the pandemic has shifted our industry, consulting for luxury and Jewellery brands such as MKS Jewellery, the importance of creating an experience for the consumer, and the coexistence of art and philanthropy.
To reach out to Shooq email her on shooq@sas-c.com or reach on @shooqalshawiconsulting.
This episode is part of our 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Palestinian-Syrian model, creative and influencer Lana Al Beik. We speak about the challenges behind accessing the creative industry, long hours on set to get the perfect shot, the sacrifices and obstacles to become a model in the Middle East, securing shoots with prestigious brands such as Love Valentino, Celine, and Kenzo. Becoming a recognizable face that represents the modern, fearless and unapologetic Arab woman.
To check out Lana's work visit @lana.jpg.
This episode is part of our 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this bonus episode you'll be listening to our founder Nour Hassan's TEDx Youth Talk hosted in Cairo, Egypt entitled "Defining Radical". The story of building a brand that aimed to change the status quo of the creative industry, tap into a gap int he market, and introduce the creative process through innovation and collaboration. Nour talks about how it is she got started, going after opportunity rather than letting it come to you, and the importance of building a community and not just a brand.
Visit our Instagram page @radicalcontemporary or our website www.radicalcontemporary.com
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Syrian Cuban artist Jason Seife. Jason's carpet murals on canvas and concrete are pieces that have gone viral in the digital art realm. They are detail-oriented, meticulously crafted works of art that honor the traditional ancient craft of carpet making. Jason speaks about the road to becoming an artist from the third grade, embracing an amalgamation of cultures, working through the pandemic, growing up in the U.S, studying the art of carpet making, and finally reaching a point where he creates his own complex carpet patterns from scratch. This podcast was recorded in May 2020. Jason Seife's solo show “A Small Spark Vs. A Great Forest” will open this January at Unit London, the dates are to be announced.
To check out Jason's work visit @jasonseife or www.jasonseife.com.
This episode is part of the 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian fashion designers Nahed Kazziha and Nadia El Tawil the founders of luxury sleepwear brand PJ LAB as well as activist Molk Said the founder of social support platform Eed Wahda that engages, enables, and empowers all survivors of abuse. We speak about the power of collaboration between art, fashion and philanthropy, the importance of integrating activism into your work and how women in Egypt are changing our cultural narrative day by day.
To shop the "Warriors Within" art capsule collection which features the work of Leila Nasser, Enjy Heshmat, Noor Gaith, Yousef Sabry, and Salma El Fawal check out @pjlabco and to donate or show your support for Eed Wahda visit @eedwahda.
This episode is part of our 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Jordanian fashion designer and innovator Tania Haddad the founder of conscious fashion brand Tania George. The employs Arab tailors, Arab models, Arab photographed and creatives and is in many ways a love letter to Jordan. With its quirky designs and distinctive pastel color palette, Tania George has refreshed our perspective as a region on what Jordanian designers can do. We talk about falling back in love with the city of Amman, being an Arab creative that has a voice, using local motifs such as cotton candy and crisps on garments, and building an aesthetic that is unforgettable.
To check out Tania George visit @taniageorgedesigns.
This episode is part of our 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Saudi Arabian fashion designer Arwa Al Banawi. Arwa’s brand is a pioneering contemporary Saudi Arabian fashion label, her collection empowers the Arab Women with statement pieces like the حياتها blazer. We speak about growing up in Jeddah, witnessing the changes that took place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the past few years and being a part of them, releasing the نحن المملكة or We Are A Kingdom collection, showing her designs at the first ever Riyadh Fashion Week, and representing creatives in the region as a woman who isn’t afraid to break the status quo.
To check out Arwa's brand visit www.arwaalbanawi.com or @arwaalbanawi.
This episode is part of our 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to French-Egyptian Fashion Buyer, influencer and over all fashion guru Ines Gohar. Ines worked for 8 years as a Fashion Buyer touring the world’s fashion capitals to buy high-end luxury brands and couture for the first international department store in Egypt BEYMEN. We speak about the series of internships that landed her an interview at VOGUE, traveling the world and attending fashion weeks as a buyer, creating trends rather than following them, and what the fashion industry in our region lacks and what it needs in order to help designers make it on a global scale.
