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AIDHA BADR
A MOTIVATE PUBLICATION
DHS25 RO2.70 BD2.60 KD2.10 SR25
OCTOBER 2026
THE WONDER YEARS
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Obaid Humaid Al Tayer MANAGING PARTNER AND GROUP EDITOR Ian Fairservice CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Anthony Milne GROUP CONTENT DIRECTOR Thomas Woodgate SENIOR EDITOR Jessica Michault jessica.michault@motivate.ae SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Olga Petroff SENIOR REPORTER Aminath Ifasa DESIGNER Vibha Monteiro FASHION AND EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Riya Kumar GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCTION Sunil Kumar PRODUCTION MANAGER Binu Purandaran ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER Venita Pinto GROUP SALES MANAGER Chaitali Khimji chaitali.khimji@motivate.ae SALES MANAGER Sarah Farhat sarah.farhat@motivate.ae WEB DEVELOPER Firoz Kaladi CONTRIBUTORS Alice Holtham-Pargin, Gemma White, Mark Mathew, Mariam Khawer, Morin Oluwole, Naomi Chadderton
HEAD OFFICE Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE, Tel: (+971) 4 4273000, Fax: (+971) 4 4282261, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae DUBAI MEDIA CITY SD 2-94, 2nd Floor, Building 2, Dubai, UAE, Tel: (+971) 4 390 3550, Fax: (+971) 4 390 4845 ABU DHABI PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: (+971) 2 677 2005, Fax: (+971) 2 677 0124, E-mail: motivate-adh@motivate.ae SAUDI ARABIA Regus Offices No. 455 - 456, 4th Floor, Hamad Tower, King Fahad Road, Al Olaya, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel: (+966) 11 834 3595 / (+966) 11 834 3596, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae LONDON Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae
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BASKET CASE
A lonely fisherwoman, played delightfully by Olivia Colman, commissions a husband woven from wicker – and gets Alexander Skarsgård. Wicker is the wildest, most wickedly funny romantic fable of the year. It earned a standing ovation at Sundance, and if the reaction to the trailer is anything to go by, it is destined for cult status.
EDITOR’S LETTER
O
First Contact
ne of the best parts of my job is getting to encounter new people, places, and things, and then having the privilege of bringing the best of them into the pages of Emirates Woman. In this, our Discovery issue, that fact is felt in full force across every page, as our team of writers, photographers, and stylists came together to propose features designed to make our readers sit up, take notice, and hopefully talk about what they have learned with their friends and families. And boy, are there lots of things to talk about. Kicking things off is our outstanding cover star, the artist Aidha Badr. In Head in the Clouds (page 30), she opens up about how she is able to process loss and grief in her art through the prism of childlike wonder. In Big Cat Energy (page 62), wildlife photographer Kriti Walia recounts her remarkable journey from hotelier to baker to photographer, and her quest to photograph all seven big cats in the wild. And in a series of shoots – Take a Stance (page 48), Sea Change (page 94), and Second Nature (page 110) – we highlight creativity in myriad forms, proving that even as AI encroaches on every industry, it is still the human touch that resonates most deeply with our inner artists.
Other great features worth your time include a lovely interview with Aida Al Busaidy. In Building the Next Chapter (page 68), the vice president of social and consumer advocacy at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism discusses how the city is navigating a challenging year. Jewellery designer Pippa Small talks about the importance of supporting other artists in The Weight of Small Things (page 84). And start planning that next holiday with your besties – as Girls, We’re Going (page 66) proves, girl trips are good for your health. Finally, remember to vote for your preferred winner in each of the 13 categories of this year’s Emirates Woman Awards. Voting closes at the end of this month, so don’t wait to have your say. Enjoy the issue.
Senior Editor jessica.michault@motivate.ae
THE ART OF DIPLOMACY
On 15 October, Keri Russell returns as Ambassador Kate Wyler for the fourth season of The Diplomat, and the show looks absolutely unhinged – in the best possible way. A rogue nuclear weapon, a president – played by a scenechewing Allison Janney – and a husband who has gone full villain. I’ll be binge-watching this Netflix gem the day it drops.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Chanel has never just shown clothes – it has staged worlds. This breathtaking volume, Chanel Shows: Fashion Miseen-scène, with a foreword by Tilda Swinton, finally does justice to the spectacle that frames the catwalk. Fashion as theatre, as philosophy, as pure Chanel magic.
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CONTENTS October 2026
CURATE 14 Monitor News Sold on Structure: Architectural leather, ombré denim, and the beauty staples worth folding into daily rotation this season
15 Social Listings A curated guide to Instagram accounts worth a #follow this month
16 The New Office Hours Elevated tailoring, refined separates, and statement accessories for a seamless desk-to-dinner transition
18 Surface Tension Texture does the talking, adding dimension and quiet intrigue to even the most minimal of outfits
20 Colour Theory Fine jewellery turns expressive, as vivid gemstones, unexpected pairings, and bold hues take centre stage
22 The SOM Story Dana Al Khobaizi, the founder and creative director of SOM Active, shares why she built her Kuwait-born activewear and sleepwear label
Full look Louis Vuitton
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48
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Top left: Full look Saint Laurent; Top right: Step 1 Primer Hydra Booster Make Up For Ever; HD Skin Sculpting Palette Make Up For Ever; HD Skin Blush & Glow Palette Make Up For Ever; FauxFilter Under Eye Color Corrector in Cherry Blossom Huda Beauty; All Covered Under Eye Concealer in 102 Inglot Cosmetics; GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzing Powder in Tan Light Huda Beauty; Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette in 003 Pearly Peach Glow Dior; Bright Matte 42 Colour Palette Beauty Bay; Buttermelt High-Pigmented Powder Blush in U Butta Werk NYX Professional Makeup; Buttermelt Highlighter in 05 Bright and Butta NYX Professional Makeup; Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara in Black Maybelline New York; 3D Hydra Lipgloss in 01 Clear Kiko Milano; Lasting Eyebrow Gel in 05 Ebony Kiko Milano; Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Sugar Cookie Huda Beauty; Fix+ Stay Over Setting Spray MAC Cosmetics
VISION MODE 26 Step by Step Gianvito Rossi on balancing craft and comfort as he marks two decades at the helm of the luxury shoe brand
30 Head in the Clouds Artist Aidha Badr on creating a safe space to explore topics like grief, loss, and transformation
44 What Founders Wear Six regional founders on the labels they’ve fallen for lately, from GOTS-certified sleepwear knitted in LA to a one-size holiday wardrobe out of Beirut
48 Take a Stance In fashion and in life
62 Big Cat Energy
74 Think Again
Cats have nine lives; wildlife photographer Kriti Walia has lived a few herself
Morin Oluwole, CEO and co-founder of Le Vitruve and former global luxury director at Meta, on why great leadership means staying open to new ways of thinking
66 Girls, We’re Going Crossing time zones and juggling schedules takes planning, but quality time with your favourite females is deeply restorative for mind and soul
68 Building the Next Chapter Aida Al Busaidy, vice president of social and consumer advocacy at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, on the vision behind the city she still calls home
76 Remember Their Names From jewellery inspired by beauty rituals to art born from kitchen waste, meet the women taking creativity in unexpected directions
82 Where the Wild Things Are Inside the Istanbul launch of Cartier’s breathtaking new Into the Wild high jewellery collection
70 Performance of a Lifetime
84 The Weight of Small Things
Our lives have never been more visible, or more curated. Could letting go of perfection be the key to fulfilment?
Jewellery designer Pippa Small takes us through her Palestinian jewellery collection
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CONTENTS October 2026
On the cover:
GLOW 88 Hot New Buys An edit of new pieces landing on our radar this month, curated for your beauty cabinet
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90 Beauty Shelf Saudi Arabian tastemaker Model Roz takes us through her must-have beauty staples
Top, Cropped Top with Tuxedo Tail, Louis Vuitton Talent: Aidha Badr Senior Editor: Jessica Michault Photographer: Amer Mohamad Set Designer: Egor Andryushin Fashion Stylist: Riya Kumar Hair Stylist: Dani Hiswani Makeup Artist: Jean Kairouz Videographer: John Melencion Photographer’s Assistant: Yasir Ali Shah
91 Fragrance Forecast Discover the latest niche fragrance launches that offer a more personal edge to a perfume collection
92 Live Long and Prosper At Clinique La Prairie’s Longevity Hub, Dr Flutura Hasa Harold is quietly rewriting how we age
94 Sea Change The new scents, scrubs, and salves designed to make your skin feel like it’s still on holiday
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104 Getting to the Root of the Issue Suveen Sahib, co-founder and CEO of K18, on scalp longevity with its Future IQ serum
106 AM to PM Beauty Content creator Najwa Hubaishy shares her morning to evening beauty routine
108 Fragrance as Art
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ABODE 120 Built for Living Founder of LUMI Interiors, Alua Kul talks about considered spaces where comfort, functionality, and personal style come together
122 Rest Assured Check into The Emory’s new City Circadian Reset in London
126 The New Cruise Explora Journeys is rewriting the codes of cruising, with intuitive service and curated experiences that embrace an ocean state of mind
ROJA London’s CEO Audrey Minard and founder Roja Dove discuss the philosophy behind one of the world’s most coveted fragrance houses
MOST WANTED
110 Second Nature
130 Still Waters Runs Deep
The familiar becomes fantastical as texture and imagination reshape the language of beauty
De Beers London’s Vibrations collection maps the Earth’s inland waters through four diamond-set chapters
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YEARS
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE OCTOBER 15, 2026
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idA 2026
WHEN BEAUTY STARTS TO BLUR
CURATE
Artist Stephan Kaluza paints nature the way memory works – with perfect clarity at first, before something begins to shift. From Dust to Bloom, his new solo exhibition at JD Malat Gallery Dubai, brings together works that move between hyperrealism and abstraction, capturing the fluidity of recollection with a deep sense of poignancy. The Transit series draws viewers in with landscapes rendered in almost photographic detail, before quietly destabilising everything they thought they were looking at. The Sunset works push the idea further, dissolving those same motifs into colour and fragments until the familiar becomes something else entirely. Running throughout October, it is the kind of masterful work that invites its audience to look twice at everything – including the world beyond the gallery walls.
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Remember to look up and take a moment to appreciate… – A perfectly tailored ensemble –T he tactile appeal of textured fabrics against the skin –J ewellery in bold, unexpected hues –A ctivewear designed to move effortlessly beyond the studio
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Sold on Structure
THE HERO BUYS
Architectural leather, ombré denim, and the beauty staples worth folding into daily rotation this season WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A
WOVEN FORM Bottega Veneta’s Creative Director Louise Trotter introduces Corso, a tote built around the house’s signature Intrecciato weave in supple nappa leather, its broad panels set against smooth leather sides so the clarity of the construction and the natural give of the material stay in conversation. Drawn from the Winter 2026 collection’s study of structure and softness, Corso carries that inquiry into an ample, gently folded silhouette that holds its architectural presence without losing ease of proportion. Debuting in Obsidian Grey and Sting across four sizes, Corso extends the house’s ongoing exploration of texture and weight into something shaped for daily movement.
Small Butterfly Screen SquareFrame Acetate Sunglasses Dhs1,375 Loewe Eyewear
Ombré Denim Jacket Dhs2,300 Sanderlak
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THREE TO OWN
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Lip Sleeping Mask Acai Mango Dhs125 Laneige
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Triclone Skin Tech Foundation Dhs235 Haus Labs by Lady Gaga
Cross-Strap Leather Ballet Flats Dhs510 & Other Stories
IMAGES: SUPPLIED
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OUD Velvet Mood Extrait de Parfum 70ml Dhs1,765 Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Ombré Mid-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans Dhs1,715 Sanderlak
C U R AT E
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@byhala
@emmahamsaofficial
@aidhabadr
A female-founded UAE fashion brand creating statement pieces.
A modern fragrance house shaped by light, memory, and emotion.
Egyptian-American artist whose paintings explore bold yet whimsical themes.
@theemorylondon
@aidaalbusaidy
@shopcuratehome
London’s first all-suite hotel managed by Maybourne Hotel Group.
Vice President of Social and Consumer Advocacy at DET.
A Dubai-born gifting brand creating handmade, ethically sourced pieces.
@nafsculture
@cassinaofficial
@quabofficial
A luxury Emirati label that blends traditional heritage with everyday versatility.
An Italian brand blends technology with long-standing artisan craftsmanship.
