January 22, 2026·Interview
Sarah Elawad
The artist behind campaigns for Zohran Mamdani on turning movement, distance, and Sudanese textiles into a new fashion label.
With roots spanning Europe, Sudan, Doha, and New York, Sarah Elawad creates work shaped by movement and distance, drawing from Sudanese textiles, Arabic language, religious iconography, and the intimacy of WhatsApp exchanges across continents. Her visual fluency extends into motion and graphic work, including recent campaign materials for Zohran Mamdani. This month, she brings that practice into fashion with the launch of Sabah Elkhair, debuting at an April NYC pop-up that treats clothing as communication, transmitting joy, warmth, and presence.
What’s the worst recommendation someone’s given you?
To be more realistic.
What was the last film you watched that moved you deeply?
Sudan, Remember Us. Such beautiful documentation of the poetry embedded in Sudanese identity.
What book have you gifted most?
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.
What’s the last article you sent to a friend?
Everyone Wants to Be a DJ, No One Wants to Dance by Dani Offline on Substack
What’s the best investment (money, time, habit) you’ve made?
I have a journal that I physically write in regularly. It’s my best investment of all 3 of those.
