Wafa, Dubai

Wafa Tajdin is the producer and part-owner of Seven Thirty Films in Kenya and The Factory Production Studio in Dubai, the only black-owned production house in the UAE. Often working alongside her sister, the writer and director Amirah Tajdin, she’s worked with Esteé Lauder, VICE, Pulse Films, Bloomingdales, Dubai Tourism and Sole DXB, and is a producer on music videos for international artists like Rita Ora and Imaginary Dragons in Dubai. Born and brought up in Nairobi, Wafa is no stranger to the mish-mash of culture and experiences that make up the vibrant chaos of a modern metropolis. In fact, she thrives on it. Graduating with a masters degree in media studies from the Rhodes School of Journalism in South Africa, her passions led her to telling stories, particularly human-interest stories from angles that are innovative, interesting and relevant to Africa.

Looking at the culture you’re in right now, what’s exciting about it as a culture to you? 

There is actually something quite exciting happening right now. Especially in the last 18 months I'd say there is this movement towards looking at black women and women of colour as on par or worthy cultural contributors. Our voices have been given a platform and a space, and I think that's really what excites me. My conversations are really changing from what they were 2 to 3 years ago, whether it is my commercial work or my narrative documentary work - it seems our voices are wanted and needed. Our representation is very much at the fore of a lot of people's policies right now. I hope this is a sustainable change for good. I hope we're not being tokenized and being used to tick boxes. But based on the conversations that I've had it looks like it's formative and it's genuine and is really invested in longevity. 

In terms of the representation of our voices and our bodies and our lives and experiences. That's what excites me the most. When I started out, it was never even thought about in this context of representation that our bodies were seen as worthy. To put it simply. I think the movement towards this truest representation of what humanity is and not just what the white gaze is or what the white gaze needs, over the last 5 years is a positive trajectory. But I think the last 18 months, after George Floyd passed away and we had all these social media movements, I think there has been sustainable change.

Who do you see within the culture as being on the cutting edge? It could be individuals or it could be companies, and what are those people or companies doing that is so exciting to you? 

I'm going to be a little bit gutsy here and say that Nike is one of them. They do it the way I think it needs to be done. Of course there is room for improvement there but they seem to have the ability to take risks before anybody else and then people seem to follow. Some being the operative word, just to be clear. I'm speaking about optics and visuals and when I see things. I could be wrong but that's my perspective. So Nike is one of them, and then you've got people like Volvo. For a Scandinavian company, based in Scandinavia but actually owned by the Chinese, I think they are super progressive in the way they seek to represent, not just issues around race or racial demographics but also gender. I really like how gender forward they are with women and how they represent women in their work. When we go into the narrative world where I inhabit as well, I'm really excited about the content that's coming out of the streamers. In particular HBO Max and their collabs with the BBC where you've got Black Women and people who are LGBTQIA leading projects and talking about their lived experiences in a way that even two years ago would've been unfathomable! So, I'm really excited about that content and visual creation, those are the people that excite me the most at the moment.

There are obviously problems like issues of tokenism and singularism that come up. But the overarching message that comes out of that is positive and being seen. They excite me by the way they approach these things, they are not doing it overtly or too much in your face. But giving you that space that was very much lacking for so long.

Are there people being positively disruptive in the culture right now, and how are they being disruptive and what are they disrupting? 

Globally, you've got people like Michaela Cole, going back to what I was saying about HBO Max, the BBC and what she's done. Then you've got people like Ibtihaj Muhammad the fencer from the US. We spent some time with her when she came to shoot here in Dubai, and I like her. I like what she stands for and who she is, based on my experience with her in real life and in front of the camera and (how she projects herself to) the world. Those are the people that are coming to me very quickly. Riz Ahmed, the actor as well because he's very much out there and owning his identity as a Muslim man. Going into these boardrooms creating slates and funds that are about us and for us. Muslim representation is also very important to me because I am a Muslim. I'm really interested in moving away from negative tropes and a lot of mine and my sister Amirah's narrative work is about that.

We'll jump into inclusivity now. Considering who you are, what you do and all the commas in between, can you explain what inclusivity the term means to you?