A label that celebrates the rich artistry of South Asia while merging it with modernity.
Social Listings
A curated guide to Instagram accounts worth a #follow this month C O M P I L E D B Y: A M I N AT H I FA S A
C U R AT E
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Elevated tailoring, refined separates and statement accessories that make the desk-to-dinner transition seamless
THE NEW OFFICE HOURS
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI FW26
C O M P I L E D BY: R I YA K U M A R
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Anagram Pilot round-frame gold-tone acetate glasses Dhs1,285 Loewe
White Aeron silk skirt Dhs1,652 Voranida
Grey cinched waist wool blazer Dhs8,648 Magda Butrym
Wool-blend bouclé blazer Dhs20,550 Saint Laurent
Uxor suede ankle boots Dhs5,980 The Row
Stretch-satin turtleneck blouse Dhs3,075 Rabanne
Dark grey moro cashmere knit skirt Dhs1,432 Le 17 Septembre Tess draped cotton poplin shirt Dhs2,670 Ossou
Valerie 55 calf hair pumps Dhs5,200 KHAITE
Tangerine gold-tone resin hoop earrings Dhs550 Lizzie Fortunato
Paparazzo Medium suede-trimmed leather shoulder bag Dhs14,100 Gucci
C U R AT E
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Surface Tension
Bouclé, satin, suede – texture does the talking, adding dimension and quiet intrigue to even the most minimal of outfits 18
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BOTTEGA VENETA FW26
C O M P I L E D BY: R I YA K U M A R
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Small Marcie Foulard Hobo Bag in Studded Velvet Dhs12,668 Chloé
Asymmetrical Midi Dress in Layered Organza Tiles Dhs32,576 Akris Beat Sub Zero FauxFur Boots Dhs7,837 Casadei
Corduroy Blazer Dhs2,754 Tory Burch
Feather-Trim Faux-Fur Skirt Dhs7,283 Dolce & Gabbana
Lace-trimmed silk-blend satin mini shorts Dhs2,900 Dolce&Gabbana
Dove Earrings in Glass and Resin, Midnight Blue and Patinated Palladium Dhs10,594 Saint Laurent
C U R AT E
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MISSONI
CHANEL
Medium My Sicily handbag with fine stitch embroidery Dhs33,034 Dolce&Gabbana
Lutetia Sandals in Satin Crepe and Mother of Pearl Dhs12,853 Saint Laurent
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Graff High Jewellery 118 carat Cushion Cut Sapphire and Diamond Necklace
Colour Theory C O M P I L E D BY: R I YA K U M A R
Fine jewellery embraces a more expressive mood as vivid gemstones, unexpected pairings and expressive creations leverage vibrant hues to great effect 20 emirateswoman.com
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Florence high jewellery lab diamond (23-carat) and emerald necklace (16 in.) 18K white gold Dhs43,200 The Diamond Oasis
Brooch in white gold, diamonds, lapis and rock crystal. Diamonds 71, ct. 0,37 Dhs46,800 Vhernier
Antheia orange ring, POA Rosetta
Bruco brooch in white gold, diamonds, white mother of pearl and rock crystal. Diamonds 71, ct. 0,37 Dhs46,800 Vhernier All over Bonbons ring in pink tourmaline & pink sapphire Dhs14,399 Aponïne
My Dior bracelet, yellow gold, white gold and green lacquer Dhs41,800 Dior Astra star earrings Dhs7,769 Lyla K.
Rosé diamond ring, NA collection Dhs9,000 Lana Al Kamal
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Macri Classica Bracelet mix in yellow and white gold with diamond and in pink gold, from Dhs18,000, Buccellati
or the past few years, jewellery has spoken in more of a whisper. Delicate chains, sculptural gold, pared-back silhouettes designed to slip quietly under a cuff or over a neckline. Beautiful, certainly, but built to blend. But now it seems coloured gemstones have entered the chat, underlining a concerted shift towards more striking and expressive designs. Vibrant stones, enamel finishes and unexpected colour combinations are making a compelling case for adornment that announces itself. Emeralds and cobalt, magenta pinks, sunny yellows and pastel-hued gems have become a bold act of bejewelled self-expression. It’s a shift that speaks to something broader, too: a move away from uniform styling towards something far more personal. Metals are mixed, contrasting gems are thrown together, and the rules that once governed a jewellery box have been abandoned. The new approach is eclectic, instinctive – and it has plenty to say.
C U R AT E
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T H E VA N G U A R D
The SOM Story
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WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A
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felt like there was no brand that was catering to the petite, curvier, fuller-busted body type, with different proportions that most international brands weren’t designing around,” says Dana Al Khobaizi, recalling the moment nearly two decades into her career in retail when she realised the activewear she had spent years importing and selling was never actually built for the women buying it. Al Khobaizi had opened her first clothing store in Kuwait in February 2007, the first store of its kind to be owned by a Kuwaiti woman, and went on to bring in labels from New York, Los Angeles, Australia and Paris, including nearly every major activewear name during the category’s boom years around 2015 and 2016. “I had direct access to the customer because I was selling these brands,” she says. “I knew what worked, what didn’t work. The number one feedback was always fit issues.”
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That feedback became the founding idea behind SOM Active, and Al Khobaizi is careful not to reduce it to a single lightbulb moment. “It’s a culmination of experience, it’s a culmination of the gap in the market, it’s a culmination of a passion,” she explains. “There’s no point in starting something if it’s not going to be unique.” She began developing the brand in 2019, wanting to build the first Arab female-founded activewear label, and when the pandemic slowed the wider industry down the following year, it gave her collection more room to breathe rather than less. “That was actually a blessing,” she recalls, “because I had more time to develop it and perfect it.” SOM Active launched in February 2021, timed to the anniversary of her first Kuwait store, with design details, among them a signature belted silhouette, built specifically around the proportions she had spent years watching international brands overlook. “When I see fuller busted women, the sports bras designed for them are usually old school,” she says. “I wanted to make something that was sexy and feminine, that brings design and function together.”
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As she expands her brand to the UAE, Dana Al Khobaizi, the founder and creative director of SOM Active, shares why she built her Kuwait-born activewear and sleepwear label around the body types the industry often overlooked
Left: Dana Al Khobaizi, founder and creative director of SOM Active
Craft carries through everything the brand touches. “We don’t buy market fabrics,” Al Khobaizi shares. “I source fabrics directly from the fabric mill, and we custom-dye everything, every season.” Manufacturing is split deliberately by region, activewear produced in China for its manufacturing technology, cotton and sleepwear made in Turkey through small manufacturers and GOTS-certified facilities in Portugal. That sleepwear line, State of Bliss, marked the brand’s biggest expansion, and its name plays on what SOM already stands for. “SOM actually stands for state of mind,” she says. “State of bliss is like being well slept, you slept eight hours and you feel good.” Al Khobaizi describes the shift toward sleepwear as a response to a wider change in how women think about wellness, away from calories and step counts and toward rest itself. The line runs on 100 per cent Turkish cotton in custom, deliberately muted Pantone shades, and existing customers have crossed over in large numbers, alongside an entirely new audience the sleepwear alone has brought in. Asked for a favourite piece across both collections, the founder
laughs before answering. “It’s like asking a mother which child is her favourite. Lately I’ve been very into the Calypso dress. It’s feminine but comfortable and soft, and I just keep rotating the colours.” Running the business for over 20 years, she says, has taught her to weight her own judgement as heavily as any spreadsheet. “We as women have a superpower, and that’s our intuition,” she says. “Statistics and data are important too, but if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.” She credits Ben Horowitz’s The Hard Thing About Hard Things with confirming that instinct, since the book, in her words, argues there is no manuscript for the challenges that come with leading a business, only the willingness to stay flexible. Al Khobaizi adds that being in her forties has given her the confidence to trust that instinct out loud. With SOM Active now five years old and operating across Kuwait and – starting this year – Dubai, a new fall activewear collection is on its way, alongside a second sleepwear drop planned for early 2027. “There’s going to be a lot more of SOM that you’re going to see,” she says with a smile.
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CASA DOLCE CASA
MODE
Maria Grazia Chiuri began her career at Fendi in 1989. Thirty-seven years later, she returns to the house as creative director – and the homecoming, it turns out, was worth the wait. Her debut AW27 collection arrives with a radical motto: “less I, more us”. Collaborations with artists Mirella Bentivoglio and SAGG Napoli anchor the collection in Italian intellectual culture, exploring language, poetry and the body as political territory. On the catwalk came pieces that felt like lifelong wardrobe staples, imbued with a sense of tactile desire. And at the foot of it all is the Fendi Very Colibrì – a streamlined, sensual reimagining of the house’s iconic slingback that makes one thing very clear: for Chiuri, you really can go home again.
Discover the sartorial sweet spot in… – The balance between history and modernity –A rtistry in service of artists –F inding new designers to covet –S tyle that always draws the eye
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STEP BY STEP
Gianvito Rossi discusses the balancing act of craft and comfort as he celebrates two decades at the helm of one of the luxury world’s most recognisable shoe brands W O R D S : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT
G
ianvito Rossi doesn’t work in a design studio, at least not in the way most people might imagine it. No glamorous sunlit atelier, no artfully curated mood boards, no opera playing softly in the background. He prefers being boots on the ground in his factory. That is where he has spent the better part of two decades, and where he intends to stay. “Me and my team are here every day collaborating with the technical department, with the production department,” he says. “I look hard at each step of the process, from the first prototype to every modification along the way. It’s very important to follow each step to understand what is behind every decision, because it really influences the results. I know a lot of designers who just send sketches and then see the finished result. That is not my way.” This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Gianvito Rossi brand, and, as is customary when these sorts of anniversaries arrive, a commemorative book is about to be published. It’s the sort of project that forces a man to sit down and take in his entire body of work in one go. What stood out for Rossi is quite telling about him and his relationship with shoes. “I’m happy about the consistency of our work,” he says matter-of-factly. Not a breakthrough design, not a signature shoe, not a red-carpet moment. Consistency. He explains it as a kind of survival instinct. “Since the beginning I wanted to focus on a clear identity of what I was doing, because it was essentially what I liked. So it’s kind of easy to keep doing what you like,” he explains. “The problem could be everything that happens in the market, whatever may drive you a little bit away from that identity over years and decades.” Going back through his archive in preparation for the book, he found the proof he was after. The idea had been, in his words, constant, consistent, and evolving – and still recognisably the thing he set out to make two decades ago. To understand why that matters so much to 26 emirateswoman.com
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Gianvito Rossi
him, you have to go back further than 20 years, to his formative apprenticeship alongside his father, Sergio Rossi. It was an education in an industry, and in a set of constraints. When he finally stepped out on his own, there was a sense of newfound independence. “Now I’m free to do what I want,” he recalls of that moment. “This is a great opportunity, and I wanted to do what I like.” What he liked, it turned out, was creating shoes that looked modern and very feminine while never sacrificing comfort. It’s this vision of footwear he has been refining ever since with his eponymous label. What Rossi carries with him from the time he spent toiling next to his father had less to do with aesthetics than it does with something more profound. The importance of quality and how success starts with a well made last (the form a shoe is built around) and the way a shoe is conceived in the first place. And beyond that, an almost
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protective respect for the people doing the work. “It really depends on the hands that do the job,” he says. “It’s very important to have people who know what to do. Experienced people, trained people, supported people.” It takes a long time, he adds with some feeling, to become an expert. There is also a perfectionist streak in Rossi. “You have to keep working, because there’s always a way to improve,” he says. “So every new style that we do, we try to improve versus what we did in the past.” The result he’s chasing is harder than it sounds. “I’m most satisfied when I can do something that is very simple and original,” he says. But like almost anything that looks effortless, it’s usually not. “That is what I am always looking for, and when I am able to find that balance, that is a design achievement.” As for the evolution of footwear over the past 20 years, Rossi homes in on a shift towards
“I’M MOST SATISFIED WHEN I CAN DO SOMETHING THAT IS VERY SIMPLE AND ORIGINAL”
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comfort across the board, though one being executed in very different ways. Sneakers became, as he puts it, “one of the most important new elements” of a woman’s luxury wardrobe. But they are not the only addition. Easy shoes, summer styles, flats, and casual pieces are all in heavy rotation now, transforming the landscape of high-end design and moving it away from appearance and towards physical ease. There is also another, more nuanced, change, and this one has to do with power. “I think that we have more space for freedom and expression in fashion than we had before,” Rossi says of the wider move away from trends and towards more individual dressing. “Before, it was more like kind of dictated. Now I think there are no more strict guidelines everyone has to follow, which is better for me,” he says with a smile. That freedom extends to the feet themselves. Rossi is refreshingly blunt about the old bargain women were expected to accept when it came to their shoes. “In the past, it was like: to look beautiful, you have to suffer.” He shakes his head. “I think it’s completely changed nowadays. You have the right to demand both beauty and comfort. I mean, if you pay a lot, you need to ask for a lot.” Delivering both is the engineering problem of Rossi’s life, and he is clear-eyed about why a shoe is unlike anything else you put on. “Different from other ready-to-wear elements or accessories like handbags, you actually walk with the shoe,” he says. “All your weight is in there.” Push a heel higher or sharpen a toe and you are usually taking
something away from the woman wearing it. There is no shortcut. “It’s not a secret. It’s a matter of time you spend to perfect what you do. It’s a matter of research,” says the founder. When pressed, Rossi admits to a soft spot for the Gianvito, a pointed stiletto pump that carries his name and has become, logo-free, one of the most identifiable shoes in luxury. He calls it the archetype of his silhouette, and a must-have for any woman looking for impact and elegance while still being able to walk for miles. As for the more conceptual footwear currently being proposed by some luxury houses, he is polite yet immovable. Fantasy is fine, he says, but you still have to arrive at beauty. Provoking conversation for its own sake is, in his words, “not quality in terms of design”. So where does a man this devoted to the classic go next? Inward, mostly. His idea of innovation is not reinvention but the quiet upgrading of something already settled: keeping the classic “super classic”, as he puts it, while introducing transparency into a sandal, or carbon fibre into a heel, or a shift of shape so slight that most people register it only as making sense in their bones. “I want these shoes to make women feel confident, because they feel good in them,” he says simply.
