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Editor in Chief: Cynthia Medina

Bella Hadid Wears Palestinian-Inspired Dresses for Dazed MENA Cover🍉

“Princess of Nazareth” Bella Hadid has gracefully covered DAZED MENA this week. Celebrating its one-year anniversary, Dazed MENA’s editorial includes her iconic Palestinian Kefiyyah dress, a love letter to Palestine, her home country, and more. 

“It’s a celebration of firsts.” This marks Hadid’s first cover in the region in nearly a decade– and her first Dazed cover ever. Released in two versions, Hadid is photographed by her childhood friend and long-time collaborator, Iranian-American photographer Yasmine Diba, making this their first official cover shoot together. 

The blend of MENA (Middle Eastern/North African) aesthetics with Y2K makeup and bleached- blonde hair is giving major Palestinian it-girl vibes, which is very on theme. Styled by Ashling Sarveen Massoumi, Hadid is dressed and accessorised by Chopard and New York label Michael and Hushi. “The addition of the latter is a nod to Hadid’s viral red-and-white keffiyeh dress worn at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and to the duo’s legacy of radical work.”

Beyond this issue's stunning visuals and pieces, Hadid uses her voice to spread awareness about the ongoing genocide in Palestine. She never hesitates to speak up– and we admire her endlessly for it! Click here to read her entire letter to Palestine and for more resources to help during this time.

Grandma Chic is Going Viral👵🏾

You’re waking up in 2003 at your grandparents’ house to the heavenly aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the CoffeeMate and the soft clatter of pans in the kitchen. Rolling out from under your quilt, you fluff the feather-down pillow that cocooned you all of last night. You pad gently across the hardwood floors, setting off small creaks as you enter the living room, where your grandmother has just settled into her fluffy armchair. She gestures to you for an embrace, and you sit in the armchair with her in the quiet morning as the birds chirp outside and the smell of fresh-baked banana bread begins to fill the house.

This is the heart of the modern grandma-chic aesthetic: a deep, lived-in coziness rooted in nostalgia, practicality, and slowing down. In our present-day culture, we see bits and pieces of this nostalgia working its way into our fashion aesthetics through classic florals, eclectic jacquards, corduroy and tapestry textures, and granny-square patterns. It’s not quite as comforting as grandma’s hugs, but it allows us to tap into the simplicity and love channeled in those moments.

Grandma chic’s rise also reflects the social climate we’re living in. With a shaky economy, many people are turning to doing more DIY projects, staying home more, and being more sustainable 

and frugal. The joy people find in this return to softness and simplicity suggests that maybe—just maybe—grandma was onto something all along.

IS HAVING A…EMBARASSING NOW?😅 

Hi, British Vogue– we all saw Chante Joseph’s article (Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?). So, let’s take the hint: grow out of relying on others and start fresh!

To the old you: step aside! We’re hitting a reset.

Our first bye: fall seasonal drinks. Gregory’s Coffee holiday menu is out for the new sweetest way to upgrade your morning routine. 

The next bye? Social media reliance. While it seems ironic, influencer Eli Rallo’s Notebook November reframes social media as a self-help tool, not a trap. 

And finally, we’re saying goodbye to defining womanhood by being partnered. It’s Single Girl Winter, so be your hottest at the coldest. Confidence is key, and luckily, it walks with you wherever you go.

If anyone’s going to be the main character this winter, it might as well be you.

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Patterns, Patterns, Patterns🧥

As we approach the holiday season, I want to live in every moment—wrapped in pieces that feel warm, chic, and a little bit fun. But winter outfits can start feeling depressing once I wear them day in and day out. My bright solution to a dull cold-weather wardrobe? Pattern.

Patterns may seem intimidating, but they are the easiest thing to add to your wardrobe. My timeless staples are: Cheetah print, flannel, stripes, and polka dots. All for a good reason.

Coats lined with patterns are the safest way to incorporate patterns into your everyday wardrobe. The classic work jacket with flannel lining never fails– like the ones from Sezanne or this one from Anthropologie. For an adventurous alternative, see this fabulous polka-dot-lined trench by Lisa Says Gah. 