It means being seen and seeing. That's what inclusivity means to me. It's really that simple, but maybe my definition is broader than other people. But it means seeing people who look like me, hearing people who look like me. Hearing our voices is really important. Just using our bodies in cute poses is just not enough. I want to hear people's testimonies. And not just like me, it's the whole spectrum of race and gender. Sexuality and diversity. All of it. I want to see all of it tied into the images I consume. Let's give space and time to everybody we can possibly give it to. Depending on our circumstances and our position in life. And not to pass judgement on anyone. No one should pass judgement on anybody, or what their choices are or how they are born or how they look. That includes disabled people too. It's also really important we remember to include them because a lot of the time we are more about gender, race and sexuality in representation and disabled people tend to get left behind. And eventually not seen in our lived experiences.

How inclusive and diverse do you find the culture or industry you’re in to be? 

I think because we live in the Middle East and we are predominantly a nation of colour, or people of colour, I think the Western definition of inclusivity gets thrown out the window here when it comes to race at-least. There is a lot more parity here in terms of women and gender equality. Women generally earn the same as men in the same positions. There's never really any bias towards a woman's pay vis-a-vis a man's pay even at senior roles. It's not always the case but in most cases. Especially when you compare it to Western societies and how they are meant to be way more forward than us. I think we're lucky to be women in this industry and working in Dubai. If Amirah and I were doing the same work in New York or London, I don't think we would've progressed in our careers as much as we have. There are a lot more barriers to entry in terms of your gender in the West than there are here. And I think we need to celebrate that a bit more about the Middle East and about the UAE in particular. I can't speak generally, although maybe Oman because I've got family there and I've also got Omani heritage. And I know that there as well there is a lot of gender parity.Racially, in terms of brown and black dynamics, there needs to be more black representation in media and content. That's one of the things Amirah and I have been pushing, like I said earlier. And we're actually getting pleasantly surprised by some of our clients and how adaptive and receptive they are being. The representation of black bodies and identities in the context of Arab culture and history of trade between East Africa and the Gulf needs to be highlighted more and celebrated more. I think that's where we are behind.

Do you think there is a hunger for that? The region is so nuanced, Dubai in particular has hundreds of nationalities. But being Black and what that means, specifically to Arabs, do you think the audience wants to see more of that?

Yeah, it seems like there was. Especially last year, in the wake of BLM last summer, there seemed to be. There was a lot of dialogue and people were out doing things. Things have died down of course, but this was from the Black community or not. Both sides! I mean I'm not both sidesing - but I am. I think there is a hunger because if you look at it, Hip Hop culture is really loved by Arabs. I mean it's loved universally, but people here LOVE IT. I'm a product of that love of blackness. I wouldn't be here if there wasn't some old Omani guy who married a Swahili Black woman from Lamu. There is that but it's also always been very transactional. From the slave trade to like now. Let's purchase this Hip Hop lifestyle and that's all. We're not going to bring that into our lived experience or deny things. And there are a lot of Black Arabs, people forget that. These are Black people that identify as Arab now and they need to be celebrated, seen and included in Gulf countries. So there is definitely space, but it's about who is brave enough to take it up and do it concertedly and valuably.

Who do you think is doing that and taking those steps regionally?

Regionally, I think the fashion or apparel brands are. They are doing it. Everything I've done since last summer and have produced has had black cast. Maybe it comes down to Amirah directing most of that work and her insisting on that being a part of casting. But I have to give credit where credit is due and some clients have said they want that diversity.

So is it when a client comes up to you and says they’ve got this Fall/Winter film and you and your sister go back to them with an all black cast? Or is it them coming to you and making an effort asking for a diverse cast for the film?

It's both. I don't think anyone is ready to have a fully-black cast yet, because a lot of this is for commercial interest and to appeal to all their markets. For us we're just glad that they are representing the people that are actually a huge part of their consumer market. There are Black people that consume this stuff too. No matter what their backgrounds are, whether they are Black from the African continent and living as expats here or Black Arabs, that market exists and it thrives here. I think it's baby steps. Is there a client that'd do the whole black thing without it being performative or tokenism? maybe one or two. But I'm also scared to go into that realm of doing one and missing that nuance or misreading the room. We also don't want to do that. It's tokenism then. We have to be careful how we balance what we produce as well visually.

And how do you see Adidas playing in this area? Is there anything you’ve seen them do or tackle that you appreciated? 

