MESA Magazine launched just over one month ago, around the same time that we saw the Coronavirus outbreak take full effect. On a small, yet more positive note, this month has brought an avalanche of growing support for the platform, co-founded by us – a pair of 24-year-old Middle Eastern (Kardelen Yuce) and South Asian (Armani Syed) girls, simply wanting to write about our interests. 

Kardelen (Kar) has always had a penchant for fashion and lifestyle, while Armani found her joie de vivre in arts and culture. Albeit, we would discuss race and politics from time to time, it wasn’t an exclusive interest for either one of us. 

This realisation led to the birth of MESA, a platform where Middle Eastern and South Asian creatives could talk about anything and everything, including politics if they wanted to, but also fashion, art, sex or culture. 

The response from the MESA community and the journalism industry has been incredibly encouraging. Our content has secured readership in 47 countries and counting. We have also had journalists from major media organisations, such as the BBC and ITV reach out to praise our content and launch.

To commemorate the progress of our platform since it’s launch, we’ve assembled a couple of our favourite pieces written by us and the talented MESA team.

Arts & Culture

How the Jhalak Prize is levelling the literary playing field

Politics

Covid-19 has not been a “leveller”

Fashion 

Talking inflatable trousers, a dog’s vision, and Indian-heritage with Harikrishnan

Sex & Relationships

Ex and the city

First Person

Eshaan Akbar: Having MESA parents was great practice for a national lockdown

Arts & Culture 

MESA Reviews: Haifaa Al Mansour’s The Perfect Candidate

Politics

Reflections from a British Bangladeshi on Independence Day

Fashion 

How the luxury fashion industry is responding to Coronavirus

Sex & Relationships

Discussing casual sex in MESA communities

First Person

Motorways and misogyny in Morocco

On behalf of the MESA team we’d like to thank you all for the support you’ve shown so far and we hope you enjoy the content that our second month will bring!

Kardelen Yuce & Armani Syed, Co-Founders & Editors-in-Chief