GHUBAR IS THE WORD

Ghubar Magazine is a newly created and fabulous magazine in the fashion capital of the world which was launched in January of this year by a young and very creative individual by the name of Sarah Diouf.

In a short space of time Ghubar has shown itself as a serious online fashion and beauty magazine which represents all colours and promotes multiculturalism through its expression of fashion designers from around the globe.

Here below is my interview with the Editor and Creative Director herself Sarah Diouf. You will also get the opportunity to meet the rest of the team members who make this magazine a success.

FS: What does Ghubar stand for?
SD: GHUBAR stands for Difference. Because we live more than ever in this era of difference. It is a magazine built around interbreeding and multiculturalism.

FS: What does it hope to achieve?
SD: Our hope and aim is to make people realise that there are different standards of beauty out there waiting to be recognised and promoted especially as it is not the case in all the current magazines.

FS: Why did you choose the name Ghubar?
SD: Ghubar means dust in old arabic. I didn't really chose this name, but it actually came to me. I was looking for some fonts on the internet when I fell on it and the definition was ..."name of a calligraphy known to be as fine as dust particles...". It is usually said that "words fly away but writings remain". However, dust doesn't remain and this was the paradox because GHUBAR - is a magazine - which according to the saying being a writing should remain...

FS: When was it created?
SD: GHUBAR was created in 2008 with the first issue being launched in january 2009.

FS: How different are you from the rest of the fashion magazines out there?
SD: We are different because Difference is our crenel. We promote all types of beauty.
Any girl or boy can read the magazine without feeling forgotten as this is what is actually happening today not only in the Press but in most of the media. everybody seems to forget that we are in 2009 and that the 00's girls are not all blond with blue eyes fitting in a size 2!

FS: Are you just an online publication only?
SD: Yes we are.

FS: Who are those responsible for the output of this magazine and are they all Africans?
SD: No haha! We are all from different places.
I - the editor and creative director - am half Central-African and Senegalese and I grew up in Ivory Coast.
Téné, who is responsible for all the partnerships, is half Italian and Senegalese.
Maxime (stylist), Laetitia (photographer) and Raphaelle (Communication director) are French.
Gregory (fashion editor) is Caribbean.
Laura (fashion editor) is half Italian and French.
Lala (fashion editor) is half Guinean and Senegalese.
Fatou (beauty editor) is Senegalese.
Maya (photographer) is half Algerian and French.
Shawny (photographer) is Ivorian.
Carl (webmaster) is half Togolese, Ivorian and Caribbean.
As you see, this is really about interbreeding ...lol!

FS: What do you think are the reasons why the African fashion market is booming at present?
SD: First, I think there is an awareness being seen among the new African generation.
Thanks to our parents, we have the means to achieve concrete things today and it now coming to fashion. We are more and more proud of our origins and background, and I think when you're confident about something, others feel that and it just leads to new and greater opportunities. You will also notice that for the past 5 years, African colourful prints and jewels have been turned into "jungle "or "safari" trends on many spring/summer collections in high fashion runways. So, yes Africa is trendy and us Africans have just understood this and realised that it is now our time to make it work by ourselves.

FS: You are the Editor & Creative Director, was media publication your background?
SD: Oh no! I had the chance to intern in one of the best media group here in Paris, last year, and it made me discover and learn so much but I am still going to school actually and I am studying Communication.

FS: How easy or difficult was it starting this publication?
SD: It was easy because I was well surrounded. I built a team with people I knew would give their all into this. The only thing that remains actually difficult is the time. It is sometimes hard to deal with delays but as long as the magazine is put online at the announced date, everything is fine!

FS: How do you cope financially as this magazine is free?
SD: When I first built this project, I wasn't doing it or even planning to earn money. I just wanted to build something strong with a real message and something everybody will enjoy to read and to look at.
But things went really fast. People started to ask to feature in it...Today we have partnerships which allow us to get some money which we reinvest in work tools, for example.
But if you really want to know I did it with nothing really! All I needed was my MAC (thanks Apple!) and a few euros to host the website! This is not something I do for a living but for now, at least!

FS: How did you manage to build up the reputation of this magazine?
SD: Wow, I didn't know the magazine had a reputation, lol! Still, as I said, Communication is my thing so I just had to make it work and Facebook has been a wonderful tool to ceate the buzz we needed and to promote the magazine and this is how we worked it out.

FS: This magazine is in French and English, why did you decide on the dual language?
SD: Since as we are not on paper, we have to step up our position and get more readers as we can. The Internet is a wonderful way to travel, to be discovered and to make discoveries of things to anyone wherever they are in the world.

Being an online magazine meant we would not only be read by our French pals but also by anyone in the world and since as there are no other magazines like GHUBAR out there , by this I mean magazines which deals with African, Asian or/and European fashion and which gives advice to black, caucasian, or/and mixed race people and touches gays and straight people - we did not want to be stuck.

FS: What can your readers expect from Ghubar Magazine?
SD: An open-mindedness.

FS: What should they take from Ghubar Magazine?
SD: The mix of cultures and types. We should not be afraid of Difference but be aware and be proud of it because this is how the world is now and this is what we are trying to show.

FS: Who or what inspires you?
SD: It might sounds childish but..it is my parents! I say so because thanks to their job I travelled a lot when I was younger and I think being able to see all I have seen during my childhood made me grow up from the inside. They taught me values that I cherish today and that are necessary to work in this industry "Never forget who you are and where you come from, so that wherever you go you will never get lost"... I think this is what GHUBAR is all about.

FS: Where is Ghubar heading?
SD: I would like GHUBAR to be the ultimate reference for my generation (one day!), not only as a fashion magazine, but as a concept, a way to see things differently from everything that is proposed to us!

FS: What advice would you give to anyone wishing to start a magazine?
SD: It is a real involvment and lots of work so all I can say is to fasten your seat belt because there is no room for giving up once it starts!

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FS: Fah-schyon

SD: Sarah Diouf

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Hope this interview was as interesting to read as it was for me to conduct.

Check out the Ghubar website here: http://www.ghubar-magazine.com/

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Thanks for checking the blog!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!