I haven't seen anything here that's been like WOW that's really cool to hear from adidas. I've seen it with Nike. Nike did that big summer campaign last year which was very cool. Was it the best I've seen from Nike? No. But it was very progressive for what we are trying to achieve here with women and the representation of all these sorts of different women. But with adidas, personally, maybe because it's not on my radar and I don't see it as much, I feel it hasn't pushed that envelope yet. They seem to rely a lot more on influencer relationships and activations. Tapping into the cool kids and not really their market. They need to tap into who their market is which aren't those cool kids. 

We’re going to jump into sustainability now. Another main conversation piece, can you again please explain what sustainability means to you?

That's the next epoch in my life, where I'm looking to do what I care about more and care more about what I consume. If I think about sustainability, to me it's about using ecologically sound practices to produce your product. Whether it's using things that are recyclable, environmentally safe and using sustainable practices through your hiring and human rights records and ensuring people are taken care of in that way, so for me sustainability has an environmental and humane angle to it. And for me historically, the first big brand I heard that used sustainable, recycled plastic and I bought the shoes was adidas. I don't have a historic record in my mind of anybody doing it before then, including Nike. So it's a big kudos to them. And they created this awareness in me. 

I've started wearing recycled plastic and vegan shoes in the last 6 months. Especially sneakers, there is this nice little brand that I wear from Spain now. I'm moving away from the mass produced plastic shoes in particular. They are not Veja's, they've become too big now so I'm not sure how sustainable they are any more. It's this brand called Faye, I like their sneakers. They're very simple, very clean. They are not cheap but they are worth it, if you think about the processes that have gone on behind them. I recently bought a pair made of mango leather, they are vegan and very soft and comfy. To me that's what sustainability means, that model. Gets manufactured in a very humane way, all labour is paid above minimum wage, so we've been told. And I think the big corporations have to follow suit. They have the resources to be more sustainable so why not.

What responsibility do fashion and streetwear brands have when it comes to sustainability? 

I come from Kenya, Nairobi, and our sustainability mindset is very much ingrained in us at a young age without you even realizing it. Because there is this massive second hand clothing market, and it's this stuff that people in the West don't want anymore and it comes and gets sold to us at cheaper prices. It's because of economics and people not being economically empowered or wealthy enough to buy the new and the latest or mainstream apparel from the big companies. So they rely on these second hand things but it's a great model. Because then we are that market. Do I agree with the ethics behind dumping the old stuff in Africa that Europeans and North Americans are done with? No, but the sustainability of that model is interesting to me. It's a good value chain around apparel. We consume a lot here and this place is very much the Vegas of the Middle East. Everything is bigger, bolder, better…

Is there something that brands like adidas can do around education or that they can start or develop?

We're Disneyland on steroids. But that's a good idea! I would very much be a supporter of that. I think that's exactly where brands need to go into - schools. I have another anecdote about how schools were used to encourage societal change. One of the first jobs I did out of university before I started producing, was working for an NGO here called START. I don't know if they still exist, but it was an arts education NGO. It's the whole premise, because arts isn't a part of the school curriculum here and in the region for the public education system, we'd go into these schools and have art classes. We'd go to refugee camps in schools in Lebanon and Syria for example, and we'd do arts education classes. It was really effective and sustainable in terms of conditioning children to bring out their creativity because it wasn't encouraged in Arab curriculums and education systems. If Adidas decided to do that, go into schools and angle who they are towards that, encouraging consumption sustainably down the line would be very very effective.

They are really hungry for that sort of thing and a lot more open-minded than when we started out all those years ago. I think the educational authorities would be very receptive to it.

Maybe we can't change all of that stuff, but I think the advertising agencies here - if we're going to talk about brands and selling products - I think the creatives in agencies here are safe and mainstream and not necessarily cream of the crop. When you put them against other agencies and creatives around the world there's (show's imbalance with hands). If there wasn't someone in the room telling you let's play it safe and remake this same ad from the England office there'd be more creativity in the region. A lot of this creativity being expressed by individuals and this influencer world we love comes from advertising principles. It's selling yourself. And if everything you are seeing on your screens is safe and mainstream that's how you're going to express your creativity, your style and yourself.

I feel like it's in an infinite loop. I've been in enough meetings with brands where it comes down to two things. It's the crippling fear of thinking outside-the-box and then there is the guarantee of doing something you know already works. That instant ROI.