She has extensive knowledge of fashion buying, trend forecasting, and the ins and outs of the industry as it was pre-social media mania and now. Recently, Ines has focussed on local brand consulting and helping young local designers’ development. She has also created her own platform where she promotes and supports Egyptian craftsmanship and talents to be launched soon. Ines also likes to share her experiences being a new mom to Laïlyne on her page @inesgohar.
This podcast was recorded LIVE at Fashion Central's event at UPTOWN EMAAR in collaboration with Venture Lifestyle and Contégram.
This episode is part of the 12 Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Sabrina Sadiq the founder of preloved luxury goods platforms Luxury Promise. We speak about authentication and how to identify counterfeit products, investing in luxury bags, which bags are considered timeless pieces, starting an online retail business and how the Hermès Birkin appreciates over time.
Luxury Promise was founded in 2017 by Sadiq, who is an experienced authenticator of luxury goods. The firm's marketplace hopes to enable consumers to shop sustainably for pre-owned luxury goods which are authenticated and in some cases repaired by experts.
You can check out their products and shop preloved at www.luxurypromise.com.
This episode is part of our 12-Day Game-Changers Special.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian physiotherapist and athlete Amina Naguib the founder of an infamous workout facility which uses mega-former machines called B-URN. Her brand’s motto #TheHappy and the culture she’s built around B-URN have changed the way people react and interact in the space of fitness in Egypt. We talk about building a community, recovering from life altering events and using your breath to remain present and in control of your future.
To checkout B-URN visit @b_urnegypt @theburnbar or @physio_egypt.
This episode is part of our 12-Day Game-Changers Special.
In this month’s bonus episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi speaks to Egyptian tennis legend and star, Ismail El Shafei - who also happens to be her grandfather. Ismail is the only Egyptian who has reached the top twenty in the global ATP rankings. During the 60s, he won Wimbledon Junior, which paved the way to his tennis career. He was famous for beating superstar Bjorn Borg during the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and touring with some of the biggest tennis players. Years later, he retired his racquet and moved back to Egypt full time where he managed to become the exclusive distributor for Nike and Dunlop.
Ismail and Yasmine talk about the importance of mentorship, touring the world as a tennis star, sacrificing a social life to become a champion, and finally never giving up on your dream. This has been one of the most inspiring conversation Yasmine has hosted on the podcast, and she's excited to share it with you all.
This episode is powered by Nike.
In this episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi speaks to one of Egypt’s biggest fitness coaches and Befit founder, Aly Mazhar. At a young age, Aly found himself immersed in the world of sports with a passion of becoming a football star. Years later, he founded BeFit. It started with him training a small group of friends, and quickly turned into an empire and huge training facility with several locations across Egypt, and has recently opened in Dubai. With Befit growing exponentially, Aly managed to land an ambassadorship with Nike, which has paved the way for more opportunities.
Aly and Yasmine speak about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, placing realistic fitness goals, starting your own fitness career, finding the right work out gear, not relying solely on the scale and finally searching for that inner fire we all call ambition.
This episode is powered by Nike.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Cross Fit Trainer and record breaking athlete Mohamed Auf on taking up sports as a career by accident, breaking records by pure coincidence, starting an Instagram account because of Nike and becoming one of the first Egyptian Nike Brand Ambassadors. We speak about the state of the sports industry in Egypt, where we were 8 years ago when a health and fitness craze hit Egypt, and what needs to happen for us to move forward. Auf co-founded TD Athletics, C Tribe Crossfit, and We Train, all three workout facilities offer a diverse range of facilities for athletes of all ages and at all levels.
This episode is powered by Nike.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to record breaking athlete and Nike Brand Ambassador and trainer, rowing record breaker, marathon runner, aerobics and CrossFit instructor and overall advocate for the importance 'moving' your body Asmaa Al Zohairy. We speak about curiosity leading to a shift in lifestyle, rediscovering the city though sport, exercising in nature and working with brands like Nike to help women support women in the field of sport. Asmaa is the founder of Cairo-based rowing club Sculln'Blades.
This episode is powered by Nike.