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HEAD IN THE
CLOUDS Through her perspective of childlike wonder, artist Aidha Badr is able to create a safe space to explore topics like grief, loss, and transformation
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Top, Blazer Insert Trompe L’Oeil Knit Top; Bag, Side Trunk MM, all Louis Vuitton
W O R D S : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT PHOTOGRAPHER: AMER MOHAMAD SET DESIGNER: EGOR ANDRYUSHIN
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This page: Top with Ruffles and Bottoms with Seam Pompom, all Louis Vuitton; Right page: Top, Fitted Blazer; Hat, Knit Bonnet, all Louis Vuitton
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Left page: Dress, Jumper Dress with Abstract Collar and Cuff, Louis Vuitton; This page: Bag, Multipass, Louis Vuitton
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S
ometimes the stars align so perfectly that it’s hard not to believe in fate, destiny, and just how small the world truly is. When I decided that the cover star for our Discovery Issue needed to be the artist Aidha Badr, I knew who I had to call to photograph the feature – Amer Mohamad. For months he has been regaling me with photos of his new apartment, and the one piece of art that anchored his interiors: a massive, wall-effacing painting of Badr herself, reclining, her undulating locks flowing down her shoulders, a serene, inscrutable Mona Lisa-like expression on her face and her form framed by a sky-blue backdrop of fluffy (slightly horse-shaped) white clouds. Titled Somebody Up There Loves Me, the self-portrait was painted last year as part of her I’m Never Coming Back exhibition at Firetti Contemporary. That is where Mohamad spotted it and knew he wanted to make it part of his life. “Honestly it was the best coincidence that I could ever have asked for,” says Badr about the kismet moment when she first met Mohamad on set. “I was so honoured that somebody who loved that painting, who had a deep admiration for my work, would be the one photographing me for this cover. I truly admire his work and I love that he loves my work. The energy is very reciprocated – I love you, I love you too.” be – maybe even before I did,” she says. He stayed up with her And then they were off, two artists collaborating across a through her art finals. When she got a bad grade on one of her exseries of surreal sets designed to visually reinforce the artistic ams, he had the paper sent back to Cambridge to be remarked. The touchpoints Badr references in her work. It made for a day full of school revised it upward. Her parents, Badr says, stopped caring positive creativity with Badr game to perch atop a fabricated red so much about the grades she got in physics and maths entirely. moon (a colour she often turns to), drape her body in a backdrop “As long as I was doing good in art class, they were happy.” of sky, and cover herself with faux cumulus clouds. Each new So this Egyptian-American, Brooklyn-born, Alexandriasurrounding a fresh opportunity to experiment, play, and find raised, Kuwait-schooled, Cyprus-loving, Dubai-based 30-yearpure joy in unfettered artistic self-expression. By the end of the old went all in on a career as a full-time artist. First getting a day the duo were almost finishing each other’s sentences. degree in visual communication, then a BFA, then an MFA. “It’s It’s this sort of artistic energy, as well as the deep-seated just the only thing that I knew how to do,” she reflects, “and it’s the urge to create, that has always powered Badr. When she was a only thing that I was good at.” child she remembers how much the need to have a creative outlet Her first job out of university was teaching art in Kuwait, startfuelled her mother, an accountant by trade, who – after she ing with kindergarten and ending, after a colleague quit, as the art had put Badr and her brother to bed – would stay up late into teacher for the entire school. She loved it with a completeness the night sketching. Often Badr would creep out of her room to that surprises her still. “It was probably my favourite job and I observe her mother. “I was such a nosy kid, so I would stay up would always want to go back to teaching,” she shares. What she and watch her,” she recalls. Living in Alexandria, in Egypt, her loved was seeing how her pupils all approached art from unique mother often drew Cleopatra, or whatever was lying around the perspectives. “I enjoy giving an assignment and then seeing how house, which meant Ancient Egyptian relics and iconography. each person would come up with something different.” Then one day Badr took one of her mother’s drawings to school. The teaching also got into her work. “My style was heavily in“I showed it to the rest of the kids and they were all blown fluenced by my students, especially the little kids,” she says. “I’ve away – because I told them that I had drawn it,” she says with a always been more free-handed and intuitive with my art.” Back laugh and then pauses. “And I honestly, I kid you not, I actually then she painted in oil, which she still does, and loathed acrylic, have spent the rest of my life chasing that feeling.” which she still does. “I love the richness and I loved the pigment Her mother’s path led away from art school, but never away and I loved everything about it. And I loved the flexibility and from art. Her creativity became a thread woven through Badr’s forgiveness of oils most of all.” childhood, turning ordinary moments into something magical Her first solo show, FOMO, opened at Artspace in Kuwait in and worth remembering. “She’s always baked very interesting 2018, and it was almost entirely self-portraits. The reason is more desserts and pastries, she’s always made drawings for me and pragmatic than the work suggests. She had graduated, moved my brother, she would always write stories and poems. My countries, and was doing what every young painter does in the mother is just a creative person.” That lesson of the importance beginning, which is to borrow from other artists. “You seek inspiof finding avenues of artistic expression in life, and never letting ration from somebody else and none of it feels like you. It really go of something you are passionate about, stuck with Badr and doesn’t,” she says. “And I was like, the only thing that I have control informed her world view. Her father, by contrast, worked in over is myself. This is something that has not been painted before. cyber security, but as Badr puts it, “what he lacked in artistic I’m not getting inspiration from somebody else. It’s just purely creativity, he made up for in creative solutions.” And he was his me.” She has been her own subject ever since, with one exception: daughter’s fiercest advocate. “He could tell what I was going to a best friend named Dana, who happens to look just like her. But
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COVER STORY
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Top, Cropped Top with Tuxedo Tail, Louis Vuitton
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This page: Dress, Abstract Patchwork Dress; Bag, Multipass Mini, all Louis Vuitton; Right page: Bag, Bundle Trunk, Louis Vuitton
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what those FOMO paintings were actually processing was a death in the family. Badr’s grandfather, Mohammed, died in 2016 while she was still at university, and he was one of the great loves of her life. They had lived down the street from each other in Alexandria when she was growing up. And later they wrote letters to each other, dispatched via anyone travelling between Egypt and Kuwait. “He just made me feel seen and heard,” she recalls. “Amidst all the grown-ups he was the one grown-up that really understood me.” The list of what her grandfather taught her, when Badr recites it, has nothing to do with the world of art. Rather, they were important life lessons that shaped her. “How to be attentive, how to love people, how to be generous with my time, how to listen without rushing to speak, how to move through the world with kindness,” she recalls. She has even written an entire memoir about him. He is also why she paints clouds. “I would always do my best to be a better person in this life so I could be reunited with him in heaven one day,” she shares. But over time the symbolism of her clouds has shifted. They have come to represent purity and possibility, becoming something lighter in spirit. “More recently, I think they represent childlike wonder, because you can look up at the clouds and they’re always changing and shifting and then you can kind of just get a glimpse of something fun,” says the artist. Now, after living for four years in Dubai, Badr has seen a shift in her work. Her intuitive style of painting has given way to rigour. “I think location, whether you like it or not, affects the way that you create art or the person that you become,” she explains. “Before I wasn’t planning things meticulously. I just painted what I felt like and it was beautiful and good and pure. Now, being here, the environment around me has inspired me to perfect my craft and reach very meticulous levels of perfection and refinement.” She drafts and redrafts now. “It’s very rare that I freehand something.” Which is why the small painting she holds up mid-conversation matters so much to her. She saw a star-shaped cloud over Dubai recently, went home and painted it. “It was one of the only recent paintings where I felt like my true self,” she says. “I see something, I’m inspired by it and I have this sense of awe and then I paint it. But with the rest of my body of work, I find myself reworking and reworking to make it pristine.” If the death of her grandfather brought clouds into her art, the birth of her daughter Il’lyna brought a new spirit animal into her life. The painting that started Badr’s solo show at Firetti Contemporary with Hunna Art last autumn, I’m Never Coming Back, arrived in a dream. The artist dreamt she was in Lebanon, standing on a cliff above open water, unable to jump. “And then I saw a horse in the water and I just decided to follow it,” she shares. Badr woke up knowing exactly what to paint: a full-grown horse standing over a toy horse, clouds behind them arranged into the words “I’m not the same and I’m never coming back”. “That truly is what it feels like to be a mom,” she admits. “It’s a version of
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yourself that you have to grow into and it’s also, in a way, grieving your past self. But not a lot of people want to talk about grief when it comes to motherhood.” The horse, she explains, is doing double duty. “The real horse is standing over the toy horse and it shows grace and protection. And then the toy horse is playful, and it could be interpreted as okay, this is my former self and my past. Or it could be me and my daughter.” What followed, across the series, was an exploration of the role of motherhood. “Going about motherhood with grace and elegance and, in a way, being performative about it,” the artist shares. The joke is that the performance worked. “I pretended motherhood is so easy, until it actually became easy,” she says. “I think it takes a lot of psychological reprogramming to reach that state.” Did motherhood change her as an artist? “I don’t think it changed me as an artist, to be completely honest with you. I wish it had.” What it changed was the dedication she gives to creating her pieces. “It made me take my art more seriously because I wanted to set a good example for my daughter,” she says, invoking her mother, who never let go of her passions. “I want my daughter to grow up seeing me do what I love, and to know that there’s room for all of it – being her mom, being an artist, being myself.” Today her daughter, not yet two, goes with the artist everywhere. “It’s nice to have a little person with you that you do things not just for, but because of.” On the horizon Badr has a group show opening in Ibiza later this month, for which she has made one very large self-portrait and a handful of smaller pieces. The body of work is about Cyprus, where she lived for two years and where, she says, she felt most herself. “Those paintings were about grief and my departure from the island,” she explains, noting that she has a tendency not to process things and emotions as they happen, but to get a grip on them later through her artwork. “It always hits me a few years down the line,” she admits. It is the third distinct moment of grief that she has described in under an hour, and when I point that out, Badr doesn’t shy away from this observation. Because what she wants people to take from the work is not resolution. “I think my work speaks about a lot of universal feelings and a lot of universal truths,” she says. “Grief, loss. I want my work to resonate with people on that level, and maybe not so much give them closure, but sort of remind them of something else.” And still, there is also a hope that her work, no matter its starting point, will also find a way to be uplifting. “I would like to give people a sense of childlike wonder,” says Badr again about her pieces. “Even though my work looks very serious sometimes, it’s always about kind of unserious and childish topics.” And in the end it is this dichotomy of light and dark, of surreal and serious, that makes Badr’s work so powerful. After all, don’t we sometimes curse the clouds above, forgetting they are only holding the water that feeds tomorrow’s light?