It's instant gratification but the onus needs to be put back on the marketeers. The brands and whomever works with them at the agencies. There needs to be more push and bravery. Account Director's can't just focus on the bottom line and they need to challenge their clients a bit. And not to put the blame on the creatives, they are told this is what is going to pay the bills. But the marketing people, the clients people, they are just lazy.

I wouldn't want a local agency to come between me and the client. That's really important to me. Unless it's an agency I have synergy with and isn't corrupt. I can't give too much detail, but with Adidas jobs I haven't been able to get a few because of where I stand on a few things. But I'd want to do it and as Amirah's producer and manager it's one of her big dreams to do an adidas campaign. She likes the brand and how it's represented particularly in North America and Europe. It'd be great to create something with them directly.

From a streetwear point of view, who do you think is more connected to the culture Nike or adidas?

I think adidas is connected to streetwear and so is Nike. But Nike's turned it into a more lifestyle and aspirational social justice brand. Where adidas is still more on the streets. It's more streetwear and Nike is more athleisure or social justice guy. You get the cool streetwear stuff from them too though.

I mean if we were out in Sole (DXB) right now, the kids into streetwear would they be repped more in adidas or Nike?

I think it'd be a balance of the two. Because if we're thinking adidas, premium Yeezy's are huge here. You'll always see them worn, respected and loved. Then you've got people wearing the higher end Nike streetwear. For example, I bought the Kim Jones Nike's a few weeks ago and I like them they're fun to wear. So you see both if you're looking at the more premium stuff. But I think Nike starts moving away from it when it becomes a more mainstream street culture. Where you'll see adidas more and more in mainstream street culture. Nike is more health oriented  here.

More in the gyms than on the streets so to speak. Thinking about streetwear culture - how could adidas be doing better overall? Where are they fucking up if anywhere? 

I don't think they are fucking up. I just think they need to do better at representing who they are for and understanding who their audience and market is. Moving away from just being this high end aspirational thing for only the Khaleeji audience. We know the Khaleeji's love Yeezy so let's just stick to that. They aren't doing anything too badly, they just need to do better campaigns here.

What would you like to see from adidas campaigns moving forwards?

I don't want to see the same people, or the same angles or the same shots. I don't want to see the same backdrop and background. Or see my sister's shit get ripped off by some "influencer directors". I don't want weird ambassadors or influencer's being at the forefront of this. I want to make and see stuff that is impactful, aspirational and accessible. I want a young Filipino boy who is 10 or 12 years old and loves to play basketball here in Dubai to watch that commercial and feel seen. I don't want it to be about some random rich princess who has a fashion line. That's not accessible. Or a young Indian girl living in Riyadh or a Saudi girl living in Khobar who sees that and doesn't come from an upwardly mobile or rich family that says "Hey dad, I want to go buy that pair of really cool sustainable sneakers from adidas." For me that's what's important. And I think they miss the mark because they love going with the influencers and I don't think that works anymore. Nike has done that, and even with the swimwear campaign they did last year, they did it subtly and it wasn't lame with random influencers. It was with people who actually do these things and work at it and improve their lives thanks to swimming and Nike swimwear. I want that kind of representational content.

We're not seeing enough adidas and Nike is just good at creating this organic loyalty as well. They are so good at it, they like to create relationships with you. They'll send you little packages, like to the Shukriyah and Shamis' of the world. Nike is good at that. They'll sponsor your fitness regime for a few months and they won't make a big hullabaloo about it. But they are there, ear to the ground to the community. That's where Nike trumps adidas. I've never heard of adidas doing it for anyone other than the big influencers.

So adidas are catering more to the influencers than the regular people?

Yes and this influencer cool is really dimming. I've spoken to some of these influencers that adidas loves - who also work with Nike so forget loyalty - and they are tired of being influencers.

What are they influencing? But I feel like that is a whole other conversation. If it's not about building communities, we get lost in the sauce here.

And if it's not a part of your lifestyle and you're just doing it to get paid. That inauthenticity gap is getting bigger and bigger and bigger. If I see an influencer who is an actual sneakerhead and they actually collect sneakers and they are living that life and it's about them then fine, that's the right influencer you should be working with as an apparel and shoe brand. I'm not buying into it if it's a guy who is primarily wearing Nike's or Margiela and all of a sudden he's doing some Adidas shit. I bought those Kim Jones Nikes because of a sneaker guy. I watched his channel on YouTube one day, he's based here, and he did a good review on the shoes. Nothing bombastic in terms of intellect. But I was like the shoe looks cool and you look cool, I'll get the shoe. It's that simple.

