THE MIX ISSUE STARRING SIMI & HAZE
Written By: William Buckley
Twin oracles of the dance oor and disruptors of the beautyverse, Simi and Haze Khadra talk music, magic, and Palestinian pride, blurring the line between glam, grit, and galvanizing truth.
WILLIAM BUCKLEY: Since this is our Music issue, let’s start by talking music. Were you both musically gifted growing up? How did music factor into your lives when you were young?
HAZE: We played in an orchestra, since we were, I think six years old, and Simi played the violin, and I went from playing the cello to the double bass when I could physically hold it, because I was so small. And we played the piano quite a bit too.
SIMI: We played the piano, and then I started playing the guitar a few years ago, and Haze started playing the bass guitar, and it was a pretty natural progression, since we were already familiar with music theory.
WB: When did you decide music might be a life path?
HAZE: I don’t know if we’ve decided that yet. We’re never satisfied with an individual life path.
SIMI: Music is a part of everything we do, and because we follow what is authentic to us and what feels good, music will always be a part of that. And with SimiHaze Beauty, our nonprofit, and going back to university for our master’s this fall, each part of our lives feels like it feeds our creativity and intellect and our souls in different ways that are just so connected and make us feel fulfilled in who we are.
WB: Why DJs? How did that happen?
HAZE: It happened kind of by accident. We started by just making really good playlists for our friends’ parties, and then our friend asked us to DJ his Coachella party, and we just agreed to it, like, we just did a crash DJ course.
SIMI: Yeah, we were immediately approached by management.
HAZE: So that was, like, 2015 Coachella.
SIMI: Yeah.
WB: What’s the DJ journey been like? Highlights? Lowlights?
SIMI: It’s been such a blessing, to be honest, because you get to play music and travel. And we met a lot of great people. We learned how to read a room, which is a skill that you take everywhere with you. And I think what used to be a big highlight, which is traveling, is now not as appealing to us, though. But we love traveling still, but we love being home more.
WB: Musically, how do you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not? Or do you decide?
SIMI: I don’t think we’ve ever really been on top of trends, because I think our style is more about taking people through a journey and curating a vibe, and less about what’s hot right now.
WB: What’s hot right now?
HAZE: Whatever makes you happy, whatever makes you feel good, yeah.
WB: I mentioned glam; segue into beauty. LA celebrities, and LA just generally, are known as beauty and body conscious. Do you think being part of that world was a driving inspiration for SimiHaze Beauty?
SIMI: I think the driving inspiration for SimiHaze Beauty came from a single formula and color that we couldn’t find anywhere, which is our signature Velvet Blur lipstick.
HAZE: It was in the shade, Windburn, I think, the first one.
SIMI: Yeah, Windburn. And we have always, and still do, come from a very minimal place of beauty, unless we do a graphic eye.
HAZE: Which we love.
SIMI: But it’s never a full face of makeup. We really like timeless, lasting products, and we don’t compromise on quality.
WB: What’s the mission objective of the brand?
HAZE: It’s form meets function, which is really about never sacrificing aesthetics for utility and vice versa. Our products are high-performing and thoughtfully designed.
WB: How has that journey been so far?
SIMI & HAZE: Having your own brand, I’m sure, for many business owners as well, comes with its challenges, but also really meaningful rewards. And for any entrepreneur, it’s always a continuous learning experience — a lot of lessons, gaining enough experience to lead with confidence, which in turn makes your work more effective. But the challenges are always balanced by the fulfillment of creating something from scratch and really seeing people truly connect with and love not only the product itself, but, the world of the brand.
WB: What’s the hardest part of launching and building a beauty brand?
SIMI: Everything’s hard when you want things done well, so I’d say maybe the most annoying thing is the amount of time it takes from ideation to development to testing to production.
HAZE: And finding the right team and the best team. Team is everything.
WB: Has beauty taken time away from music? How are you managing that?
SIMI: Well, it was strange timing, because when we started developing the line a year before the pandemic, we obviously didn’t know the pandemic was gonna hit. So when the pandemic hit and DJing was put on hold, we put all of our creative energy into developing SimiHaze Beauty. And now that we’re up and running along with the world, we feel more naturally inclined to go back into it. Also, beauty and music sort of feed into each other in ways that we hadn’t expected, in terms of world-building and brand-building, and both allow us to express different sides of our creativity. So while it may have seemed like beauty took time away from music, in reality, it’s been about everything aligning at the right moment.
WB: What has been the most fulfilling or exhilarating moment of the SimiHaze Beauty journey?
HAZE: Hands down, seeing people use the product religiously and love it enough to replace their staple product. I think launching brick-and-mortar anywhere also, and seeing people browse in real life, is so cool. And seeing how it brings so much joy is really the greatest feeling ever, and it makes all the hard work and tough moments worth it.
WB: And what about as DJs?
SIMI & HAZE: I think just bringing joy and uplifting people.
WB: Tell me about the twin thing? I’m a twin, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
HAZE: Oh, you are. That’s crazy.
WB: Yes!
HAZE: I didn’t know that!
WB: Has it always been a given that you would be a duo in the public eye and in business?
HAZE: Well, we’ve been a duo before we both came into the world. So yes, I think it was a given, at least for us, because we’re lucky enough to get along really well. And in business, we complement each other really well.
SIMI: We always bounce ideas back and forth, and we have a really natural flow in how we collaborate. And sometimes I’m more invested in a specific part of a project, and then she’s involved in another aspect of it. And it’s never assigned — it kind of just falls into place like that. And I think our ability to work together without a rigid structure is one of the things that makes it work so well, because it’s just synergy.