In this episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi speaks to Egypt’s favorite yogi and health coach Farah Nofal. Farah started off her fitness journey as a weightlifter and a few years later has finally found her calling, yoga. She managed to cultivate a huge social media presence, which helped her land an ambassadorship with Nike. We talk about the importance of self care and wellness, combatting stress and fears, breaking down common yoga stereotypes and misconceptions, transitioning from HIIT to yoga, becoming a part of the Nike family and finally focusing the mind and body by always remaining present.
This episode is powered by Nike.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Manal Waqi co-founder of The Amanqi Edit a consulting platform and multi-purpose digital platform based between Dubai, London, and Switzerland. Dedicated to supporting emerging brands and businesses in the region. Nour speaks to Manal about how she started The Amanqi Edit, how to go about networking in fashion business, and how a business model can change and evolve as we do as human being.
To check out Manal's work visit www.theamanqiedit.com or @theamanqiedit @theamanqilab or @theamanqiconsulting.
In this episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi speaks to Egyptian born beauty and lifestyle guru Soraya Shawky who is now residing in Dubai and in the past few years has built an Instagram family of over 170k. Soraya has collaborated with brands like L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Lula Ru, and many more as well as creating her own hair extension line, and working with many popular regional celebrities. Yasmine and Soraya talk about influencing a positive lifestyle on social media, mastering the art of discipline, finding beauty from within, dreaming BIG and ending it off with a good old tanning routine.
To check out Soraya's work and make-up mastery visit @sorayashawky on Instagram.
This episode is brought to you by Social Specialty Coffee. Use our code: RADSCR15 for a 15% off any item from Social's online store www.socialspecialtycoffee.com or visit their store and use our code to enjoy the coffee shop experience in person. For more information visit @socialspecialtycoffee on Instagram and look out for their new store opening soon.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Hussein Bahgat the co-founder of Social Specialty Coffee, a specialty coffee shop based in Cairo, Egypt that advocates for the use of some of the world's best quality coffee beans and roasting techniques. Hussein is an SCA certified coffee connoisseur. We talk about coffee shop culture, the true meaning of specialty coffee, and how you as a coffee lover can upgrade your experience by learning more and savoring every sip!
This episode is brought to you by Social Specialty Coffee. Use our code: RADSCR15 for a 15% off any item from Social's online store www.socialspecialtycoffee.com or visit their store and use our code to enjoy the coffee shop experience in person. For more information visit @socialspecialtycoffee on Instagram and look out for their new store opening soon.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to journalist, author, and translator turned art collector Karim Zidan. After a stint with DJ-ing in his early years, Zidan turned to his love for writing and made a career as a sports-politics journalist, with numerous bylines at The Guardian, VOX Media, Foreign Policy among others.
In a major turn of events and upon rediscovering his famous Grandmother Menhat Helmy's art estate in Egypt, Zidan began a quest to revive and restore the work of one of Egypt's greatest Modern artists and etchers Menhat Allah Helmy. Zidan founded online journal The Popular Chorus in 2020, which he refers to as a repository of Arab art, literature and culture, and the first to be written and available in English.
To check out Menhat Helmy's work visit @menhathelmy and to read more on Arab arts & culture visit www.popularchorus.com.
In this episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi speaks to Tunisian Canadian artist and photographer Oumayma Tanfous who began her career in Montreal and is now currently residing in NYC. Oumayma’s work has been featured on popular magazines like Vogue Spain, Dazed, Flaunt, Document Journal and more. Yasmine and Oumayma talk about the importance of finding your own photographic style, the ability to story tell through images, how the big city develops your craft, finding the right talent agent and to follow your passion no matter what!
If you'd like to check out Oumayma's work visit @oumaymabtanfous on Instagram or www.oumayma.ca.
This episode is brought to you by Cilantro Café. Cilantro are introducing Egypt's first coffee subscription, which includes Cilantro’s signature blend beans, sourced from Latin America and roasted in Italy, delivered to your doorstep every 2 weeks. Cilantro are offering our listeners free shipping on your first two weeks of coffee, in addition to a free coffee machine or a discount up to 40%. Just use 'RadicalContemporary' when checking out at shop.cilantrocafe.net.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Mohamed Garem entrepreneur, athlete, and the co-founder of trucking application, tech start-up and market disruptor Trella. We talk to Garem about how moving around has affected his career, playing rugby and the strategic tactics that you learn being part of a team sport, diving into the entrepreneurial world head first, working with friends, and finally how to balance being a very social person but also having the work ethic to keep up with what is speculated to be the next regional unicorn.