COVER STORY
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Top, Fitted Blazer; Hat, Knit Bonnet, all Louis Vuitton Fashion Stylist: Riya Kumar Hair Stylist: Dani Hiswani Makeup Artist: Jean Kairouz Videographer: John Melencion Photographer’s Assistant: Yasir Ali Shah
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WHAT FOUNDERS WEAR
Six regional founders on the labels they have fallen for most recently, from a GOTS-certified sleepwear brand knitted in Los Angeles to a one-size holiday wardrobe out of Beirut C O M P I L E D B Y: A M I N AT H I FA S A Chloe Christalou
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sk a founder what she has bought lately, and the answer tends to come with a case study attached, because the people building fashion brands are also the ones taking an up-close and personal look at the seam stitching, the fabric certifications and the fit notes, things that most of us never think twice about. We asked six of them to tell us about the label that has most recently earned a place in their wardrobes, and what it was about the intention behind those designs that had them making the cut.
CHLOE CHRISTALOU Founder, Amara Grace
One of my favourite recent fashion discoveries is Lucine, founded by Nat Lucy. I first discovered the brand through TikTok, where she was openly sharing her journey of building a sleepwear brand from the ground up – from the lessons she was learning to the decisions behind each piece. As a fellow founder, I really connected with that honesty and intention, and when I was in New York this summer, I had the chance to meet her and attend an event she hosted. What I love most about Lucine is how much care is evident in every detail. Nothing feels rushed or created simply for the sake of adding another product to the market. From the custom-knit GOTScertified organic cotton, made in Los Angeles, to the delicate details and thoughtful fit, there is a real sense of consideration for how the customer will feel wearing it. I’m always drawn to brands that put genuine love and intention into what they create, and Lucine does exactly that. wearlucine.com
ARAKII
JAWAHER AL HAJRI One of my latest fashion discoveries is ARAKII, a Stockholm-based brand founded by Hanna Schönberg. What first caught my attention was the way the brand takes seemingly simple, everyday pieces and gives them something unexpected, whether through proportion, silhouette, or a small design detail. As a designer, I’m always drawn to pieces that feel considered without feeling overdone, and I think ARAKII does that really well. There’s a strong balance between wearability and statement, where even the simplest pieces still have a clear point of view. I also love how cohesive the world around the brand feels, from the collections to the imagery and creative direction. It feels feminine, confident and current, while still having an identity of its own. arakii.com
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Jawaher Al Hajri
Co-Founder, Takara
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Hajra Tariq
By Hala
“I’M ALWAYS DR AWN TO BR ANDS THAT PUT GENUINE LOVE AND INTENTION INTO WHAT THEY CREATE, AND LUCINE DOES EX ACTLY THAT”
FATMA ALTAHER Co-founder, NAFS
An Emirati brand that inspires me is N A F S Culture, founded by my sister Noora as a heartfelt tribute to her daughter, Hind, and to our beloved grandmother. After Hind was born, Noora began to see tradition in a new light – not as something preserved behind glass, but as something alive, intimate, and carried from one generation to the next. This vision became the soul of N A F S Culture: honouring Emirati dress while reimagining it for the present and future. Our grandmother was celebrated in our family for her remarkable tali-making. Her hands moved patiently through countless hours of weaving, transforming delicate threads into pieces rich with memory and meaning. When she gave Noora several meters of tali, that gift sparked the creation of a special
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garment and inspired the now-famous “Van Gogh” pattern. To me, N A F S Culture is a living thread connecting family, heritage, craftsmanship, and love. @nafsculture
HAJRA TARIQ Founder, Feeya
SCULP has become one of my favourite regional activewear brands. I do Pilates quite regularly, so I really appreciate pieces that are comfortable, flattering and easy to move in, while still feeling polished. As the founder of my own fashion brand, Feeya, I’ve become even more appreciative of the thought that goes into designing for women. There’s something special about women creating for women – you can really feel that understanding of fit, comfort and the little details that matter. sculp.shop
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Fatma Altaher
LINDA HAUSSER
Founder, JANTHEE and Faine I discovered Mun Kissed this summer, and it quickly became one of those brands I reach for without thinking twice. Founded by Lebanese content creator Racil Beydoun, it offers playful, comfortable pieces that feel easy to wear but still special. I love that many of the styles are one-size and can be dressed up or down, especially when I’m travelling and need something effortless. It has become one of my go-to brands for quick, easy outfits. I also love discovering more Middle Eastern labels, and every time I wear Mun Kissed, someone always asks me where my outfit is from. munkissed.com
NUPUR MOHANTY Founder, Quab
Linda Hausser
Nupur Mohanty
I found out about Hala Al Shammari, the founder of By Hala, the way most people probably will, through her clothes first. But it was her story that stopped me. Born in Baghdad, raised in Dubai from the age of three, building a label that refuses to let the world flatten what an Arab woman is allowed to wear. Her pieces do this quietly, a clean elegant front that gives way to a daring cut down the back, nothing seasonal about any
of it, just intention over excess. She sources her own fabric, works with her own artisans, and makes it all here in Dubai, which anyone who has tried to build a small fashion label will tell you is its own kind of stubbornness. I grew up three streets over from that same story, an Indian kid raised in this city, watching my grandmother’s own dream of becoming a designer turn into Quab. She never got to chase it herself, so the name is a tribute, khwaab, the Urdu word for dream. Together we built a brand on fabrics my culture kept folded away for weddings, and I wanted for everyday life instead. Our last collection took its embroidery from the mirrorwork my grandmother grew up around, the kind that used to only come out for someone else’s big day. Now it shows up on a Tuesday. We are both third culture founders, women who grew up somewhere our families didn’t, making room for ourselves in silhouettes nobody handed us. Hala took hers to Portugal and Beirut before she found her footing back home in Dubai. I took mine to New York for a pop up and still came back wanting to build here first. Neither of us set out to represent anyone bigger than our own story. We just made the clothes we couldn’t find on any rack, and somehow that became the whole point. by-hala.com
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T A K E A S T A N C E
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IN FASHION AND IN LIFE
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S E N I O R E D I TO R : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT PHOTOGRAPHER: KIAN KANANI C R E AT I V E D I R E CTO R A N D ST Y L I ST: DA N I E L N E G R O N
Left page: Dress, Maticevski; Sunglasses, Gentle Monster; This page: Full look Saint Laurent
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Left page: Dress, Chanel; This page: Full look Givenchy by Sarah Burton
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This page: Full look Saint Laurent; Right page: Full look Loro Piana
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This page: Full look Alaïa;
Right page:
Full look Saint Laurent
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Left page: Full look Celine; This page: Full look Bottega Veneta
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Left page: Full look Bottega Veneta; This page: Full look Givenchy by Sarah Burton Assistant: Anna Kandrashova Hair and makeup: Iva Osypyshyna Model: Vika at JEEL Management Studio: JEEL Studio
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IVY LEAGUE
VISION
Ivy has been winding its way through Boucheron’s archives since 1870 – an evergreen vine that twisted itself around the heart of the Maison’s founder Frédéric Boucheron, and inspired some of its most breathtaking creations. Creative Director Claire Choisne clearly understands the obsession. Her Lierre de Paris collection returns to that founding fascination with nine new pieces in white gold and diamonds that feel as organic as their original inspiration: claspless necklaces that coil around the neck like living branches, double-finger rings with leaves that unfurl across the hand, asymmetric earrings designed to be worn in multiple ways, and brooches that fasten to both fabric and hair. And every leaf is pavé-set and openworked at the back to maximise the light passing through each shimmering diamond. This is Boucheron at its most instinctive – audacious, just a touch unruly and completely singular.
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Why not listen to that inner voice and… –F ollow the path that truly calls to you –C all that girlfriend who has been on your mind –B uild the next chapter of your life –S top trying to please anyone but yourself earn to adapt to new –L environments – Give something new a try – Take a walk on the wild side
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BIG CAT ENERGY
They say cats have nine lives – wildlife photographer Kriti Walia has lived quite a few herself W O R D S : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT
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VISION
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ver a relaxing breakfast one morning in Dubai, the wildlife photographer Kriti Walia casually mentions that she is behind with her packing. In a few days she is off to Alaska, where she will hike in to photograph brown bears as they come down after hibernation to fish for sockeye salmon. She will be on foot, just metres away from the animals. “It’s gonna be amazing,” she says. “A once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Then Walia flies on to Brazil to sit in a boat and wait for a jaguar. If she gets it, she will have completed the set: every big cat on earth, photographed in the wild, on her own terms, by a woman who did not pick up a serious camera until she was 48 years old. What is remarkable is that, at first, Walia didn’t even clock that she was about to hit that milestone. She recalls that she just happened to be photographing tigers with a friend in India in January when he ran down the list and asked whether she realised she was about to become one of the first female Indian photographers to have seen and photographed all the big cats in the world. “It didn’t even register,” she says. “I was just going along.” Going along, in Walia’s case, is a specialist skill. Almost nobody has started over in life as many times as she has, and nobody I’ve met has done it with as much grace. Walia grew up as an army kid, which meant she was never anywhere long. “In 12 years of my education, I changed schools 10 times,” she shares. The postings were not cities but small towns in forests and mountains. And it’s the kind of childhood that has largely stopped existing in today’s interconnected world. “I’m a kid of the ’70s, and in that time we didn’t have any social media, we didn’t have any of these distractions. So playing outside, being in nature, it was just a part of living your daily life,” she explains. Her father, who played at nationallevel cricket tournaments in India, also happened to have a Yashica film camera, a darkroom, and a passion for photography. Walia remembers how he would arrange the camera on a tripod and wrangle his family together for group photos, or shoot landscapes. Eventually, Walia left home for school and forgot all about photography for the next 25 years. What she did instead was hotels. She had a history honours degree but no hospitality background whatsoever when she passed a fiercely competitive campus interview for the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development, and found herself, as she puts it, gravitating towards the world of luxury hotels. It was there that she met her future husband, Sandeep. She was 21. They have now been together 32 years. Eight or nine years into her career, on a clear leadership track, Walia got pregnant. The company chairman, the late Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, called her in. “He said, look, I’m not going to let you go. You take a sabbatical for two years,” Walia recalls. Around the same time, her husband was given a promotion and transfer to an Oberoi property in Egypt. She took the chairman up on his offer, picked up her two-and-a-half-month-old daughter and moved with her husband to Hurghada, on the Red Sea coast. Walia is unusually honest about what happened next. “I was literally thrown at the deep end of the ocean,” she says. The bond with her daughter was extraordinary, precisely because it was just the two of them discovering a new country together while her husband cracked on with his new job. Walia is grateful for that precious time with her daughter, but she doesn’t deny that being a new mother in a new country, without the familiar structure of a job to go to, was a shock to the system. “I was like, what happened to my desk, my work, my travels, and the phone calls, and the emails, and the strategy, and the meetings?” She pauses. “I didn’t realise that this was it. This is permanent. And I was so shattered,” she admits.