WB: Tell us about your Palestinian heritage and how that has influenced your life and what you do?
HAZE: Being Palestinian, I feel like, from a very young age, gave us a profound sense of identity and connection to justice struggles around the world and the fight against colonialism and oppression. And when you’re aware of that from a very young age, you kind of grow up knowing that you can’t just stand by when you see injustice. And it kind of shapes how you see the world, because you learn that every struggle against oppression is connected to your own, and you feel more of a responsibility to stay awake and an urgency to do something about it.
SIMI: Edward Said had a word for seeing the world from two different awarenesses — as an exile, as someone who’s Palestinian — and I really connected with that, that most people are principally aware of one culture and one setting, one home, while exiles are aware of at least two. So there’s this sort of plurality of vision, where you’re seeing from more than one place at once, which inherently gives you a deeper understanding of truth and the distortion of it. And the truth is that Palestinians, just like any other people, deserve freedom, dignity, and full recognition of their humanity. And I just know for sure that that’s not a radical position.
WB: You’ve been outspoken in your advocacy for Palestine, meanwhile the climate for pro-Palestinians in the U.S. right now sounds terrifying. How are you feeling about that? How are you navigating?
SIMI: It’s definitely a heightened moment we’re living in. Although none of this is new, it’s just happening at a much more magnified and accelerated rate. And what has been beautiful, though, is seeing so many people really do their due diligence, their research, learn about what’s happening through literature and through primary sources, instead of listening to just what’s on the news. And I think there’s just so much hope in mine and the younger generation as well. So I find that really uplifting and encouraging.
WB: It seems like the majority of people in the U.S. are opposed to what’s happening in Palestine, but the administration is silencing people. Social media seems to be silencing people also. In a world where social media is such an integral part of life, how are you navigating that?
HAZE: We used to speak out about human rights every day online, but over time, I feel like it became overwhelming, kind of like managing another full-time job, emotionally and mentally. So eventually, and sort of naturally, we decided to redirect that energy into something tangible: helping children coming out of conflict zones access trauma-sensitive education. And it felt like the most grounded and fulfilling way to make an impact.
WB: I know you mentioned the Starbucks boycott. Do you feel like people are getting behind those movements in the U.S.?
SIMI: I think the BDS movement is really important because it represents a refusal to be complicit in injustice. And I think it’s just empowering to be able to connect your daily choices to a broader fight for justice. And historically, like in South Africa, the BDS movement helped isolate the apartheid regime internationally, while in the beginning, people dismissed it and said it was ineffective.
HAZE: We also get that it’s hard to boycott everything that is connected, but where you can make those concessions, I feel like it’s always worth it.
WB: LA is such a focal place for the world, through cinema, music, culture. Do you think pro-Palestinian voices in LA are being heard?
HAZE: LA might be the furthest place from the reality of the situation in Palestine. So the fact that people who may have never heard of Palestine before are now doing research and asking questions is not only progress but a sign of just awakening and a major shift.
SIMI: It shows that people are confronted with a huge amount of undeniable evidence, they’re also being forced to question the stereotypes of Arabs that have been perpetuated by Hollywood and media. And for the first time, they’re moving beyond those superficial narratives and really just beginning to engage with a more objective and truthful deeper understanding.
SORBET MAGAZINE
Simi wears fur stole,DOLCE & GABBANA; Tiffany Victoria necklace, Tiffany HardWear necklace, Tiffany T T1 ring and bangle, Tiffany Knot double row ring, TIFFANY&CO. Haze wears dress, BALENCIAGA; Elsa Peretti® Snake necklace, ELSA PERETTI X TIFFANY & CO.
WB: I saw your YouTube interview with the directors of Israelism. Using your stature and the platforms you have access to to talk about Palestine is so inspiring. How have you found public response to your advocacy?
HAZE: I feel like we get a lot more love from it than hate, and it’s really touching when people approach us in real life just to tell us thank you for speaking out. And it actually happens a lot. And we always feel like, What do you mean? Isn’t this the bare minimum?
WB: There has been a recent surge in the global popularity of music from the Middle East. A lot of Middle Eastern artists are finding audiences beyond the region and even beyond the diaspora. What are your thoughts?
SIMI: I think that’s super exciting. And about time. Arabic music has influenced so much historically, from Jazz to Hip Hop to R&B, pop, and it just has the most magical melodies. And just because we studied music theory, we know that it has the most rich and complex rhythms and tones and scales. And it’s just so great that artists out of the Middle East are finding their footing.
WB: Many of the artists who are finding a wider audience globally are also outspoken about relevant issues like Palestine, Islamophobia, feminism. Is this burgeoning progress? What do you think?
SIMI: Speaking out on important issues speaks to not only someone’s legacy but their impact on others. And when you have a platform and influence, you have to ask yourself, what mark do you want to leave on the world? What’s truly important when it comes down to it? And what example do you want to be to others?
WB: Can you tell us what’s next for Simi & Haze?
HAZE: We’re always just trying to make our ideas come to life, more music, more from us in the beauty world, more from us in the nonprofit space.
SIMI: Onwards and upwards.
WB: Finally, what are your favorite flavors of sorbet?
HAZE: I like coconut sorbet.
SIMI: I love strawberry.
Photographer Bryce Anderson | Talent Simi & Haze | Editor William Buckley | Styling Alexander Picon | Production Alexey Galetskiy | Creative Consultant Zoe Vance | Set Design Robert Dorian | Hair Jake Gallagher | Makeup Loft Jet | Set Design Robert Dorian | Styling Assistant Julian Lee | Jewelry Tiffany & Co. | City Los Angeles
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