There has never been a better time for Arab women in the modelling world. Within the current climate, conversations about representation, diversity and the importance of inclusion loom large, and each year the amount of opportunities for models beyond a Western heritage is increasing. And Moroccan model Abla Sofy has taken advantage of exactly that…
Model, stylist, reality TV personality, and presenter Abla made a name for herself as the first Arab women to star in an international Guess campaign. As soon as her campaign was released, Abla hit the ground running (in heels, of course)… She went on to star in Bravo’s ‘The Second Wives Club’, counts Mohamed Hadid as a close friend, and is currently shooting her first show, Lifestyle, with MBC.
Cosmo: Take us back to the beginning… How did you get into modelling?
Abla Sofy: I grew up in Morocco where I studied at business school before moving to LA, where I enrolled in fashion school. I met loads of people there, one of whom gave me the opportunity to meet the owner of Guess. I was asked to model for him, but coming from Morocco, modelling was something that was frowned upon for Arab girls – especially for a brand like Guess, as their aesthetic can be very sexy. So, instead, I decided to try out every department in the company – from design to styling to social media – and I loved working on big campaigns. I styled the Hailey Baldwin, Lopez campaign, and Camilla Cabello campaign and loved it.
Knitwear from Maje; T-shirt from Sandro; Trousers from Missons – all from ABC Stores
Cosmo: Did you always know this is the career path you wanted to take?
AS: No! Everybody told me I shouldn’t do it, because they didn’t think that it was something I could live on or make enough money from. But Mohamed Hadid, who is a very close friend of the family, was shooting Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and he encouraged me to get involved, because I have a strong personality that lends itself to reality TV. I’m a very creative person, I love trying new things and didn’t want to let this opportunity pass me by, so I did it! After that Red One reached out to me to star in a music video, alongside fellow Moroccan Amanda Cerny, for French Montana, Daddy Yankee and Fifth Harmony. The video was shot in Morocco, and we dressed everyone in Guess apparel. The video received over 100 million views. My social media and my career blew up after that.
Cosmo: What was the biggest lesson you learned from Mohamed Hadid?
AS: He is really my mentor. I don’t make any decision without calling him. He has introduced me to a lot of people, and we have made a little Arabic family in LA with him and his family. I’ve learned a lot from him because he has so much experience in the fashion industry. I shot his first Hadid Eyewear campaign with him, which was all over Times Square, and now we are launching another campaign for Hadid Eyewear that will be even bigger.
Cosmo: We just shot him at Cairo Film Festival…
AS: Yes I loved that shoot! When I saw it, I sent him a message and said ‘by the way, I am going to be on the next Cosmo cover’, and he replied, ‘of course you are!’
Cosmo: Why is it so important to you to represent Arab women?
AD: It’s so important because being Arab has made me the woman I am today. I don’t want to lose my identity. I don’t think I would have got all the campaigns I have shot if I wasn’t Arab. So many brands liked the Arab angle and how my story was interesting. I’m lucky that my family were so open-minded when I was getting into modelling. I still stay connected to my Arab roots living in LA; I fast during Ramadan, I pray as much as I can, and I totally respect my culture.
Cosmo: How do you take care of your mental health?
AS: To be honest, sometimes it’s hard. It’s not even the negative comments I struggle with, its people who only show the best side of them. It makes you constantly feel like you’re not doing well enough. But in reality, it’s usually the people who are the struggling the most that are the most famous and looking like they have the most glamorous life. I’m trying to stop comparing myself to other people.
Jumper and skirt both from Sandro at ABC Stores; Boots from Elisabetta Franchi
Cosmo: Tell us about your new show with MBC…
AS: Lifestyle airs every day at 7:30pm KSA time. The premise of the show follows six young people from six different Arabic countries – Saudi, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraqi etc… -, and all work in different professions. We do everything from talk about the latest news to hosting quizzes. It’s very topical and diverse.
Cosmo: What is your ultimate goal for the next 10 years?
AS: I would love to see women become more empowered. I always want to be this voice for Arab women, and show them that they can be successful wherever they are.
Top from Sandro at ABC Stores