Authenticity is so simple. It's been done for decades in the beauty industry with women. If I like a mascara I'll tell you about it and then you'll buy it. It's word of mouth and influencing before it was a thing.

And it works. Some of my biggest clients are beauty clients and I never feel like there is a lack of the right representation - although it is a problematic industry as well. Because they've got that formula, it's there and they understand the power of WOM and showing women the way they think they need to be seen. But when I work with fashion or apparel clients I feel like there is this weird miscalculation, especially with the more mainstream brands, about how, where and who they need to sell with. If I can't believe that person is actually consuming that product, if it comes across like that to me it'll come across the same way to many other people.

You have exquisite taste in fashion, I've always been a fan of you and your sister's stuff. But is there a legendary brand in streetwear that instantly comes to mind for you?

I would say Stüssy and Palace. With what they've done they've created brand awareness, accessibility, coolness. They are older brands and more into skate culture but they are the right way to market, sell and represent streetwear. Based on how I consume content and the type of content I like to consume. And once again I want to say that I really don't see Adidas content unless it's a board I'm looking at and it's referenced by Terance Nance who's a big director out of SA and the UK. That's when I'll see the adidas stuff. I like what they do in the UK, they do a lot of really cool content in Britain. But then you come back here and it's such a world apart. It's getting the right mix and balance of people, not just people who see transactions. But people who see community and relationships and I think that translates into real long term loyalty.

We're going to look towards the future. One of the reasons I wanted to chat to you is because you've been here a long time. You've seen the emirate grow and have been a part of street culture. Are there any interesting trends or tipping points you’re seeing in your industry and culture right now; particularly post-pandemic that you want to bring up? 

I think we are still very much in a pandemic. We won't be out of it until Mid 2023. If it hadn't happened I think there would have been this acceleration towards a bigger celebration of what street culture is and how it's impacting the creative scene. I think Sole DXB plays a big part in how that narrative has changed, which I'm lucky to be a part of working with them. But there is also a growing awareness and smarter audience consumption. The pandemic really put a big question mark on a lot of things. People's priorities have really shifted and consumerism is going to go down. I sense, and maybe I'm wrong because people never cease to amaze me, but I think until about next summer there will be a lag in people wanting to buy and express through streetwear and street culture. And it can be for a number of reasons, like a change in moral compass and wanting to be more ethical with what they consume. Or economic reasons. Maybe people don't have that much spending power because of pay cuts or job loss.

And I think it's a really interesting time to regroup and reimagine what a brand is and then launch with all these things in mind. Understanding the different strata of your consumer market and coming at it in a more considered and precious way. It can't just be like let's do a collab with this princess. It can't be that easy, do better.

The market is still so new. The UAE is turning 50 this year. It'll be interesting to see brands take a step back and come back into the region with a gusto. They have a lot less dismantling to do!

And they are the survivors. So take that privilege of survival and share it. I love that idea of going into schools and creating sustainable and environmental awareness. That's the sort of stuff they need to strategise and do. I mean yes, I would love to do a big fat campaign for them but I also want that to be a useful piece of content. Not just blank, frivolous stares and backdrops of Karama.

We need to think smarter as creatives, the onus is on us as creators of this imagery to be braver in how we hold our clients accountable in the betterment of society. Unfortunately, producers are often super greedy people that care about their bottom lines. I know this because I know a lot of producers and I am one myself. I know what that economic enticement does to people, but we need to do and be better.

Creatives need to fight the good fight in order to tell the stories they want to tell. And again, what would you like a new age of originality to look like? What would it enable? 

It's somebody who has the guts to do the right thing. In every facet of that statement. Make sure everyone on that project gets paid well but also makes sure that the product and messaging resonates with the right people and audience. So then that translates to the right customer and sales for your client too. Maintaining that ecosystem in an ethical way. We as humans also need to learn how to be happier with less. We're a society that loves things and showing off, and I think we need to move away from that. Maybe the power of advertising can translate that into a reality. Teaching people how to be better with what they consume. Why not encourage less sales as a brand? But understanding what loyalty is and maintaining that loyalty.