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Walia’s last big cat capture: the jaguar named Bororo
What helped her get through this profound, life-changing moment was the can-do attitude that her father instilled in her when she was a girl. “My dad always told us to move on in life, keep moving on,” she says. “So I was like, okay. What now? What can I do? What’s the plan B? I am always trying to move forward, never backwards.” Plan B ended up starting with a plate of cookies. Her daughter’s crèche asked parents to bring something to a Christmas party. Walia, who had never baked, went into her kitchen and rolled up her sleeves. “I must have thrown out three or four batches before I could get six cookies right,” she says with a laugh. She carried them in. People wanted to know where she’d bought them. “I started feeling useful and validated,” she remembers, and is careful to clarify what she means. “I mean me, not just as a mom or wife, but a full being.” One of the mothers introduced her to a woman running a small bakery in the village, who took the cookies, then asked what else she could do. “One bakery became two. Two bakeries became three,” recalls Walia. Then her husband got a new role at the Ritz-Carlton in Sharm el-Sheikh, and she did the whole thing all over again, walking her samples into bakeries. Then Russia, in 2007, where she arrived and panicked. “It was a saturated market with amazing bakeries, world class. I was like, who the hell is going to buy my things?” So she pivoted sideways: noticed that almost nobody spoke English, got herself CELTA-certified, and built a corporate English training business, with a side hustle doing mystery shopping for hotels across the CIS, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. Later, on a trip to Washington DC, she spotted a queue running the better part of a kilometre outside a cupcake shop on Valentine’s Day. “It just hit me like tons of bricks that cupcakes were conspicuously missing in Russia,” she says. So she bought books on the art of cupcake-making and began selling cupcakes in Moscow – out
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of her own kitchen, under the name Cupolicious. The business was an instant hit. She was, by her own account, making insane money when Sandeep announced he had an amazing new job opportunity in Germany. It is the only moment in our entire conversation where she admits to flinching. “This is the first time that I felt like, oh no,” she says. “By then, I was almost 40, and I was like, ah, not again.” In Germany, the ever-resilient, always forward-moving Walia got a commercial baking licence in six months, without speaking a word of German and without a single contact. “I bulldozed my way into it,” she admits. She then spent seven years as a wedding cake maker in the Rhine-Main region, with a Cordon Bleu-trained assistant and a corporate client list that included Cartier, Chanel, Tiffany & Co, and Sephora. She even ended up gaining German citizenship. Dubai came in 2019 and felt, initially, like a reward. “It was literally like going from black tarmac to red carpet,” she says. Walia signed a cloud-kitchen deal with a well-connected investor. Then Covid hit, and nobody on earth wanted to eat food made in a stranger’s kitchen. She retrained as a yoga teacher–200 hours in three months–and discovered that nobody wanted in-person classes either. “One day, I woke up. I told my husband I’m leaving,” she says. She was 47, and she was, she now knows, seriously depressed. “I used to feel so low and so down and so sad about everything, and that was very unlike me.” She went to Rishikesh, in India, where the Ganges comes out of the Himalayas, because yoga was the only thing still making her feel anything. Sandeep, who she says believes in her more than she believes in herself, booked her into a beautiful hotel on the river. She arrived elated. The next morning she woke in what she calls a dark hole. “I was like, oh my God, how can this be back? I’m in this beautiful place. What is happening?”
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Kriti Walia
So Walia went down to the water and sat there for hours. “I just sat there and I surrendered,” she says, and even now, recounting it, she has to stop. She asked the universe for guidance. “Show me the path. I will do anything.” Then she wept, went back to her room, and slept. When Walia woke, she made coffee and took it out to the patio. There, a crimson sunbird landed in front of her and stayed. “I was so consumed, in that moment, that I thought of nothing,” she recalls. “It was just me and the bird.” She went inside for her phone so she could take a photo of the bird, but when she came back out, it was gone. This inspired her to hire a naturalist to walk her round and point out different birds. Green bird, blue bird, yellow bird. “I was like, child in a toy shop,” she says. “And for 10 days, I was just running behind birds, and off went the depression. Until this day, I’m running behind them.” The camera she used was a point-and-shoot she’d bought for photographing cakes, which had inexplicably found its way into her bag. “I was hopeless,” she says happily of those early days as a budding wildlife photographer. The idea of photographing all seven big cats – tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, puma, snow leopard, and cheetah – came from birders she met along the way, who kept asking whether she’d photographed any of them. Walia admits that trying to capture these cats in the wild takes almost saint-like patience. The two cats that nearly broke her were the puma in Chile and the snow leopard in India’s northernmost territory, both of which she trekked in to photograph on foot. “You are looking at an elevation of between 4,000 and 4,500 metres,” she says. “The air is thin. You can’t breathe. You are out for eight to 16 hours a day.” Shooting in temperatures of between minus 10°C and minus 15°C, with no vehicle and no shelter, for a fortnight, all the while waiting, in the case of the snow leopard, on an animal so elusive it is colloquially called the “grey ghost”. Walia’s favourite frame came out of that trip, and it isn’t the portrait you’d expect. A snow leopard mother sat at the bottom of a gorge, almost a kilometre from her cubs, who were playing higher up the mountain; neither could see the other. “She just started purring,” Walia says of the magical moment she captured on camera. “They don’t roar, they make this sound called sawing.” Somehow the cubs heard her from the other end of the gorge and started moving in her direction. The mother started walking too. Walia watched them close the distance. “It was spectacular.” Walia hopes that her story will inspire other women not to give up on their dreams later in life. “I come from a culture where I’ve seen my mother, my aunts, my grandmother all say, oh, life’s over now, we are 50,” she says. Her counter-argument comes, naturally, from the animal kingdom: orca pods, where it is the grandmothers, not the mothers, who teach the young to hunt. All that knowledge, finally applicable, with the responsibilities lifted. “Life is a privilege,” she says. “Everything is a privilege. I just have deep gratitude in my heart for everything.” Whenever she wavers, she says, she does one simple thing. “I remind myself of how far I have come.” P.S. Walia did capture her last big cat – a jaguar named Bororo, which she photographed as he bounded through the water after his prey. It’s a breathtaking shot, and the perfect image to mark another milestone in a life lived to its fullest.
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GIRLS, WE’RE GOING Crossing time zones, navigating conflicting schedules, and juggling life’s responsibilities might take careful planning, but carving out quality time with your favourite females is deeply restorative for both mind and soul W O R D S : A L I C E H O LT H A M - PA R G I N
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armed by the golden flames of the firepit, as one of the strongest predictors of long-term happiness. In his Lucy, my best friend of 15 years, and I are gazwork, social-personality psychologist William Chopik highlighted ing out over the idyllic Yorkshire countryside, the importance of making time to reconnect with friends for the the last rays of summer light dancing through sake of our well-being, illustrating that friendships are “a way the trees that stretch beyond us. It’s been to derive all the benefits of being in a relationship with someone almost 12 months since we were last together, although if anyone without the enormity of it.” could see us in this remote corner of Northeast England, they “A friend once told me ‘everyone needs a Board of Directors for wouldn’t be able to tell. We talk animatedly in ways that feel like their life.’” says Laura Coughlin, a Dubai-based food and travel no time at all has passed, darting between topics: the surface-level writer. “Different people you call for different things: the tough catch-ups, unfiltered chats about our careers, homes and friends, love, the shoulder, the ‘self-deprecating story’ laugh. These four and the deeper conversations that tend to feel impossible over the are a huge part of my Board.” She’s reflecting on a recent trip to phone. There’s a freeing feeling to those precious few days where the Greece, a destination she travels to every year with four friends pressures of daily life effortlessly evaporate, replaced by unfiltered who she met while working together in publishing in Dubai. conversations, leisurely lunches “I’m the only one who’s left that roll into balmy evenings, [in Dubai], the rest are dotted and the kind of laughter that across different time zones now, leaves your cheeks sore. living completely different lives. It may take missed voice But Greece is our fixed point.” notes, belated responses and Coughlin shares fond highmore than a few last-minute lights of how it comes together, schedule changes, but our andescribing the laidback nature nual girls’ trip is a sacred staple of the majority of the group in my calendar. Over the years, as their ‘secret weapon.’ “Two the location may change: my of us love sniffing out the best high-energy home in Dubai, restaurants and bars, another a sun-drenched weekend in has an almost supernatural Ibiza, a cosy cabin an hour talent for finding the perfect from her base in Leeds – but Airbnb, and the rest just say yes the commitment to quality time to everything. It works because, together remains unaltered. underneath it all, we all want the The days headily blur into one. exact same holiday. Slow mornThere’s a warmth to the familiar ings, incredible food, good wine, comfort in moments of silence. a proper ensuite, nice-butAn adolescent delight when a not-obscene accommodation… song from our teenage years beand each other.” The idea that gins to blast from the speaker. different friends play different And as we hug goodbye, a roles in our lives is one that can knowing appreciation that we’ll be traced back over 2,300 years. pick up exactly where we left off, In Aristotle’s The Nicomachean Laura Coughlin’s Greece girls’ trip whenever – and wherever – that Ethics, his renowned work on may be. But there’s more to the the science of the good life, joy of a girls’ holiday than the he identified three types of restorative effect of uninterrupted time with your closest friends. friendship: the friendship of utility, the friendship of pleasure, and Psychology plays a part, too. A 2019 study by Harvard University the friendship of virtue. While the friendship of utility is based on concluded that when it comes to the girls’ trip, “social connections an exchange of what each party can gain from the other, and the like these not only give pleasure, they also influence our long-term friendship of pleasure is identified as being based on the pursuit of health in ways every bit as powerful as adequate sleep, a good diet fleeting pleasures, it is the friendship of virtue that’s recognised as and not smoking.” So, the research affirms that the benefits aren’t the perfect form of friendship. This is the purest form of friendship, just for our mental wellbeing, but also an investment in our health. uniting us through positive influence, enduring respect and a desire Similarly, according to the American Psychological Association, to unlock the best version of each other. It’s this kind of friendship, a review of 38 studies found that adult friendships, especially built on years, not proximity, that the girls’ getaway quietly nurtures. high-quality ones that provide social support and companionship, But perhaps the most significant takeaway from those indulcan protect against mental health issues such as depression and gent escapes with our girlfriends is the effect it has beyond the anxiety, with benefits persisting across the life span. days spent together. “It just makes the thread stronger,” Coughlin Creating time – and crafting traditions – in friendships as we says on the long-term impact of her annual girls’ holiday. “Every navigate the complex throes of shapeshifting through the different year, we prioritise this and show up for each other in person. The stages of adulthood is an essential reminder that we’re not alone. memories pile up, and you build something that keeps pulling you Research consistently backs this up, pointing to close friendships back together on purpose.”
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Aida Al Busaidy
BUILDING THE NEXT CHAPTER WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A
Aida Al Busaidy, Vice President of Social and Consumer Advocacy at Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, on the vision and sense of belonging behind the city she calls home
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ida Al Busaidy, the Vice President of Social and Consumer Advocacy at Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, likes to return to a story about the Burj Khalifa when she talks about how the city thinks about progress. “He was asked in an interview how much of his vision he had achieved, and he gave a percentage south of twenty,” she says, paraphrasing His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “The same interviewer asked him again a couple of years later, and the percentage had gone down, even though so much more had been built in between, because the more he did, the more he saw was still possible.” Al Busaidy’s own vision for the city, she admits, was seeded somewhere far more literal if you go back far enough. She grew up watching The Jetsons, the cartoon that imagined a future full of flying cars, and she laughs recalling it now. “They were talking about the city of the future, and they said there’d be flying cars,” she says. “We actually do have a flying taxi that’s coming.” It’s a small detail, but it captures how she frames DET’s whole mandate, aimed at building steadily toward a version of the city that once only existed in cartoons, rather than simply reacting to whatever tourism numbers demand this quarter. She credits that same instinct for how the city moved through the past year, pointing to two frameworks that guide almost everything DET does, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the UAE Centennial 2071 strategy. “We are not fixated on issues, we are fixated on solutions,” she says. Where Centennial 2071 plots the horizon decades out, D33 functions as what she calls the north star for the years directly ahead, shaping decisions that run from infrastructure and policymaking to Emiratisation, SME growth and the everyday experience of the consumer. “Our mandate isn’t just visit,” she says. “It’s also live and work,” a distinction she returns to more than once, framing Dubai’s growth less as a tally of tourist numbers and more as a measure of how many people choose to build their actual lives inside it. That philosophy now has a name, ‘Dubai-it’, the initiative His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched on the seventeenth of June this year through a video posted on X, built around a promise
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Al Busaidy says the city had been keeping long before anyone put a phrase to it, that it says what it does and does what it says. It is an approach built to turn ambition into something delivered rather than just promised, and delivered fast. Al Busaidy remembers watching that idea get put into words rather than just lived. “If Google can do it, we can do it,” she says, only half joking, about a philosophy she insists Dubai had been practicing all along without ever naming it. What she comes back to most, though, is the idea that the city does not ask newcomers to leave themselves behind to belong. “Whether it’s COVID or Expo, it’s the people who speak,” she says. “The person who came and has stayed here for two years, versus the person who’s a Dubai kid, versus an Emirati, we’re all saying the same thing.” Home now to close to two hundred nationalities, Dubai’s story, as she tells it, belongs equally to all of them. “The city doesn’t change you,” she adds. “You move with the city.” For Aida, that connection carries a deeper sense of pride and commitment rooted in being Emirati, a feeling that goes beyond
her role at DET to a personal responsibility to help shape the city she calls home, and to take pride in delivering the exceptional projects and programmes that become part of Dubai’s story. She speaks about growing up surrounded by that diversity as simply normal, a fact of daily life rather than a talking point, and there is a moment where her voice catches slightly describing what it means to spend a career representing a place she still calls, without qualification, home. If there is a single idea she wants to leave behind, it has nothing to do with headline numbers. “Consistency builds resilience,” she says, likening it to a fitness routine, a prayer practice, anything sustained over time rather than chased in bursts. It is a philosophy she applies as readily to her own sense of legacy as to the city’s, describing a hope that her grandchildren will one day ask what role she played in the chapters of Dubai’s growth that are unfolding right now. “It’s one chapter,” she says, “but hopefully the book continues, and people keep adding to it.”
