Nouran Khalifa; Fashion Maverick

Starting her career at the young age of seventeen as a photographer, Nouran Khalifa eventually took on the role of a lifestyle blogger and social media influencer, amounting more than 200 thousand followers on her Instagram along the way. With her sisters she set up her own agency Khalifa’s Wonderland, yet taking on another role. Photographer/blogger/businesswoman, we speak to Cairo’s favorite fashion maverick right now.

At the age of seventeen, Nouran started working as a photographer while studying at university, and by twenty, she had starting shooting celebrities for magazine covers and commercial use. “Since I was a kid, I always had a passion for both fashion and photography. I used to hold photo sessions for my friends, and I would style them and do their makeup. At first, I used my phone to take photos of them on my roof, then I bought a professional camera and I bought so many books from and watched tutorials online to learn more about photography until I turned into a pro,” Nouran explains her self-taught journey.

Nouran confuses some people because she is both a photographer and a lifestyle blogger. Others automatically assume that she ditched her photography career to start blogging, but she thinks that the combination of both talents comes under one personality – a girl who is obsessed with fashion. “The fact that I love being behind the camera shouldn’t mean that I don’t like being in front of it. I thought, “Why not be both?” It’s okay to be multitalented, when you have the passion and energy to do more than one thing at a time.”

Before she had her own team of stylists, makeup artists, and art directors, Nouran was the one responsible for all of these jobs with her earlier clients, which sometimes included celebrities. This is what motivated her to pursue a career in blogging.

As for the challenges she faces as a social media persona, Khalifa talked to us about the stress that comes with deciding whether to take a job opportunity or marketing a certain brand or venue due to her awareness that a lot of people are following her and depending on her opinion. “You have to be committed to testing everything, including fashion, beauty products and hair services, and making sure that you really love what you’re promoting and think it’s worth it for others to try it out,” she explained.

When asked about how Khalifa’s Wonderland started, she explains that it originated from the pressure she had been under due to working alone combined with her need for a team to help her manage her time and her schedule. She put together a team of people whom she had worked with and trusted over the years, with some responsible for production and graphic design. She also wanted to honor her mother’s dream that she and her sisters- who are also founders of Khalifa’s Wonderland, would somehow end up working together.

To describe her tenacious personality, she said, “I love challenges. I look at them as a positive thing to overcome. I’m also very passionate. When I set my heart on something, I go after it with no limits. Nothing holds me back.”

Concerning her future, she sees herself as an international fashion photographer. “I love my country but I want my vision to spread so much further than Egypt only. Hopefully, I’ll become an international lifestyle blogger, too.” Not many people know this but she had always sketched fashion designs as well but she lacked the time to pursue it as a career. For Nouran no dream is too far. “Maybe in the future I will launch my own clothing line someday.”

By Sarah Guirguis

Creative Director & Retoucher Nouran Khalifa

Designs by Kojak

Jewelry by Argent Bijoux

Hair by Johny Saad

Make Up by Reham Khalifa

Photography by Thee Bori

Styling by Mostafa Waheed

Shot at Mucho Cafe