Kuwait-born, New York-based Parsons School of Design student Taiba Al-Nassar created 3asal magazine to celebrate the oft-overlooked multiplicities of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women. While stereotypical Western representations commonly present them as "exotic" or "submissive," 3asal, which translates to "honey" in Arabic, showcases the "infinite complexities" of their identity.
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Logistically, how did putting the issue together work?
I pretty much started 3asal completely on my own so the majority of the bigger stories in the issue are shot and conceptualized by me. When I kind of knew the direction I wanted to take 3asal, I opened it up for collaborations and submissions. So many girls from around the MENA region sent me their work, which I’m so honored to have received and been trusted with. Latifa Bint Saad was one of them. Her editorial "Glamor Girls" ended up being one of my favorites in the issue. Another favorite was the "Tell Me Your Story" editorial, which was a collaboration between myself and New York-based photographer Mashael Al Saie.
I pretty much started 3asal completely on my own so the majority of the bigger stories in the issue are shot and conceptualized by me. When I kind of knew the direction I wanted to take 3asal, I opened it up for collaborations and submissions. So many girls from around the MENA region sent me their work, which I’m so honored to have received and been trusted with. Latifa Bint Saad was one of them. Her editorial "Glamor Girls" ended up being one of my favorites in the issue. Another favorite was the "Tell Me Your Story" editorial, which was a collaboration between myself and New York-based photographer Mashael Al Saie.
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