If you'd like to learn more about Trella visit @trella.app. If you'd like to connect with Garem direct message him on @elgarem.
This episode is brought to you by Cilantro Café. Cilantro are introducing Egypt's first coffee subscription, which includes Cilantro’s signature blend beans, sourced from Latin America and roasted in Italy, delivered to your doorstep every 2 weeks. Cilantro are offering our listeners free shipping on your first two weeks of coffee, in addition to a free coffee machine or a discount up to 40%. Just use 'RadicalContemporary' when checking out at shop.cilantrocafe.net.
In the episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to fitness coach Yassin Gad El Hak on his journey exploring and mastering a variety of fitness sports including Pilates, Capoeira, Football, Weightlifting, and Boxing. We talk about recovering from injuries, overcoming substance abuse, the importance of mind over matter, securing partnerships with brands such as PUMA Middle East, and using sports as a form of salvation. Yassin is part of the team at LA7 Gym currently located at The G Hotel at SEASHELL.
To connect with Yassin follow him on @coach_yassin or visit @la7gym.
This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Fouad Sabet a meditation and breath-work facilitator and transformational coach, who believes that through meditation and our breath alongside the assistance of psychedelic medicine, we can easily learn how to heal ourselves and those around us to raise global consciousness. He has traveled extensively to over 53 countries, and is passionate about creating transformational events/retreats within nature under his brand The Modern Ashram. We spoke about leaving corporate life to seek self-care, cultural limitations and collective trauma, as well as cultivating a personal practice that is specific to you and your needs.
To learn more about The Modern Ashram visit their Instagram page @themodernashram.
This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi speaks to Alya Mooro an Egyptian born, London raised freelance journalist and author of the bestselling non-fiction book The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes. Alya is the co-host of the podcast Bootleg Magic, and, with over 20,000 followers on social media, has guested on numerous national radio stations, spoken on panels across the UK, US and Middle East and worked with brands the likes of Keds, Nike and Absolut. In 2019, Glamour Magazine called her one of 20 Nu-Gen Feminists to know. Alya and Yasmine speak about cultural stereotypes in the Arab world, feminism, and the art of being unapologetically yourself.
Follow Alya Mooro on Instagram @alyamooro or www.alyamooro.com.
This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian Architect and Chief Designer of Alchemy Design Studio Mohamed Fares. Alchemy is a renowned architecture, interior design, and urban planning studio based in Cairo, Egypt. Fares and his team at Alchemy have been credited with revolutionizing the contemporary architecture and interiors scene in Egypt, along with his partner and founder of Alchemy Karim Mekhtigian, the studio managed to introduce a new perspective and aesthetic to urban living in Cairo and the North Coast as we know it. We talked to Fares about the human experience within design, thinking outside the box, not being afraid to pave the way, and never sticking to one craft but always expanding your vision and expanding your creative mind.
If you'd like to learn more about Alchemy visit www.alchemy01.com or @alchemydscairo.This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Maram Aboul Enein, Egyptian-Canadian Fashion Designer and Creative Director about her eponymous fashion brand MARAM. A brand rooted in energy, spirituality and the wandering soul, MARAM's aesthetic is an idealistic example of fashion for the soul. We speak to Maram about her time at Parsons Paris studying fashion, moving to Montreal to establish her brand, and finally returning to Cairo where she set up shop for a new chapter with deeper goals. "PRAY FOR HUMANITY" is the latest collection available now - a sustainable, ethically produced and genderless capsule collection of organic T-Shirts, Hoodies, Protective masks and Home accessories. 15% of all proceeds will go to the "Mothers Matter" project.
If you'd like to learn more about MARAM visit www.shopmaram.com or @maram.official. This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Islam Sherif, the founder of renowned Facebook group Nomads as well as the founder of Fingerlock rock climbing community in Egypt. Islam is a pioneer of the Nomads movement in Egypt, a traveler, entrepreneur, adventurer and a person who doesn't believe in living within your comfort zone. Nomads has changed the way people see Egypt as a destination, and as a brand is working on reviving tourism in Egypt, by showing locals as well as the world what this country has to offer.
