Instagram/@bellahadid
Supermodel Bella Hadid has made a stunning return to Middle Eastern fashion by appearing in the cover photo of Dazed MENA’s anniversary issue. For almost ten years, this cover is an important event for the Palestinian-Dutch model, because it is her first major cover in the region. The news was instantly received with excitement by fans, while the celebratory post also unknowingly became a platform for making urgent humanitarian appeals related to the crisis in Sudan.
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The cover of Hadid, photographed by her childhood friend Yasmine Diba and styled by Ashling Massoumi, features the supermodel completely wearing Hushi, which is a fashionable brand. Hushi is a wonderful partnership for Hadid, as it represents her full-circle moment linking her global fashion power with her regional roots through the creative partners she trusts.
The feedback on the cover was overwhelmingly positive and one of the adoring fans wrote, “Ooohhh… princess of Nazareth,” which accurately captured the queenly aura that the majority saw in the photo. Another comment declared, “the prophecy has been fulfilled,” suggesting that the cover felt like a divine comeback for the model. The viewers acknowledged the remarkable beauty, with one remarking, “yo WHAT this is sooo beautiful the colours wooooow ethereal,” while another simply stated, “I can’t stop thinking about this.”
On the contrary, a completely different tale emerged from the comments section, amidst the celebration of the fashion. An account presenting itself as a girl from El Fasher, Sudan, pleaded that the focus should be on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and wrote, “My dear Bella, I am a human being. As I am writing this, in Sudan, particularly El Fasher, a girl is getting raped to death and another is committing suicide just to escape rape by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces mercenaries.”
The commentator sorrowfully detailed: “In Sudan, even girls as young as four are being raped by the UAE-backed mercenaries, whether they be boys or girls. This is not a civil war; it is genocide, a war against the people. Speak about Sudan, and the women of El Fasher, we are human too.”
The user also wrote several comments under the same name containing popular hashtags related to the situation in Sudan, such as #AlFashir_Genocide and #UAE_Funds_RSF. In one particularly touching plea, the user said, “My fellow human being, I am also a human being. I am from El Fasher, Sudan. The UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces are committing genocide, burying people alive, and raping women and children as young as four. Please talk about me because I’m a human being like you.”
The stark contrast between the fashion achievement and the appeals for help caused a strong divide in the comments section. Despite that, the main sentiment was the acceptance of Hadid’s return to the regional press after her prolonged absence, these urgent communications were stark reminders of the cruel realities beyond fashion photography.
Bella Hadid, who has always been open about her Palestinian ancestry and has been a spokesperson for several causes, is in a very peculiar situation where her cover shot celebrating moment coinciding with these compassionate appeals. The comments section transformed from just a place of admiration to one where global fashion and humanitarian crises were uncomfortably mixing.
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The anniversary issue, which is currently available for pre-order, signifies a major period for Middle Eastern fashion media. The response to its release indicates that even the most meticulously organized fashion events can turn into unexpected channels for a broader global discourse. A fan was able to perfectly articulate the overwhelming feeling of the audience regarding the cover by simply saying, “So proud of you, Bella!” The strong emotional response to Hadid’s fashion moment continues to be dramatic even while it shares the stage with the cries for help from another part of the world. This reminds many of Bella’s joyful rodeo moments and her mental health struggles. She has also been open about her health battle with Lyme disease.
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