Amidst the whirlwind of back-to-back fashion weeks, star-studded events, and unforgiving trend reports, she stands firm in her recognisable vantage point. While hashtags are thrown between pictures of significance, as well as utter randomness, her eloquent rapport with the written word is evident. Her Middle-Eastern roots and unconventional upbringing have resulted in a unique mixture of authenticity which can survive the cosmopolitan world of today.
Soraya Bakhtiar is an international blogger based in London, the UK. Nonetheless, she never gave her back to her Egyptian roots, constantly giving a nod to regional designers and local heritage. With a master’s degree in fashion journalism, from the respectful London College of Fashion, Bakhtiar comes from a long line of inspirational women, who always found a way to demonstrate their creative thoughts. Her mother is an aficionado of knitwear, her grandmother is known for her elaborate writings, and her aunt is a celebrated artist and poet.
“My love for putting outfits together has naturally led me to a career in the fashion industry.” Bakhtiar passionately added, “I have always had a thing for beautiful fabrics; meanwhile, I love discovering new design talents from across the world.” Her early steps were supported by her vast academic knowledge, which puts her a step ahead of other bloggers. According to Bakhtiar, her degree gave her credibility to report on trends. “I had a foot through the door, and this is where my blog originated from,” said the blogger cheerfully.
With an eye for fashion and art, Bakhtiar started her journey with a few sought-after internships, including publications such as Elle UK, and Tank Magazine. Nonetheless, her most evident breakthrough was joining Elie Saab’s PR team in 2013. The coveted job took her utmost attention, until she finally decided at to concentrate on her growing blog.
“Being a blogger is quite exhausting. However, at the same time it is an adventurous journey around the world. Every day you get to meet new people and discover new talents,” said the blogger about her biggest passion and current occupation. With a signature eclectic bohemian aesthetic and an appetite for colour, the blogger has already carved her niche at the centre of the competitive scene.
According to Bakhtiar, bloggers are always stereotyped as fake individuals, who are constantly on their phones. Nonetheless, she aims to reverse such mistaken ideas through focusing on what she is doing. “I ignore negative comments and cyber hate-speech most of the time. I know who I am and what my values are. Someone else’s comment cannot affect me, I learnt how to block such negative energy,” stated the blogger.
As a proud Egyptian and Arab, Bakhtiar has always found herself driven towards Middle-Eastern talents, especially after her first trip to Dubai, the UAE. This is where she came to realise that the region currently harbours an astonishing number of fashion talents. Her current list of favourite designers includes Azza Fahmy, Mohanad Kojak, and Laila Wahba from Egypt, as well as Sandra Mansour, and Vanina from Lebanon.
Despite living in another continent, the blogger still manages to take regular trips to her homeland, as well as other cities around the Middle East. Bakhtiar recently visited the picturesque Aswan, where she managed to create fashion-fuelled content. Afterwards, her Instagram account showed her networking meetings with the country’s top fashion experts in the capital. When asked, the blogger always insists that Khan-el-Khalili is her favourite local attraction, in spite of failing to visit it during her latest trip.
With various notable collaborations with international households such as Chanel, Piaget, Topshop, Sandro, LuisaViaRoma, Net-a-Porter, and The Outnet, among others, under her belt, the blogger is currently focused on a new project that she best describes as ‘scented’. Meanwhile, she is also dedicating her time to support and lead emerging talents to their desired destinations. Her support varies between styling the brand’s visual content and providing her seasoned opinion in terms of the design development.