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Performance WORDS: GEMMA WHITE
Our lives have never been more visible – or more carefully curated. Could letting go of perfection be the secret to feeling more fulfilled?
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players…” The words, penned by Shakespeare and spoken by nobleman Jaques in As You Like It might be over 420 years old, but their resonance, if not quite their original meaning, still reverberates powerfully today. While the cynical Jaques was waxing lyrical on the inconsequentiality of humanity in the grand scheme of things, in 2026 with our ‘main character energy’, hero aura and all-round that girl-ness you’d be hard pressed to find someone who’d admit to their own insignificance, especially if their last Instagram post racked up an abundance of likes. These days, social media is the stage, and the players are creators, influencers and followers. The boundaries between our online and real lives have long since blurred, resulting in what social anthropologists have termed ‘performative living’, whereby everyday life is turned into a constant highlight reel designed to achieve external, algorithmic validation rather than personal satisfaction. Daily actions, aesthetics, interests, chores and routines from
gym workouts to trips to the supermarket are performed not instinctively, but with an eye to how they appear to others both on social media or in person. The goal? Monetisation of personal milestones and the relentless pursuit of self-optimisation. “Women, in particular, have always been observed, evaluated and socialised to become highly attuned to other people’s needs, perceptions and expectations,” says Dr Rita Figueiredo, psychologist and managing director at Peninsula Psychology. “From an early age, many girls receive relational feedback such as ‘be nice’, ‘be pretty’, ‘don’t upset people’ or ‘be likeable’. This creates a special sensitivity that is learned through repeated social cues that reward certain behaviours and discourage others. Being agreeable, emotionally accommodating or outwardly composed is often reinforced, while more complex or uncomfortable emotions may be less welcomed.” Adding: “Society teaches women that identity is partly something to be performed for others’ approval. Social media did not create this dynamic, but it has amplified this existing cultural script and made it more visible and constant.”
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“SOCIET Y TE ACHES WOMEN THAT IDENTIT Y
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IS PARTLY SOMETHING TO BE PERFORMED FOR OTHERS’ APPROVAL”
The recent relaunch of and controversy around Meta’s AI glasses for which the company harnessed the twin cultural touchstones of Kylie Jenner and Ray-Bans, has put the spotlight not only on privacy and women’s safety, but also on performative living. The increased chance of our daily lives being filmed or livestreamed at any time directly threatens our ability to act authentically because, as digital wellbeing expert Alison Burrows points out: “Real life is unpolished, complicated and messy.” “From a mental health perspective, losing access to your authentic self can leave you feeling ungrounded and uncertain about who you are,” says Halima Said, Counsellor at Thrive Wellbeing Centre, “It can feel as though you’re moving through life wearing identities, roles or social masks that don’t truly belong to you, constantly wondering whether you’re doing it ‘right’ instead of living in a way that genuinely reflects your values and sense of self. The disconnection can contribute to sadness, irritability, chronic self-criticism, perfectionism and isolation.” As well as affecting our relationship with our own authenticity, performative living can also corrode our connection to ourselves at a deeper level, interfering with our ability to find genuine satisfaction, meaning or at the very least make peace with the small menial or even dull tasks that constitute daily life. “The exhausting thing about performing your life instead of living it is that you’re spending all your energy managing an image and none of it actually being a person,” says Fiona McCoss, Founder of Wild Feminine Retreats. “You’re constantly worrying about how you will be perceived – seeking external validation and more, more, more – rather than living in the present moment, creating the life you actually want to live, accepting your body in its natural form and finding contentment in simplicity.” For McCoss, who regularly hosts retreats around the world where women shed their clothes as well as their inhibitions and societal constraints, performative living creates a “profound disconnect” in which “you end up constantly outsourcing your sense of ‘Am I good enough?’ to an audience or an external ‘authority’ rather than finding that self-acceptance from within.”
For those trapped in a cycle of looking everywhere but internally for confidence and validation, identifying your personal values and principles and placing them at the heart of decisionmaking is one of the first steps towards moving away from performing life to authentically living it. And with social media here to stay, the aim is not to avoid platforms but rather to use them in ways that enhance rather than validate. As Figueiredo notes: “Simply noticing when a decision is driven primarily by anticipated approval can create space to reconnect with what genuinely feels meaningful. It also helps to intentionally create experiences that exist without an audience.” “Start with awareness,” suggests Burrows. “If a post doing poorly affects your mood, if seeing other women’s lives makes you mad, or if you feel anxious when you are not being praised online, then performance is likely taking up too much space. Ask yourself: Would I still post this if nobody saw it? Would I still wear this, show this, buy this, attend this, do this or share this if it received no approval? Identify your core values and use them as a filter.” She adds: “Before posting ask yourself: Is this aligned with my values? What is this post truly about: Joy, creativity, connection, or expression? Or is this post about proving my worth? Asking these questions creates space between impulse and action. Then remind yourself about what is truly important to you based on your core values.” Living an authentic life doesn’t mean posting every warts-andall moment online as a counter-balance to curated perfection, nor does it mean feeling compelled to offer up complete transparency. Rather, it’s about releasing yourself from notions of who you think you’re supposed to be to embrace who you actually are. “Living an authentic life means accepting the natural way you move through the world,” says Said. “It means being okay with imperfect sentences coming out of your mouth, recognising that the quirks and creases in your personality do not make you any less worthy.” Adds McCoss: “Personally, for me, an authentic life feels easy, it feels creative, it feels in alignment. I feel at peace, I feel at ease, I feel confident, I feel able to be myself, fully.”
“LIVING AN
AUTHENTIC LIFE
ME ANS ACCEPTING THE NATUR AL
WAY YOU MOVE THROUGH
THE WORLD”
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VIEW POINT
THINK AGAIN Morin Oluwole, CEO and Co-Founder of Le Vitruve, is an international luxury business leader who serves on the boards of Breitling, Rituals and Biologique Recherche, and Product Council of Kempinski Hotels. The former Global Luxury Director at Meta explains why a good leader is one who is open to discovering and adapting to new ways of working, and thinking
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here’s a particular tension that comes with becoming an experienced woman in the workplace: the more you know, the more people look to you for answers. After all, experience gives us authority. It builds confidence, credibility and, over time, a very clear understanding of what works. There’s also a quiet danger in becoming too attached to what we know. The thing is: leadership is not only about having answers. It is about remaining open enough to ask better questions.
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As women, this feels particularly relevant. Many of us have spent years learning how to navigate systems that were not necessarily designed with us in mind. We learned how to prove ourselves, establish credibility, negotiate our place at the table and, sometimes, work twice as hard to be taken seriously. When we finally reach a position of influence, it can be tempting to hold tightly to the behaviours and strategies that got us there. However, the world in which we are leading is changing. The workplace is being reshaped by AI, new generations of talent and completely different expectations around careers, communication and success. The leadership qualities that helped us rise may not be the only qualities we need to lead what comes next. That doesn’t mean abandoning experience. It means being curious about what experience might be preventing us from seeing. I’ve become increasingly interested in the difference between having expertise and being attached to expertise. Expertise should give you confidence to explore. It shouldn’t give you a reason to stop. This is especially important as more generations work alongside one another. We spend a lot of time joking about Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z trying to understand each other at work. But underneath the humour is a real leadership challenge. A younger woman entering the workplace today may have a completely different relationship with hierarchy, technology, flexibility and ambition than the woman who entered it 20 years ago. The instinct can be to explain to her how things really work… but what if we asked her how she thinks they should work? That’s not about assuming that younger is better. It’s about recognising that perspective is not determined by age. Some of the most valuable questions I have heard in my career have come from people who were not yet experts. They were able to see something precisely because they had not yet learned all the reasons why it supposedly could not be done. As women leaders, we have an opportunity to create workplaces where that kind of curiosity is rewarded. AI makes this even more urgent. We’re entering a period where many of the
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tasks that have traditionally signaled expertise – researching, analysing, drafting, synthesising information – can increasingly be supported by technology. That raises an important question for women who have built careers around being exceptionally good at those things: if technology changes the mechanics of our work, what becomes even more valuable? For me – the answer is distinctly human. Judgement. Taste. Empathy. Relationships. Creativity. The ability to ask the right question. The courage to make a decision when there is no perfect answer. In other words, leadership.
AI should not make us less curious. It should make us more curious about the uniquely human value we bring. This also requires a certain degree of humility. It’s important to remember that one of the privileges of becoming more senior is that you have more influence. However, influence should not mean having the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes leadership is recognising when someone else has a better idea and having enough confidence not to need it to be yours. I think this is particularly powerful for women. We’ve often been told that leadership means becoming more assertive, more certain, more decisive. And yes, those qualities matter. But there is strength in being able to say: “I don’t know.” Or: “Tell me more.” Or simply: “There may be another way.” Those are not statements of weakness. They are statements of confidence. Perhaps the greatest evolution in women’s leadership is not simply getting more women into positions of power. It’s creating a different relationship with power once we get there. A leadership culture where experience does not become hierarchy. Where seniority does not silence curiosity. Where younger voices are not expected to earn permission to challenge. And where women do not feel they have to become a version of the leaders who came before them in order to be credible. We can honour what worked for us without insisting that it must work for everyone who comes after us. That, to me, is the real discovery. Not constantly chasing the next trend or reinventing ourselves for the sake of appearing relevant. It’s about remaining open. Open to new technology. New ideas. New generations. New ways of working. And, perhaps most importantly, to new versions of ourselves. Leadership is not a destination where we finally know enough. It’s a practice of staying curious. Perhaps the most powerful thing an experienced woman can say is not, “This is how we do it.” It’s: “This is what I have learned. Now, what can I learn from you?”
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From fine jewellery inspired by beauty rituals to art born from kitchen waste, meet the women taking creativity in unexpected directions WORDS: MARIAM KHAWER
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hat does a red lip have to do with fine jewellery? Or kitchen waste with art? What happens when a centuries-old embroidery motif enters a contemporary home or a costume designer decides a pair of sneakers makes just as good a canvas as anything else? Behind each of these ideas is a woman making a name for herself in the UAE’s creative scene. Some are just getting started, others are already beginning to find an audience, but all are at that exciting point where you get the sense there is much more to come. Part of the thrill of discovery is coming across great work just as things are beginning to take off. Their names may not be everywhere just yet but just give it time.
FANNY TURCOTTE Founder & Creative Director, Victoire Fine Jewellery
Fanny Turcotte knows the power of a red lip. A swipe of it can change a woman’s mood, her posture and on the right day, her entire attitude. Fanny wanted to capture that effect in jewellery, an idea that eventually led to Le Rouge, one of the collections from her fine jewellery house, Victoire. Jewellery has been part of Turcotte’s visual vocabulary since childhood. Her grandmother was an impeccably dressed woman who never took her diamond rings off. “I don’t remember her without them,” she recalls. Trips with her grandmother to Birks, which she considers the Canadian
Art Deco Harper ring (left) and Le Rouge Colette necklace, Victoire Fine Jewellery
equivalent of Tiffany, became an early introduction to fine jewellery. Those visits stayed with her, even if designing jewellery herself wasn’t part of her life’s plan. That came much later. She spent a decade working in fashion and beauty photography and creative direction, developing an eye for light, proportion and composition that would eventually bring her back to jewellery from an entirely different perspective. When she began designing Victoire, those two parts of her life naturally came together. The diamonds she had admired since childhood were now being viewed through a photographer’s eye, with Turcotte paying close attention to how each piece catches the light, moves against the
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body and changes from different angles once worn. She often looks well beyond jewellery for inspiration. Architecture, photography, fashion and beauty all find their way into her designs, sometimes in unexpected ways. The Colette necklace, for instance, brings together baguette-cut diamonds and Art Deco geometry with the vivid red enamel of Le Rouge. Turcotte aims to move away from the idea that fine jewellery needs to be gifted by someone or reserved for birthdays, anniversaries and engagements. A woman might buy herself a diamond because she was promoted, built a business, took a risk that paid off or simply because she saw something beautiful and wanted it. “Why should we wait for someone else to celebrate us?” she says. Turcotte is still defining what makes a Victoire piece unmistakably Victoire, but she already knows she doesn’t want that recognition to depend on a brand mark. “I would love for a Victoire piece to be recognisable by its attitude before it is recognisable by a logo,” she says.
