Life

When we first conceived the theme for this issue, Icons and Innovators, the connection wasn’t immediately obvious to everyone. But beyond a shared appreciation for alliteration, bringing these two ideas together felt inevitable. After all, the path to iconic status has always run through the world of innovation. So it has been wonderful to fold into this magazine features that touch on both subjects and see where the nexus appeared in the flow.

For me that intersection seemed to pop up quite a few times. In The Art of Inclusive, we interview Sevda Albers, who is using her institutional knowledge as a fashion photographer to create pure AI shoots that look instantly iconic. Then in Desert Power, the 27-year-old biochemist Zara Ossman shares how she plans to use date detritus to create biofuels that will build a more sustainable future. And in our round-up of the best timepieces that debuted at last month’s Watches & Wonders event, Time Stands Still, it’s easy to see how the latest novelties will be pieces that will be passed down for generations.

The magazine also underlines that there is no time limit when it comes to attaining GOAT status. From a feature on what it takes to get there from a fashion perspective, The Anatomy of an Icon, to Futureproofing a Nation, which examines how the UAE is deliberately and diligently working to attain – some might say maintain – that moniker. Even our article on becoming a trailblazer later in life, The 40-Year-Old Entrepreneur proves that it’s never too late to leave your mark on the world.

So here’s to that – to discovering how we each choose to make our presence felt, and having the conviction to see it through. Enjoy the issue.

Senior Editor: Jessica Michault

Photographer: Mox Santos

Fashion Editor: Camille Macawili

Makeup: Jean Kairouz

Hair: Steve Wahab

Videographer: Mark Mathew

Model: Viktoriia Nikolskaia

Photographer’s Assistant: Louis Azurin

Fashion Assistant: Radwa Askar

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