“When people are stuck inside and are losing their jobs, how can you push nail polish when it’s the last thing they are thinking about? I shifted to where I was trying to create an 80/20 effect where 80 percent of what I was writing about was talking about these matters and 20 percent focused on creativity and offering escapism to our readers.”
-Alexandra Venison, former Beauty Editor of Vogue Arabia
Where does beauty stand today? In this episode, Rohma Theunissen sits down with Alexandra Venison, former beauty editor of Vogue Arabia to talk about her career, conscious consumption, making beauty relevant in the wake of social unrest and what it takes for beauty brands to succeed in 2020 and beyond.
About Alexandra Venison
Alexandra Venison is a beauty, health and wellness expert. Working in publishing for the last decade, her most recent roles have seen her as the Beauty Editor at Vogue Arabia and Online Editor at Harper’s Bazaar Arabia.
Born in London, Alexandra moved to Dubai with her family in 2003. Instant love for the industry saw her intern with various talents and titles across the region.
In 2009 she returned to her hometown and graduated with a first-class honour’s degree from the London College of Fashion in Broadcast Journalism. Moving back to Dubai in 2012 she began her career with the region’s leading title Emirates Woman. Since then she has worked with prominent brands and publications both locally and globally across beauty, fashion and lifestyle. Her skills include writing, styling, producing and shooting for both print, online and social.
To date, Alexandra has interviewed some of the world’s leading talents. These have included celebrities, Anjelica Huston, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Kourtney Kardashian to designers Donatella Versace and Tom Ford, leaders in the beauty industry like Charlotte Tilbury, Peter Phillips and Tom Pecheux and fashion icons such as Gisele Bündchen and Cara Delavigne.
Ever looking to expand her knowledge and skills, Alexandra has recently qualified from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (INHC) and as a Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy practitioner with the General Hypnotherapy Register. She currently lives in Dubai where she works as a freelance editor, content creator and consultant.