Lebanese singer and fashion icon Dana Hourani is an influencer who uses her fame to tap into humanitarian and feminine issues with a creative twist. In her own particular way, she is a role-model of a truly influential celebrity, as she appears walking her life journey with a purpose; to make a difference.
And not only with talks and songs.
Recognized as a major figure in the fashion industry, both regionally and internationally, Dana has appeared in various campaigns and was featured on several magazine covers across the region.
However, what sets her apart from other celebrities is her particular way to endorse her influential personality.
Dana is an activist of various social causes and also a fierce lover of Lebanon, a love she doesn’t only express but enacts. That has been notable after the explosion of Beirut Port that has rendered hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
Eager to lend support through the active NGOs, Dana has since launched an entire section on her official website solely dedicated to Beirut disaster relief donations for several NGOs, such as Caritas Lebanon, Embrace, Lebanese Food Bank, Beit El-Baraka, and several others.
To also help with the financial crisis of families, she collaborated with Beit El-Baraka, along with several singers, such as Adonis, Anthony Touma, Aziz Maraka, Lara Scandar, and several others, supporting the ‘Zuruni’ project of the NGO.
The project, which aims to feed hundreds of families in need, covers the agro-farming of an organic land that stretches over 500,000 sq.m.
Dana issued a video call on social media for support and even called on the Lebanese expats to come to Lebanon at least once a year to help “build a more resilient and sustainable Lebanon.”
Besides her activism for Beirut in particular and Lebanon in general, Dana is influential in women empowerment.
She has managed to personify feminism per excellence; gentle and strong, loving and fearless, nurturing and courageous…
In that, she has recently compared herself to Beirut and Beirut to her in her brilliantly empowering song Enti Ana, dually representing Beirut and its struggles and strengths with women and motherhood.
With its dual message, the song gives an empowering tribute to Lebanese women by giving tribute to the city of history, the lady of all ladies as she called it, that always faces challenges and never yields.
Another aspect of social influence Dana is known for is gender equality. Her message is evident through her endorsement of the Lebanese fashion line of Amine Jreissati BoyfriendTheBrand, which is “a gender invisible brand.”
Jreissati is also known to create his fashion lines with powerful statements. His most recent collection Sajeen, meaning prisoner, is one of them.
In an interview with Forbes, Dana explains her influences in a clear and meaningful way: “I don’t mind being called an influencer. It’s just that the word has been misconstrued by many. Over the years, the word influencer has had a negative connotation. People forget the initial meaning of the word and it means being an influencer and being influential.”
And just as she believes that the true meaning of being an influencer is heavily reliant on being influential, she does not refrain from being as positively influential towards her audience and the Lebanese society as possible.