Another easy way to incorporate patterns is via scarves. I’m endlessly inspired by the Olsen Twins’ winter style– they’re unmatched when it comes to knowing how to perfectly layer and style a patterned scarf. (Specifically these pictures. They just get it.)

NO NEW TRENDS: IT'S BEEN SOUTH ASIAN FASHION, DARLING!

‘“Someone asked me, what do you wish…South India, Asia would do for fashion’...But they be doing it! People just repackaging it!” Maitreyi Ramakrishnan tells Vogue as she prepares for Vogue World: Hollywood. In custom Manish Malhotra, she sheds light to an abundant truth– most fashion trends aren’t actually “new.” They’re simply an introduction of traditional or modern fashions from non-white cultures. 

Spring 2025 saw the sharp rise of the “neck scarf with strapless dress” combo, which was generously gentrified by claiming its Scandinavian chic—the same way people suddenly “discover” they’re 0.0007% Baltic on Ancestry and adopt it like a full identity. Let’s call it what it is: a glamorous, watered-down dupatta, the long scarf traditionally worn with an Indian lehenga.

And the “long strappy tops” plastered across H&M? They’re not a revelation—they’re kurta salwar rebrands. As cultural appropriation cycles usually go, white influencers popularized these “new” items only to be immediately clocked by audiences (and by Dazed), who rightfully called out the erasure and rebranding of South Asian garments. 

After surviving the epidemic that was 2016’s flood of cultural appropriation, I often feel hesitant about purchasing or wearing “trendy” items in fear of being ignorant. However, everything exists on a spectrum– and these items can lean toward cultural appreciation when worn with understanding and intention. So while I’m not claiming cultural mastery in fashion, I’m inviting you to learn alongside me.

And as we stand at a paramount time within our own modern history, with Zohran Mamdani, Rama Duwaji, Lara Raj, Fijiana, and Avantika Vandanapu making incredible strides within their careers– pay attention to their fashion, and the history they’re making with it. 

Because when the world finally pays attention, the history behind the clothes becomes impossible to ignore.

Breathe In, Breathe Out😌

I was at dinner last night with some of my parents' friends when one of them looked at me and said, “you know I’m jealous– I’ve heard about Blacksburg falls.” And honestly? It’s fair. Living in the heart of an Appalachian valley really does have its perks when the wind turns crisp. 

Virginia Tech basically owns autumn. The trees shift into these impossibly vibrant colors that contrast against Hokie Stone like you’ve never seen. Combine that with a sunset and it’s game over. I think it’s the perfect last hurrah before winter comes roaring in. Even among all the chaos of school, especially by mid-semester, you can almost feel the entire campus take a collective breath and just look. 

All this to say is that this fall, wherever you are, I’m going to encourage you to take a quick second and let the season catch you. When you’ve got exams, projects, work, or anything else that tugs at you, I’ve realized how important it is to take even just a literal moment to appreciate the small things that make life feel full again. 

Let this be your tiny pause into a big reset. Try it. 

Politics Reimagined🗽

What does it look like when politics actually meets people where they are? Open The New York Times this week.Their coverage of Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City’s first Muslim mayor isn’t just reporting on a win– it’s documenting a new way of doing politics.

 Mamdani didn’t simply campaign from a podium: he met New Yorkers and the public where they were. He rode city buses, joined tai chi sessions at senior centers, and even stopped by nightclubs to relate and talk policy in between DJ sets. His movement felt less like a simple campaign and more like a conversation—radical in its simplicity, powerful in its intention.

Beyond the headline, the story raises bigger questions about connection and representation.What happens when politics stops performing at people and starts engaging with them?

For college readers, Mamdani’s victory is a reminder that change doesn’t always start and end in boardrooms or newsrooms. Sometimes, it starts in the everyday spaces we already share—the bus seat next to you, the rec center down the block, the dance floor at 1 a.m.

Turns out, democracy feels different when it’s standing right beside you.