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Emma Hamsa Perfumes
EMMA HAMSA
Founder & Creative Director, Emma Hamsa Perfumes Perfumer Emma Hamsa believes scents are a way of holding onto the people who have shaped her. “My relationship with fragrance is deeply personal. From a very young age, I have always been drawn to scent and to the way certain smells can immediately take us back to a person, a place or a moment in our lives,” she shares. Hamsa lost both of her parents at a young age and was raised by her grandmother, whose recent passing prompted her to turn a lifelong relationship with scent into a fragrance house of her own. “After going through a period of grief, I felt a strong need to create something lasting, something that could preserve emotion even as memories naturally fade with time,” she explains. That idea translated into The First Light, a debut collection of three Extrait de Parfums inspired by her mother, father and grandmother. Hamsa thinks of our “first light” as the people who give us our earliest understanding of love, strength, safety and identity. Milk of Light, inspired by her mother, explores what Hamsa describes as
“femininity without fragility,” using milky notes, almond and tonka to balance softness with strength, while her father inspired Eternal Horizon, where fresh woods and mineral accords evoke the stability and confidence she associates with masculine energy. As for her grandmother’s fragrance, Desire Skin, it carries a little more friction. Their relationship was deeply loving but could also be challenging and Hamsa wanted the fragrance to acknowledge both. Spice and citrus eventually soften into woods, musk and florals, mirroring a relationship that became warmer and more tender over time. Turning her memories into fragrances took more than a year of development with a French fragrance house. Hamsa always starts with the emotion she wants a perfume to evoke and works backwards from there, finding the notes that can give it form. It’s also why she isn’t in a rush to put the brand everywhere. She wants to build an audience around the stories first and let the fragrances find their place gradually. But the First Light is only the beginning. Hamsa is already developing a second collection of five fragrances while simultaneously writing a psychological autobiography.
HAZEL CALDER Author
Hazel Calder was lying in bed scrolling through Instagram when she came across a post about the classic television series I Dream of Jeannie. It got her wondering why nobody had written a grown-up version of the genie concept. The idea eventually found its way into The Problem with Wishes, her latest rom-com novel centred on an ambitious, career-focused woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when a male genie enters the picture. “I knew I wanted it to feel like a modern romantic comedy rather than a traditional genie story,” she says. “And because I love writing about women who are ambitious and very focused on their careers, my main character was always going to be that kind of woman. Which obviously meant the genie had to be a man.” The novel is part of a writing career Calder has steadily nurtured while also pursuing a career in corporate marketing. She had wanted to write fiction for years but like many would-be novelists the dream was often deferred. It wasn’t until the pandemic that she finally gave herself the challenge of completing a book.
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Since then, she has published two novels, all while continuing to work full time. Her first year as a published author has been a busy one. “Hectic! I think that’s probably the best word for it,” Calder says. “There have definitely been weeks where I’ve wondered why I decided publishing two books in one year was a good idea.” Writing them turned out to be only part of the job. Self-publishing meant learning her way around covers, editing, formatting, distribution and advertising, much of which was completely new territory. It’s worth noting that Hazel Calder is a pen name, allowing the author to keep writing separate from her corporate career, but elements of one inevitably make their way into the other. “I’ve worked in corporate marketing for 16 years, so I think there’s always a little bit of me in my characters, even if their jobs and personalities are completely different,” she says. Calder writes about women navigating high pressure careers and relationships. Having spent much of her own life living abroad, she is also drawn to international settings. Two books in, she already knows what she wants readers to expect when they pick up one of hers. “I’d love for readers to see my name on a book and know they’re going to get a strong female lead, an ambitious career, complicated relationships and some humour,” she says. “Probably a glamorous setting too. I think that mix feels very me.” Book three is already underway, this time following a 38-year-old London divorce lawyer who is excellent at her job and considerably less successful in love. There is, Calder teases, “another slightly unusual twist,” but she’s keeping that one to herself for now.
NEETI TANDON KASHYAP Founder, Curate Home
Neeti Tandon Kashyap can tell a lot about a piece of fabric, including spotting details that most people often overlook. She notices its weight, how it sits in the hand and the tiny irregularities most of us might dismiss as imperfections. A slightly uneven print, a knot in a hand-loomed fabric or even a fingerprint left behind in the glaze of a mug usually catches her attention. That keen eye was developed over more than a decade spent working in apparel and textile manufacturing. Kashyap worked in mills,
DIVIYA TILANI
Artist, Costume Designer & Co-Founder, Design Dome
“I TRY NOT TO FORCE A MATERIAL INTO A SHAPE IT WAS NEVER MEANT FOR” factories and sourcing rooms, learning how fabrics behave and how natural dyes settle differently from one piece to another. When she launched Curate Home from her Dubai home in 2020, she started small with a batch of cotton throws which sold out almost overnight. A stall at Dubai Design Week later that year came close to doing the same. Then, in 2023, Curate Home won the Spinneys Local Business Incubator Programme, taking the business from Kashyap’s home to shelves across 24 Spinneys stores and Bloomingdale’s UAE. Despite the growing retail footprint, Kashyap still makes her first judgement with her hands. “I choose pieces by touch first,” she shares. “I’d rather work on a small batch of something meaningful and intentional rather than mass produced.” Traditional techniques remain central to the brand but the artist is always looking for new ways to bring them into a contemporary home. A block print traditionally used on a saree might find its way onto a cushion, while the same hand-casting techniques used for traditional copper vessels can produce a set of everyday tumblers. “I never ask an artisan to change their technique,” she says. “The value is in it staying exactly as it’s been passed down.” She would rather change the object than the craft behind it. New collections usually start with a technique or material Kashyap encounters while travelling, perhaps an interesting weave, a dye process or a hand-thrown ceramic, with the idea developing from there. “I try not to force a material into a shape it was never meant for,” she says.
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Painting and fashion have always existed side by side in Diviya Tilani’s work. She studied Fine Art and historical costume construction at the St. Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, learning to work across oil, acrylic, watercolour and gouache while developing the technical skills required to construct garments by hand. Since then, that foundation has taken her into costume design for television and more recently, wearable art. One place where Tilani found a home for her creativity was as a costume design assistant on the series Nevsky. It was a chance to put years spent studying historical costume construction into practice and see her work make the leap from sketches to the screen. Sneakers have since become another outlet for her artwork. Tilani designs around the shape and details already on the shoe, adapting each illustration so it works across the different panels and curves. And because these are ultimately made to be worn, she uses specialist leather paints and waterproof coatings to make sure the artwork can handle life outside the studio. Tilani’s designs draw heavily on her interest in architecture and history, particularly the Silk Road, nomadic cultures and influences from Central Asia and the Middle East. And at Design Dome, the creative space she co-founded in City Walk, much of that work takes the form of custom pieces. It gives her the freedom
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Paper art by Masarratfatima Sulaimani
to move between art and fashion and keep trying her hand at new materials. “I don’t want to define myself through a single medium,” she affirms. “Each material gives me a different way to tell a story.”
MASARRATFATIMA SULAIMANI Paper Artist
Masarratfatima Sulaimani has made paper do things most of us would never associate with a humble sheet of A4. She has carved it into intricate hand-cut artworks, transformed it into installations large enough to occupy an entire room and more recently, turned recycled paper pulp into something she can paint with. “Paper has been a part of me for as long as I can remember,” she says. As a child, Sulaimani remembers crumpling, folding and tearing it as a way of expressing herself. That early instinct eventually led her to study Fine Arts and Graphic Design and, over time, build an entire practice around the material. “It has slowly become my language,” she says. A residency with the Al Qasimi Foundation in Ras Al Khaimah introduced Sulaimani to papermaking and an entirely new set of possibilities. She started experimenting with plants, vegetable waste and locally sourced fibres. Making the paper herself gave her greater control over its texture and thickness, while locally sourced plants and fibres allowed her to bring something of the surrounding landscape into the finished work. Once Sulaimani learnt to make paper
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herself, she wanted to see how much further she could take it. Through trial and error, she developed a technique that allows her to create directly with recycled paper pulp, using it almost like paint. “I can almost draw with the pulp, a little like icing a cake,” she says. “It also allows me to continue exploring sustainability. I can take discarded paper, turn it into pulp and then use it to create something completely new.” Currently, she fabricates pieces the size of matchboxes while continuing to investigate how waste from her own kitchen and potentially hotels, could be remade as paper and eventually sculpture. As an expat, Sulaimani also sees parallels in the way paper can be broken down, remade and given another form. Her work increasingly explores migration, journeys and the experience of adapting and finding home somewhere between different places. “I don’t really know exactly where the material will take me,” she says. “And I quite like that.”
ZUHRIA ABU AWWAD & SUHA SALAMAIN Founders, Ashghal El Teta
Zuhria Abu Awwad grew up watching her mother and grandmother practise Palestinian embroidery. She remembers wanting to learn the cross-stitching techniques they used and years later, began creating her own pieces inspired by the craft she had grown up around. Her daughter Suha Salamain, an interior architect, soon joined
her, bringing her own design perspective to the work. By then, Abu Awwad had become a grandmother, which gave the motherdaughter project its name, Ashghal El Teta, or “Grandmother’s Work.” Their work brings traditional Palestinian embroidery into contemporary art and interiors without losing the history and meaning carried by the original motifs. Working with your mother does, of course, mean agreeing with your mother. The duo admit that they don’t always manage that, especially when colour is involved. Salamain describes herself as “a deconstructivist at heart” and favours a more muted palette. Meanwhile Abu Awwad is usually ready to add another colour to the mix. “The colour palette is probably where we struggle the most,” Salamain says. She also knows when her mother has won the argument. “Her flair for adding the right accent is unmatched and I am always eager to learn from her.” That push and pull has become part of Ashghal El Teta’s identity. Traditional Palestinian motifs might be enlarged, abstracted, layered or brought together with unexpected materials, but the embroidery remains closely connected to its origins. Before working with a motif, the pair research where in Palestine it originates from, what it represents, and the story attached to it. “We don’t want to modernize Palestinian embroidery to the point that it becomes unrecognizable,” Salamain says. “We want to reinterpret it in a way that makes people curious about its origins and encourages them to look deeper.” Their aim is to give Tatreez a natural place in contemporary homes and encourage younger generations to engage with the craft themselves. An idea the duo are currently exploring is an open source library of curated patterns that stitchers could download, reinterpret and use to create their own compositions. Abu Awwad can now look at her own grandchildren and think about what her mother and grandmother once passed down to her. “We want the younger generations to pick up the needle and thread and create their own take on our traditional embroidery arts,” she says. There is plenty the pair want to do with Ashghal El Teta, from creating pieces around Palestinian places and landmarks to developing it into a wider platform for Palestinian heritage. Someday, they hope the next generation will look at what they’ve built and say, “This started with Teta.”
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HAPPY SPORT
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Inside the star-studded Istanbul launch of Cartier’s breathtaking new Into The Wild high jewellery collection
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE W O R D S : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT
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n the Istanbul island of Büyükada the glittering setting sun that sparked on the Bosporus recently faced some shimmering competition in the form of Cartier’s grand reveal of its latest high jewellery collection, Into The Wild. A who’s who guest list, from actresses Tuba Büyüküstün, Tara Emad, Razane Jammal, Yousra and Nadine Labaki to Bollywood stars Ishaan Khatter and Suhana Khan as well as TV presenter Raya Abirached and entrepreneur Anas Bukhash (just to name a few) turned up to take in the outdoor tableau vivant the iconic French luxury house had created to display its newest creations. One of the most notable reveals in this new collection is the more unexpected creatures that now take pride of place within the brand’s menagerie. Besides Cartier’s beloved panthère and its legendary crocodile motif jewellery designs, the addition of five Faune & Flore de Cartier rings stands out. Direct descendants of the Panther head ring the House created in the 2000s, the new tiger, parrot, carp, crocodile, and rhinoceros rings have the same visual spirit as they create striking sculptural volume on the hand, an animal caught at the moment of expression rather than at rest. Two of these creatures also inspire other striking designs in the collection. The crocodile and the tiger are also reimagined as a bracelet, necklace, and a pair of charming pins. On the crocodile, the head is a clasp, fully integrated into the mouth of the animal, which bites down to complete the circle. Its scales are built from diamonds whose geometry is highlighted in the onyx spikes forming the crest. The bracelet is a wave of diamonds in inverted setting, punctuated with onyx, finished along the cuff’s borders with chrysoprase and rubellites. All of it designed to make the pieces look alive on the skin. The tiger motif leads into hues of blue.
