< PreviousPHO T O G R APHY BY Ž IGA M I H E L Č IČ S T Y L I N G BY L AU R A JA N E B R OW N C R E AT I V E D I R E C T I O N BY T W I N K L E S TA N LY M A K E U P BY DA R W I N P E R E Z HAI R BY AN N C H AN DY What do you get when you pair a cult classic shoe with a modern reinvention, as worn by the GCC’s most sought- after lifestyle influencers? The New Balance 327s. Duh. Inspired by the brand’s iconic runners from the 1970s, the reimagined 327s have become the ultimate sneaker silhouette in fashion. Style cues incoming from Ascia and Hamad Al-Humaidhan… WALK THIS WAY Is that platform sneakers that we spot there? BRB, stocking up. New Balance 327, Dhs599 50For someone (It’s me, I’m someone) who has spent a fair share of their day looking for an excuse to shop new kicks, these sure will elevate your street- style outü ts. Stylish, funky, and a classic that’ll never go out of style? Sign me up. New Balance 9060, Dhs699 51 FashionListen, you know the drill. Ditch your old shoes and grab a pair of New Balance’s reimagined 327s to know exactly what the hype is about. New Balance 327, Dhs549 52 FashionNew Balance Fresh Foam 1080, Dhs799 Styling POV: Once you cop these beauts, you won’t regret going out (or making impromptu plans) any time of the day. New Balance Fresh Foam 1080, Dhs799 If vibrant colourways are your thing, your sneaker collection is missing out on this. Thank us later. New Balance 9060, Dhs699 53 FashionGentle Monster x Coperni, Dhs2,036, gentlemonster.com OPR Eyewear, Dhs1,009, opreyewear.com Grey Ant, Dhs1,009, greyant.com The sunglasses of the future... 54 FashionG.o.d Eyewear, Dhs1,082 god- eyewear.com Mykita, Dhs2,293, mykita.com Loewe Paula’s Ibiza, Dhs1,394, neimanmarcus.com Intergalactic (but also kind of retro?) vibes ahead. BY TA RA H-LY NN S A IN T- EL IEN PHO T O G R APH BY J E FFR EY WE S T B R OO K Rihanna Made Us Do It Her super-cool take on shades (seriously, just Google it) is everywhere, and it’s game-changing. Your gym outüt? Now a revelation. That date-night dress? Magically edgy. PROP S T YLIS T: ELIZABETH OSBORNE . ...have arrived 55 FashionNoor Star s On The CoverAt 25, Noor Stars has become accustomed to not only overcoming obstacles, but shattering them. Born in 1997 in a refugee camp in Iraq, her family immigrated to America before ultimately settling in Dubai, where they are now based. She went on to gain worldwide attention for being the first Arab content creator to reach 10 million followers on YouTube. Now, with global campaigns from PUBG to MAC under her belt, she has never looked back. W O RD S BY MIL L I MIDW O O D ha s en te re d th e c h a t PHO T O G R APHY BY E S R A S A M FA S H I O N BY N O U R B O U E Z Z DR ESS : ZA I D FA R O UKICOSMO: You’re Iraqi but you’ve lived in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, America and Dubai. Tell us about your upbringing. NOOR: Moving around that much wasn’t a choice. It started when I was a child because I was a refugee in almost all of these countries. I went from Iraq to Syria, Syria to Turkey, and then from Turkey to America. It was a long journey but Alhamdulillah, I learned so much from it. Also traveling around all these countries gave me the ability to relate to so many different people and understand their energy, so I’m thankful for that. Dubai is a melting pot of all these cultures, so it’s the perfect place to end up. COSMO: Wow, that must have been hard. But you’re still so positive and optimistic… NOOR: I try, Alhamdulillah. I feel like my childhood was so dark and hard in a way where I now appreciate every moment of being alive. When I wake up in the morning, I’m like thank God I’m alive. When you go through the dark things, they make you appreciate the good things in life. I never try to play the victim, because I feel like if you do, you fall into a trap that’s very hard to get out of. Everyone struggles. Everyone is going through their own issues and trauma. But I also believe in karma. Whatever you go through, I feel like God will nd a way to bless you with other things later on. I didn’t always have this mindest, though. In my teens I was like, ‘Why me? Why is this happening to me?’ I was so angry. But I started manifesting and believing that something good is coming. I feel like that’s where I got my work ethic from. People always ask about my motivation to work so hard, and it’s because I literally know how it feels to have nothing. COSMO: Speaking of your work ethic, how did you rst get into social media? NOOR: It started as an escape. Being in an American high school without knowing proper English was pretty tough. Imagine joining a new school in a new country and not knowing the language. Social media became an escape, and it was actually a secret when I started it. I thought no one would nd out. Then, somehow, people started following me and my audience grew. I like to believe that social media found me. COSMO: Were you watching OG YouTubers like Manny MUA and Jaclyn Hill? NOOR: I’m a hardcore YouTuber. I love YouTube so much. The rst account I ever followed that inspired me to create my own videos was Michelle Phan. She is the OG makeup guru and I related to her so much. Her story was she wanted to work hard to help her mum, because she raised Michelle as a single mum. When you hear stories that you can relate to like that, you start to love these content creators for more than just their makeup tutorials. I eventually met her at VidCon and told her that. Now we follow each other and we talk online. COSMO: Who else are you inspired by? NOOR: My mum. She inspires me a lot because she could have played the victim and given up so many times, but she chose not to. She’s a ghter. She worked hard, stayed positive and took care of us even though she was in a wheelchair and she was a single mom. When you have a role model like this in your life, you start believing that anything is achievable. COSMO: You’re a Cancer, and we don’t know a Cancer that’s not sensitive and full of emotion. How do you manage that side of yourself when it comes to living so publicly on social media with trolls and haters? NOOR: I love this question! Okay, so I’m born on the 21st June, so I’m on the cusp of Gemini and Cancer. I have a lot of Cancer in me, because I am very sensitive to the point where I hurt when other people hurt. I’ve been in this industry for four years now, so you get used to the pros and cons of the job. It’s kind of my job to accept people’s opinions and criticism. They don’t think Black bodysuit: MÉNAGE 07 58 On The CoverJacket & gloves: MÉNAGE 07 Headphones: razer shoppable at noon.com On The CoverNext >