GQMiddle East · Press
Curl,
Interrupted.
Inside GQ Middle East's September 2026 feature, and the curl activator that helped bring one editor's curls back.
Quick answer
Curl Jar's Curl Activator was featured in GQ Middle East's September 2026 issue, in a personal essay by Senior Fashion Editor Keanoush Zargham titled "Curl, Interrupted," about recovering curls lost to years of bleach damage and hard water. Curl Jar founder Preeya Ogier was interviewed on why curl patterns change, and the Curl Activator was one of five products in the routine that helped bring his curls back.
Some features land because a product gets name-dropped. Others land because a writer actually used the product to solve a real problem and wrote about what happened. GQ Middle East's September 2026 issue was the second kind.
The issue
GQ Middle East, September 2026
Cover star Jaafar Jackson. "Curl, Interrupted" runs on page 30.
Read the feature (PDF)The story
Six years of damage, and a routine to undo it
In "Curl, Interrupted," Keanoush Zargham, GQ Middle East's Senior Fashion Editor, wrote about losing his natural curl pattern after repeated bleaching, little aftercare and hard water, and the process of trying to get it back. He described his curls as central to his identity growing up, and their disappearance as less a single event than a slow fade he didn't notice until it was done.
The piece is honest that there's no instant fix. What changed things, by his own account, was consistency, and one product that finally gave him something he hadn't seen in years.
"A small, slightly shy, emotionally unavailable curl. But a curl nonetheless."
Keanoush Zargham, on first trying the Curl Activator · GQ Middle East
The routine
Five products that brought the curls back
A hydration-first routine, as featured in the piece:
How he applied the Curl Activator
01
Very wet hair
Not damp. Properly wet.
02
Work it through
Gently, from root to tip.
03
Scrunch
A little, to encourage the curl.
04
Leave it alone
Let it set without touching.
The expert voice
What Curl Jar's founder told GQ
Preeya Ogier, director and founder at Curl Jar, was interviewed for the piece on why curl patterns change in the first place.
"Curl patterns can change for many reasons throughout your life."
Shifts can come from several directions at once:
"The biggest game-changer for bringing curls back to life is hydration."
Apply to wet hair. Wet hair allows ingredients to be absorbed more effectively.
Refresh with water. Lightly wet your hair rather than layering on more product.
Preeya Ogier, Director & Founder, Curl Jar
Why it matters
A named editor, at a major title, used it and said so
GQ Middle East's audience isn't the typical curl-care reader. Zargham's essay frames curls, for many Middle Eastern men, as tied to identity and cultural roots in a way that's rarely discussed in menswear or grooming press. Having Curl Jar's founder quoted as the expert voice on why curls change, and the Curl Activator included as the product that actually worked inside a first-person recovery story, is the kind of recognition that's harder to earn than a straightforward product mention.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Was Curl Jar featured in GQ Middle East?
Yes. Curl Jar's Curl Activator and founder were featured in GQ Middle East's September 2026 issue, in a piece by Senior Fashion Editor Keanoush Zargham titled "Curl, Interrupted."
What was the GQ Middle East article about?
A personal essay about the writer losing his natural curl pattern after years of bleaching and hard water, and the hydration-focused routine, including Curl Jar's Curl Activator, that helped bring his curls back.
What did Curl Jar's founder say in the article?
Preeya Ogier, director and founder at Curl Jar, explained that curl patterns can change due to hormonal changes, medical treatments, heat styling, chemical treatments, environmental exposure and dehydration, and that hydration, especially applying products to properly wet hair, is the biggest game-changer for bringing curls back.
How should I apply the Curl Activator to bring curls back?
Apply it to very wet hair, not damp hair. Work it through gently, scrunch a little, then leave it alone to set. On refresh days, lightly wet your hair rather than layering on more product.
Bring your curls back.
Very wet hair. One jar. Then leave it alone.
Shop Curl Activator How to apply
