How an Egyptian modelling agency is 'decolonising beauty standards'

Egyptian fashion models Zeina Ehab (left) and Mariam Abdallah pose during a photo session at the studio of UNN Model Management agency in Cairo. Photo: AFP

Between the frenzied rush of wardrobe changes and photographers readying for shoots, Iman Eldeeb's agency is slowly breaking new ground for Egypt's fashion scene by hiring a diverse line-up of models.

Eldeeb forged an international career in European fashion capital Milan, where photographers told her she was "the first Egyptian model they had ever seen". Seven years later, she returned to Egypt in 2018 and set about shaking up a fashion scene where old stereotypes prevail.