SAMAH ELMERI
When I first collaborated with Samah Elmeri on Fig & Olive’s Fashion Issue, it was instantly clear that she approaches storytelling the way others approach design; strategically, with emotion, and with an eye for identity. Elmeri contributed two essays; Born in Exile: Fashioning Identity Through Memory and Grana Jewellery: The Art of Everyday Adornment. Both of these pieces centered on how style became a vessel for memory and self-definition. Even then, her writing reflected the precision of a branding mind, every word she wrote revealed a deeper truth about what makes something meaningful, not just beautiful.
By the time we began working together on Fig & Olive’s Fine Arts Issue, our collaboration had evolved into a creative partnership around branding. Elmeri took on the role of Social Media Manager, developing a campaign that both promoted the upcoming issue and branded it. She translated the visual codes of our print stories into a cohesive digital experience, shaping a tone, rhythm, and narrative that carried the Fig & Olive identity seamlessly across platforms. It was branding as storytelling, a reflection of her belief that every visual choice communicates value.
The more I came to know Elmeri, I discovered that her approach comes from years spent defining the emotional architecture behind
some of the world’s mos recognizable luxury names. As Regional PR Manager for Dolce & Gabbana Middle East, Elmeri was responsible for shaping brand perception across seven markets. From cultural events to editorial placements, her focus was always on consistency, ensuring that every touchpoint felt intentional and aligned with the brand’s DNA. Later, at MILLE World, she worked on brand storytelling projects that gave voice to Arab creatives, helping to build identities that felt authentic and aspirational.
Now based in New York, Elmeri continues to apply that same discipline to her work as Managing Editor at HalalFocus. There, she is leading a rebranding effort that redefines how ethical industries communicate, integrating visual storytelling with strategic editorial structure. Her academic foundation at Pratt Institute in Fashion New Media sharpened her fluency in digital design, user experience, and the emotional side of branding, skills she now brings to every project she touches.
For us at Fig & Olive, Elmeri embodies what it means to be a modern brand storyteller. She moves fluidly between words, visuals, strategy and sentiment. Her work in branding demonstrates coherence, empathy, and the ability to make people feel something real.
Working with Samah Elmeri always feels like being part of something that’s still unfolding. She doesn’t separate the strategic from the sentimental; it’s all the same language to her. There’s an honesty in how she moves through ideas; quiet, deliberate, and frankly impossible to miss once you’ve seen it.
