Recently we’ve been hearing the words blogger and influencer bandied around a lot. So much so, that it sometimes seems that the fashion industry is no longer governed by fashion shows and reviews and has been taken over by the virtual world of Instagram. Nour Aboulela, Sara Taha and Noha El Sherbiny are three fashionable influencers who have gained prominence in Egypt these days. The three have something in common which caught our attention as we prepared for this issue celebrating motherhood. Besides sharing their lifestyles, the three influencers are mothers and have been sharing their journey of motherhood on their blogs. eniGma’s Salma Khaled & Rawda Shahin spoke to the three moms to learn more about them, and what it’s like to be an influencer and a mother.
Nour Aboulela
LovebyN, was the name Nour Aboulela used on Instagram. Known for her iconic fashion style and well-documented travel experiences, Aboulela, is also a devoted mother of two, 10-year-old Shala and five-year-old Kayan. Before she made her Instagram debut as lovebyN in 2013, Aboulela, a psychology major with a diploma in laser acupuncture, was successfully running her own acupuncture clinic. A few months after giving birth to her first child, however, she decided that she couldn’t cope with the pressure of running her clinic while caring for her newborn and she passed on the clinic to her mother. Her first born, Shala, was 6 months old at that time, and that’s when she decided to start lovebyN.
Although it may appear that starting lovebyN was a random move for Aboulela, it really was not quite random after all. Aboulela had already appeared on TV quite often, providing advice to people wanting to get rid of their smoking habit. She had also been modeling since she was a young girl. So, she was already a somewhat recognisable figure when she started lovebyN in 2013. But she certainly never imagined that her blog would be the start of something so big. She couldn’t believe how rapidly LovebyN’s Instagram page grew in popularity making her one of the most respected and appreciated influencers in Egypt. With 400,000 Instagram followers, she has become a social media force to be reckoned with. “I was always into fashion and I’ve lived in many parts of the world, which exposed me to many different cultures,” she recalls, adding, “When I first joined Instagram, it was still very small. There was something called the popular page. Honestly, I was beyond shocked when I first saw myself on that page. It just happened.” From there, followers started flocking to her page and big brands began to approach her for collaborations.
Aboulela soon found out that being an influencer was really a full-time job. She reveals it hasn’t been easy to juggle her commitments on social media and being a mother of two. She nonetheless has made it work and successfully achieved a winning balance to the delight of her fans who consider her their favourite influencer.
Sara Taha
“Being famous on Instagram is like being famous in Monopoly,” says Sara Taha, one of the biggest influencers on Instagram and one of our favourite Insta mums. One of the most influential mums in the Arab world, Taha has several flourishing careers in different fields and still successfully balances her hectic schedule with being a mother. She has become a phenomenon of her own.
For Taha, being an influencer is not enough. She has managed to be a successful dentist, TV host and radio presenter as well. She basically has done it all. After starting her fashion blog seven years ago, she got to travel around the world attending fashion events, and lately launched her own PR agency.
Yet, family always comes first for Taha. Through all the glitz and glam, and the hectic workload of a consistent posting shedule on social media, she always prioritises her family. She affirms that there’s not a moment that goes by that she’s not proud of being a mum. “No matter the workload I have, I always manage to set time at home for my son, Zein,” she says. “We even have secret hideout spots where we hang out every weekend,” she adds. Zein has also begun to appear in multiple brand campaigns, which he seems very keen on, but Taha makes sure to maintain certain limits to protect his well-being as a child.
Being a loving and devoted mother has not stopped Taha from also taking care of herself. She decided to remarry and take a second go at love, and is very happy that Zein gets along well with his step dad. Her “small and cosy family” on Instagram, as she puts it, was very supportive as well. Taha also makes sure to set aside time for Yoga and for the activities she enjoys, including belly dancing, which requires a certain flow that comes naturally to her.
That being said, Taha doesn’t believe in faking anything online and likes to keep it real with her virtual family. “Let’s not try to portray that we are the perfect family. Let’s not be commercial or materialistic,” she says, adding, “I want women to stop stressing so much over these things. There is always more that goes on behind the scenes than is shown on social media. It’s not all reality.”
Noha El Sherbini
Noha El Sherbini got married when she was seventeen, and had her first child, Ali, when she was twenty, and still studying at university. Not surprisingly, she found it hard to keep up with her studies and caring for her baby at the same time, and chose to take a gap year off from university. She eventually went back and graduated with a Business and Marketing degree when she was twenty-five years old, and had her daughter Nazly soon thereafter.
El Sherbiny, who had always loved fashion, decided not to embark on a regular career related to her studies and, instead, started a fashion blog in 2013. As they say, “and the rest is history,” her followers kept growing and she reached today’s influencer status.
So how does she manage being a well-known influencer while being a hands-on mother? El Sherbini proudly affirms that her family is and will always be her number one priority. “I have really strict rules about my work schedule; my weekends are off limits. If there’s anything I have to do with my children or family, I cancel work,” she says.
With that said, Nazly and Ali can, nonetheless, be spotted on their mommy’s Instagram. El Sherbiny does have some rules, however, about exposing her children too much. “I don’t allow my children at shoots, as I will not allow them to work right now. I only take pictures of them with my phone in the comfort of my home,” she explains. “The reason behind my posting of their photos is that they are an essential part of my life, and it wouldn’t make sense not to include them. At the same time, Nazly and Ali aren’t the biggest fans of taking pictures, so their permission plays a big factor,” she adds.
While they are used to it now, it was a shock to Nazly and Ali at first to see people come up to their mother and ask to take a picture with her. They couldn’t understand why that was happening and would ask her if she was “famous.” Now, however, Nazly stays up-to-date with her famous mama’s blog, and even gives her constructive criticism; and Aly is taking it all in his stride as well. Of course, El Sherbiny welcomes her daughter’s views and suggestions and appreciates her feedback.
While enjoying her status as influencer, El Sherbini has an important message she wants to relay to her followers. “On so many levels, life is not how it appears to be on social media. There are imperfections in real life and everything is not that glamorous. Life means a lot more than that.”