Photos by Zaid Lozi
Styling by Jad Toghuj
Makeup and hair by Samara Qamar
Creative direction by Khalid Abdel-Hadi
Models: Nadine Rabie, Mary Rabie, and Salah
This article is a supplement within the “Frenquencies” issue
“The days when makeup was blessed“
Larger than life eyes and brows, the miracle of our pre-surgery world, salons were the center of beauty, flamboyance, and vulgarity. They were spaces of transformation, contouring culture across the region… the more over the top, the better. Images of their work were everywhere, coming to use via the magazines stacked in waiting rooms and street signage, setting the beauty standards of our time.
Revamped by queer cultures, these images became bold statements of identity and resistance. Drag artists in the region, especially, reinterpreted these beauty ideals in their performances and visuals, blending them with camp, glamour, and satire to create a vibrant new aesthetic that both celebrated and challenged the mainstream, resonating with diverse audiences.
With the launch of My Kali’s Virtual Salon, the Broadcast Channel offers an intimate queer space away from the exposed and imposed parts of our everyday and online lives. Derived from salon cultures of the region, ours is a space for updates, gossip, and sneak peaks, a way to get involved and have your voice heard. Bring your satellite ears, and join us there.
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