Where are you from Mo, can you tell me a little about your background? My parents moved over from Morocco to Amsterdam when they were young, but I’ve been raised in Amsterdam since the day I was born here. So I’d say Dutch with some Moroccan roots. In terms of where I am today, I’ve always had an obsession with men’s’ fashion and magazines. I’d look over the clothes and think about how I had to be well presented. At the same time, I thought the only way to get the clothes was to have a good job and earn money, and so I started at law school, which I hated. My granddad once said to me “find a job you like and you’ll never have to work again”, and although he stole the quote from somewhere, it’s always stuck with me, and so I dropped out of there and started a new degree in journalism. Was it something you always pursued or did it happen organically, what gave you the idea? Whilst studying, I noticed the front pages of the magazines masthead where I was looking at the editors and directors and I thought to myself I want to be one of those people. It’s these people that gave me an escape and inspired me when I was younger. And I want to give that same feeling to someone else. At 19, I got myself a job as an assistant at a magazine called Avant Garde, which at the time was a high end women’s fashion magazine. I did that for a year and started attending shows; I learnt everything about women’s fashion through experience. And then from women’s to menswear? I just naturally found myself leaning towards the men’s shows and pieces. I love an Alaïa dress as much as anyone else, but I found a new challenge in selecting and editing menswear, and then add to that the Dutch man’s personality, because he’s harder to read. When it comes to fashion I always loved a challenge so preferred to do something with menswear. I remember going to Florence for the Pitti and being inspired. I thought if this is men’s wear then I really need to know more about it. Therefore I continued at journalist school, and then got a job in PR office which I did for 3 years, after I got a job offered at The Big Black Book As the fashion editor of The Big Black Book, can you tell me a little of your day to day role? Im responsible for updating our readers about the latest fashion trends by attending all men’s wear shows and presentations. In previous recessions, fashion and style were acting out with nothing to lose attitude, the work became really bold and expressive. What do you think of the dynamic of the current times, do you think fashion has become more commercial of point of sale, for the “fashion man”? I can’t speak Milan or Paris but I can speak on behalf of the Dutch Man, We work very creatively, and we think of our advertisers. However, this is not a reason to cut back and not be creative I think because of the recession people are going through a variant in their life, Also, due to the internet, life is moving at a fast pace. Boredom comes quickly therefore we have to provide new products to maintain interest. At the end it’s all about keeping the readers satisfied. What was your first assignment with The Big Black Book? As I had to go to the shows in Milan and Paris, My first assignment was a trend report .As my prior writing experience was in PR, the change in style was quite hard and a challenge. And how was it to see your first work in print in The Big Black Book? It was overwhelming. I remember showing that publication practically to everyone How would you describe your personal style? I prefer to be classic, with a twist. It can take years to find your own personal style. I have a big weakness for vintage. I also love to experiment with different prints and fabrics and colours. My style is evolving with age. As I am getting older, my approach to fashion is maturing. Having fun and making mistakes is the key to developing a personal style. I never follow trends or force a certain style just because something looks good on someone else it doesn’t mean it looks good on you. Being fashionable and stylish are two very different aspects and not to be confused together. I noticed for The Big Black Book you don’t use a model or a celebrity on the cover is they any reason for that? The Big Black Book is black, classic and timeless. And what we stand for. If we used a talent on the cover, it would no longer be timeless. Also a black cover separates it from other publications. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCO VAN RIJT TEXT BY AKMAL SHAUKAT
Where are you from Mo, can you tell me a little about your background? My parents moved over from Morocco to Amsterdam when they were young, but I’ve been raised in Amsterdam since the day I was born here. So I’d say Dutch with some Moroccan roots. In terms of where I am today, I’ve always had an obsession with men’s’ fashion and magazines. I’d look over the clothes and think about how I had to be well presented. At the same time, I thought the only way to get the clothes was to have a good job and earn money, and so I started at law school, which I hated. My granddad once said to me “find a job you like and you’ll never have to work again”, and although he stole the quote from somewhere, it’s always stuck with me, and so I dropped out of there and started a new degree in journalism. Was it something you always pursued or did it happen organically, what gave you the idea? Whilst studying, I noticed the front pages of the magazines masthead where I was looking at the editors and directors and I thought to myself I want to be one of those people. It’s these people that gave me an escape and inspired me when I was younger. And I want to give that same feeling to someone else. At 19, I got myself a job as an assistant at a magazine called Avant Garde, which at the time was a high end women’s fashion magazine. I did that for a year and started attending shows; I learnt everything about women’s fashion through experience. And then from women’s to menswear? I just naturally found myself leaning towards the men’s shows and pieces. I love an Alaïa dress as much as anyone else, but I found a new challenge in selecting and editing menswear, and then add to that the Dutch man’s personality, because he’s harder to read. When it comes to fashion I always loved a challenge so preferred to do something with menswear. I remember going to Florence for the Pitti and being inspired. I thought if this is men’s wear then I really need to know more about it. Therefore I continued at journalist school, and then got a job in PR office which I did for 3 years, after I got a job offered at The Big Black Book As the fashion editor of The Big Black Book, can you tell me a little of your day to day role? Im responsible for updating our readers about the latest fashion trends by attending all men’s wear shows and presentations. In previous recessions, fashion and style were acting out with nothing to lose attitude, the work became really bold and expressive. What do you think of the dynamic of the current times, do you think fashion has become more commercial of point of sale, for the “fashion man”? I can’t speak Milan or Paris but I can speak on behalf of the Dutch Man, We work very creatively, and we think of our advertisers. However, this is not a reason to cut back and not be creative I think because of the recession people are going through a variant in their life, Also, due to the internet, life is moving at a fast pace. Boredom comes quickly therefore we have to provide new products to maintain interest. At the end it’s all about keeping the readers satisfied. What was your first assignment with The Big Black Book? As I had to go to the shows in Milan and Paris, My first assignment was a trend report .As my prior writing experience was in PR, the change in style was quite hard and a challenge. And how was it to see your first work in print in The Big Black Book? It was overwhelming. I remember showing that publication practically to everyone How would you describe your personal style? I prefer to be classic, with a twist. It can take years to find your own personal style. I have a big weakness for vintage. I also love to experiment with different prints and fabrics and colours. My style is evolving with age. As I am getting older, my approach to fashion is maturing. Having fun and making mistakes is the key to developing a personal style. I never follow trends or force a certain style just because something looks good on someone else it doesn’t mean it looks good on you. Being fashionable and stylish are two very different aspects and not to be confused together. I noticed for The Big Black Book you don’t use a model or a celebrity on the cover is they any reason for that? The Big Black Book is black, classic and timeless. And what we stand for. If we used a talent on the cover, it would no longer be timeless. Also a black cover separates it from other publications. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCO VAN RIJT TEXT BY AKMAL SHAUKAT
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