When it comes to putting themselves together, men have never had it so good. Whether you’ve a mind to dress up, dress down, or freak out, the choices are endless and everywhere. To prove it, we photographed a bunch of fashionable guys from the region, each with a deeply personal approach to style, all in their own clothes.
Christian Daccache
Founder, Bureau Des Créateurs
“My personal style has always been quite minimal. My favourite thing to wear right now is a combination of high-waisted trousers, with wide legs, paired with a white shirt, or an oversized white t-shirt. I think people like Harry Styles and Timothee Chalamet rock this look so well, as they are both quite minimal, but certainly have that trendy and edgy feel to them”
Bandana Jacquard Icon Cardigan, by Alanui at That Concept Store
Omar al Shunnar
Adventurer and Explorer
I have a sneaker obsession, so picking what sneakers I’m going to wear every day is what takes up the most time. I always try to match the pair with the mood that I’m in or to cooridinate colour. I’ve always had a sense of my personal style, but when I was younger, because of perceived social norms, I never really expressed it. It wasn’t until 2016 that I decided that I was going to dress as a way of self expression. Today, I wear my national dress this way, and I wear it proudly. It’s my way of being authentic to myself and respecting my culture at the same time.
Rami Afifi
Artist
“My favourite clothes are things I feel are going to last me a lifetime. I’m trying to shape my wardrobe to be less about fast fashion and more about sustainable purchasing. I have two kids, and I do think about what the future is going to look like for them. That has really put me more onto a path of quality over quantity, and through that I have found that while I am spending a little bit more, I am showing more care to the piece after I buy them, and because of that they almost become part of my personality.”
Sami Abdullah
Model
“My uncle was my inspiration. Where I grew up it was very hard to get anything original, and he was always getting bootlegged stuff that was so dope. I remember seeing a pair of Margiela’s ‘Future’ sneakers on Justin Bieber at a concert, I saw them and thought, I need to have them. My uncle got me a pair the week after that. When I first put them on was when I fell in love with fashion.”
Sweater, blue trousers, glasses and hat, all Berluti
Peter Ahn
Founder, Frame Boutique
“The fun of fashion for me is about using your imagination. I love to mix and match. High and low. Formal and informal. Street and stylish. It’s about the freedom to play around that I enjoy. I like to educate myself before I buy things, so I check what I have in my wardrobe and do a lot of online research, only then I will purchase stuff.”
Marco Moller
Owner, Möto, a Coffeeshop/Barbershop/Motorcycle Workshop
“My style is very functional. A lot of it comes from simply working in a workshop for 12 to 14 hours a day. I think a lot of how I look at clothing comes from my childhood where I grew up in a working-class family in East Germany. I wear stuff that’s practical—I wear a motor cycle jacket because I ride a motorcycle, it’s not meant to be a fashion statement, it’s an extension of who I am.”
Cedric Haddad
Celebrity Stylist
“I spend a lot of time thinking about what clothes work best on others, so as it happens, I never really have time to dress for myself. It’s the curse of the stylist! Normally, while I am pulling clothes for others, I will see some pieces that I like for myself and get those. Due to ease, I tend to stick to monochrome outfits. Often all black, but occasionally with a bit of white thrown in.”
Jacket and shoes, both by Dior
Misbah Chowdhury
Photographer
“I find confidence in what I wear. I tend to veer towards things that are comfortable and easy to put on—heavy-knit sweaters, loose-fitting pants, hiking boots, anything that I can just put on and get out there. I don’t feel like my wardrobe will ever be complete, because for me building a wardrobe is more about the pursuit of perfection.”