Writings

This essay examines how Vogue Arabia and Vogue United States, as fashion and cultural institutions, promote distinct versions of feminism grounded in their regions' cultural, religious, and capitalistic sensibilities. Drawing on Joseph Straubhaar's “asymmetrical interdependence” and Stuart Hall's “encoding-decoding model,” the paper explores how Vogue Arabia appeals to feminist audiences through subtle resistance and modesty, while Vogue US embodies individualistic, liberal feminism centered on self-determination. Applying Edward Said's “Orientalism” and Lila Abu-Lughod's critique of Middle East feminist studies, it argues that the United States retains an advantage in framing Muslim-majority Middle Eastern countries as inherently anti-feminist.