If you'd like to join Nomads and follow Islam and the community's adventures click here.
This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi talks to Egyptian poet, artist and rapper FELUKAH about writing poetry for music, searching for identity and code switching, finding your voice as a young female artist in the Arab world, and utilizing style as a form of self-expression.
To stay updated on FELUKAH's upcoming work and album release "Dream 23" check her out on @felukah.
This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Le Cordon Bleu Alum and Chef Deenuh Hosny about shifting careers from digital marketing to joining one of the world's most rigorous and challenging culinary schools Le Cordon Bleu in London, carving out a space for young Chefs in Egypt, recipe developing for one of Egypt's top supermarkets and food-solution caterers Gourmet Egypt, the culinary scene in Cairo and what the gaps are, social media and it's obsession with people who cook, and finally the art of creating the perfect chicken pot pie!
To follow Deenuh's recipes and cooking adventures check her out on @dinewithdeenuh.
This episode is brought to you by The G Hotel at SEASHELL. Our partner for the summer and a space where holistic living meets opulent art, design, music, gastronomy, and more. For more information and bookings visit www.thegseashell.com or @thegseashell.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Moroccan Visual & 3D Artist Muhcine Ennou, who is based in The Netherlands, about disrupting the graphic design scene in Morocco, putting together a creative collective that went on to be the basis of his network, making money at a young age by learning to do what you love, and the use of the Arabic language that has recently seeped into the 3D worlds of wonder that Muhcine creates. Muhcine has shown his work in France, UAE, US, Morocco and more.
If you'd like to see more of Muhcine's work check out @muhcines.
This episode is brought to you by Celeste by HZ. Learn more at www.celestebyhz.com.
In this episode our co-host Yasmine Kenawi speaks to Egyptian Model and Entrepreneur Iman El Deeb aka @camelicked. Iman, along with her sister Yousra El Deeb, run one of Egypt's first and most prominent modeling agencies UNN Models. After a career that started in Italy, Iman moved to India for a while, and then back to her hometown Cairo. A return that went on to change the course of her career. Iman has been featured in Vogue Arabia, Harper's Bazaar Arabia, ELLE India, and Grazia India. Iman talks to us about the real and not-so-glamorous behind-the-scenes (BTS) of building a modeling agency, battling cultural stereotypes and fighting for diversity, and finally embracing her unique look and powerful character.
If you'd like to see more of Iman's work check out @camelicked or @unnmodels.
This episode is brought to you by Falak Startups.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lebanese artist and Creative Director Ali Cha'aban who is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ali's art traverses the liminal lines between our cultural heritage as Arabs and the contemporary world we find ourselves immersed in online. He has worked with the likes of Nike, Fendi, Gucci, Selfridges, Les Benjamins, and more prominent luxury brands, indie regional powerhouses, and sportswear titans to develop pioneering creative or innovative designs that finally speaks to MENA youth. Ali talks talks to us about grappling with identity, being a Renaissance man and how the Arabic language always makes its way into his work.
If you'd like to see more of Ali's work check out @alichaaban or https://www.alichaaban.com/
This episode is brought to you by Falak Startups.
In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to artist, photographer and all-around creative Natasha Yonan - who is currently working and living in Cairo - about her creative process, the current debate/conversation revolving around film versus digital photography, how do diversify your craft, social media and the pressures it puts on young photographers today to adhere to perfection, and finally a banana peal called Terry!
If you'd like to see more of Natasha's work check out @namayoka or visit her website https://www.natashayonan.com/
This episode is brought to you by The W Jewelry.
Hello Radical People,
This is the introduction to what I hope will be a learning experience for us all. Our motto when we first started Radical was "Learn Something New Everyday." - since 2017 we've been doing just that. Radical Contemporary is a platform that believes in the power of conversation and the power of words in formulating our soul. This is a space to help us ask the right questions, grow together as a community and understand how it is the people we look up to the most - our mentors, moguls, and role models - have managed to cultivate that elusive thing we call success.
Welcome to the creative process.
Let's get started,
Nour Hassan
Founder of @radicalcontemporary
www.radicalcomtemporary.com