Dumortierite quartz for the stripes, sapphire paving across head and body, aquamarine for the eyes, and that galuchat-effect diamond setting again on the lifelike head. Its opening and closing mechanism is concealed inside the animal’s mouth, while the body is a run of dumortierite quartzes and sapphires on articulated gold moveable links, and it finishes off in style with chalcedony beads each studded with an inverted sapphire. But fans of the Cartier Panthere designs were not forgotten. In this collection she shows up as a tête-à-tête bracelet in pristine white – her coat created entirely in paved diamonds and spotted with geometric diamonds, alternating galuchat-effect paving in varied diamond sizes with caviar paving that keeps the light moving between the paved zones and the bare white gold. There is also a snow panther with emerald eyes ringed by a fur setting, and a medallionshaped Panthère jewellery watch from Cartier’s Maison des Métiers d’Art in La Chaux-de-Fonds, built on the traditional principle of the cameo and requiring three artisans to work in concert: the designer, the gem-setter removing metal in favour of stone, and the lacquerer, whose spots are drawn from the House’s vintage archive. Over the course of the star-studded evening in Türkiye, guests marveled at the clever and varied jewellery presentations Cartier brought to life. From one crocodile parure being worn by a beauty standing tall on a boat, that when lined up with the horizon, looked as if it was floating on the wide open strait to another that saw an artist hard at work painting a living bejewelled model into her clear glass canvas, or one that wore an animal-print gown that extended so far beyond her, and the dramatic panthère jewellery she wore, that it framed her whole surroundings. Then there were the handsome couples seen playing backgammon as the sun set, and another who majestically enjoyed the expansive views from a swing. Later guests were treated to a line-up of Cartier bellboys dancing in synchronisation, and a gasp-inducing performance that saw a group of acrobats climbing up steps, only to fall to the side, and almost by magic reappear thanks to hidden trampolines. And after a night filled with live music that made it impossible to sit still, Yousra closed out the evening in style as she took to the mic to sing to guests in a joyful final flourish to an event that surpassed all expectations.
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T
THE WEIGHT OF SMALL THINGS
he editorial world of jewellery tends to move in a fairly predictable vocabulary, one built around carats and clarity and the shine of a stone under studio lighting. But none of it has a word for what Pippa Small someone whose craft is his whole actually does. Her materials sound world, a man who might wake at two almost too plain to belong in a jewin the morning with an idea and go ellery feature at all – hand panned down to his workshop in the dark, WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A gold, glass blown by a single craftslosing track of time until he looks man outside Ramallah, silver cast up and it is seven. “He’s someone straight from an olive leaf plucked who really lives and breathes his off a tree in Bethlehem. And yet craft,” she shares, describing his somewhere between the workshop workshop tucked inside his own and the wrist they gather a kind of home, his grandchildren wandering luxury mainstream fine jewellery in and out, food cooking somewhere houses simply do not know how to close by, a scene she called intimate articulate, because putting on one and luxurious in a way no showroom of her pieces feels less like wearing could ever manufacture. During one metal or glass and more like donning of their early meetings, he dropped a decades of someone else’s family piece of his work onto the concrete history. “There’s a human being here,” Small reflects. “There’s a floor and it bounced without a crack, dismantling every reservation story behind this, and I think that just makes it more meaningful.” Small had about bringing something so seemingly delicate to be Azaz, Small’s hand-blown glass collection, was created in part- worn as jewellery, and Azaz, meaning glass in the local Palestinian nership with Palestinian glassblower Mohammed Twam, whom dialect, was born from those quiet conversations. she met in Jaba’ in spring 2025 through her longstanding relationBethlehem Garden, the other of Small’s two Palestinian collecship with the charity Turquoise Mountain. He’s a collaborator she tions, began with the Golden Zaytouna workshop, run by father and speaks about with something close to awe. Twam has been working son Tawfeeq and Samer Qattan alongside Nadira Alaraj, a former with glass for more than 40 years, and Small describes him as economics professor who fell for the craft and never left. Their
Jewellery designer Pippa Small takes us through the Bethlehem Garden, her Palestinian jewellery collection cast in silver, gold, glass, and heritage
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signature technique casts silver or gold around an actual olive leaf, which burns away in the firing and leaves behind its imprint. “It’s such a hugely symbolic thing,” Small says. “It contains something across all faiths, across the region.” From there came acorns, almonds, baby figs, lemons and baby pomegranates, a walk through a Palestinian garden in early spring, when everything is still tiny and shaped by the season. “A seed, no matter what, just represents everything to me,” Small shares. “It’s this tiny container that holds life, and it will grow into something bigger than us.” Alaraj, an avid bird watcher, once walked her out to one of the oldest olive trees in the Middle East, an afternoon Small credits with grounding the whole collection in something larger than a workbench. For Azaz, Small brought a bag of ancient beads to one of her first meetings with Twam. “I’m a bit obsessed with ancient beads,” she confesses, and together they worked out how to blow glass solid enough for daily wear while keeping the worn, uneven feel she loves, the strength coming from repeated firing in the kiln. The palette – teal, amber, a wild translucent pink, a soft lavender – was new territory for a designer who tends to favour materials pulled straight from the earth. “It feels like a little amulet,” she said. “Finding joy in challenging times, that’s how I see them.” The silver Bethlehem Garden pieces launched only a week before our conversation, while the gold creations had been released gradually over the past few years as the collection found its footing, roughly five years after her inaugural trip to Palestine set it all in motion. The first Azaz collection launched around October last year, while a second, built around shells, seed pods and twisted glass coils, was recently revealed. What threads both collections together is a conviction Small has carried through her career, that a piece of adornment can hold the same weight as a story passed down at a kitchen table. She trained in anthropology at SOAS before working in grassroots human rights across Borneo and the
Philippines, and that instinct for listening before designing has carried her through not just Palestine, but Colombia, Myanmar, Jordan, Afghanistan and Bolivia. “When we know where we’re getting our materials, and we’re buying directly from miners, we can’t be happier,” she says, recalling a goldsmith in Myanmar who will not touch his tools if he is in a bad mood, in case it absorbs into the gold. Small’s own mother, a committed socialist, once told her that making jewellery for wealthy people was not something to be proud of, and the jewellery has spent decades proving there is another way, built on transparency and relationships that outlast a single order. Looking ahead, Small is drawn to olive wood carving around Bethlehem and a possible collaboration in Syria, where the absence of local gemstones has pushed her towards chains inspired by Damascus ironwork instead. “I have so many books now on Syrian craft and heritage,” she admits. Even through a screen, it’s impossible not to sense how much of herself Small has folded into this work. She laughs at the observation. For her, the connection is instinctive – something deeply felt rather than consciously sought out. Because ultimately, these pieces are not simply about what can be made, but what deserves to be remembeared.
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PUT A BOW ON IT
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The Miss Dior fragrance has been making its case since 1947 – which, in perfume terms, is about as close to immortal as it gets. The newly revamped Eau de Parfum doesn’t reinvent the original; it refines it. At its heart is a Grasse rose absolute sourced from Christian Dior’s private estate in Provence, in the South of France. These are roses with a lineage as considered as couture itself, lending added resonance to a scent inspired by the designer’s beloved sister, Catherine Dior. Creamy and chypre, grounded by tonka bean and milky sandalwood, it is a feel-good fragrance imbued with deeper emotion. Even the bottle’s iconic bow has been given an update. Slimmer and sharper, and woven in Dior’s signature houndstooth on a jacquard loom by ateliers established in 1864, it provides the perfect finishing touch to this tasteful pairing of fashion and fragrance.
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Take steps towards becoming the best version of yourself and… – Try a niche scent designed to stand out – I nvest in long-term wellness strategies –D ive into the latest luxury skincare innovations –G et to the root of healthier hair –D iscover the artistry behind fragrance –B lossom with a refreshed beauty regime
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Hot New Buys WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A
The pieces landing on our radar this month, from a jewel-topped eyeshadow collaboration to a fragrance built around a flower that blooms only after dark
BALANCE ACT Laneige’s Balance Mode MicroFoaming Rice Cleanser leans on a Rice-inamide Complex and gentle rice micro-beads to lift pore impurities and excess sebum without stripping the skin’s moisture barrier, its Bubble Barrier Technology whipping into a dense, cushiony foam that rinses clean. Balance Mode Micro-Foaming Rice Cleanser Dhs120 Laneige
Circadian Repair Built around the brand’s next-generation Advanced TFC8 technology, Augustinus Bader’s Overnight Restorative Cream works with the skin’s circadian rhythm, addressing hydration, firmness and fatigue for a more rejuvenated face by morning. The Overnight Restorative Cream Dhs1,410 Augustinus Bader
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Lauren Rubinski’s whimsical pendant motifs have pride of place atop Hourglass’ new Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes. Each one handblended in Italy so that no two compacts are quite the same, from the four-leaf clover of Wish to the heart-shaped key of Hope, these are palettes with luck locked in. Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes Dhs380 Hourglass
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CHARMS & CHROMA
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ROMAN ROMANCE Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier deepens Bvlgari Allegra’s Baciami Eau de Parfum into Baciami Ancora, a more concentrated Parfum built on creamy gardenia and addictive vanilla absolute, housed in a cabochon-shaped flacon inspired by Roman columns. Allegra Baciami Ancora Parfum Dhs1,515 Bvlgari
Bloom After Dark Perfumers Quentin Bisch and Louise Turner build Cedrus de Nuit around the Queen of the Night, a white flower that blooms only after dark once a year, its honeyed scent set against amber, dark vanilla absolute and resinous benzoin. Atelier des Fleurs Cedrus de Nuit Dhs1,138 Chloé
SECOND SKIN The new YSL Skin Affair Soft Glow Cushion Foundation comes in 31 shades, delivering a lightweight, softfocus finish from an easy, spill-free compact built for skin that photographs as well as it feels. Skin Affair Soft Glow Cushion Foundation Dhs280 YSL
SWEET TOOTH
Set and Shimmer Makeup By Mario’s Soft Shimmer Long-Wearing Cream Shadow applies with a finger or brush and holds through heat, sweat and humidity, giving Mario Dedivanovic’s signature eye in either a diffused matte or a pearlescent shimmer finish. Soft Shimmer Long Wearing Cream Shadow Dhs135 Makeup By Mario
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KAYALI’s Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33 Silk Soufflé Body Cream folds hyaluronic acid and the brand’s Dream Elixir into a whipped texture that melts into skin for up to 24 hours of hydration, in a gourmand scent of pistachio, whipped cream and roasted hazelnut. Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33 Silk Soufflé Body Cream Dhs199 KAYALI
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The Beauty Shelf Saudi Arabian tastemaker Model Roz takes us through her must-have beauty staples Do It All Radiant Concealer Dhs156 IT Cosmetics I love this concealer because it gives great coverage while still looking natural. The added multivitamins make my skin feel hydrated and fresh throughout the day. Pocket Blush Dhs91 rhode I can’t get enough of this blush because it’s creamy, lightweight, and blends effortlessly into the skin. It gives the most beautiful natural, dewy glow. PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum Dhs100 Anua This serum gives my skin an instant boost of hydration and keeps it feeling soft all day. It’s one of my go-to products for achieving that fresh, glass-skin look. Niacinamide 10 + TXA 4 Serum Dhs80 Anua I’m a big fan of this serum because it hydrates while helping reduce redness. My skin always feels smoother, calmer, and more radiant after using it. Deep Damage Treatment Dhs132 Unove This leaves my hair feeling incredibly soft, smooth, and deeply nourished. It helps repair damage while adding shine without weighing my hair down. Total Eye Lift Eye Cream Dhs386 CLARINS I really appreciate how lightweight yet nourishing this eye cream is. It helps my under-eyes look brighter, smoother, and well-rested throughout the day. Collagen Multi Balm Stick Dhs69 Dr.Melaxin This is one of my favourite beauty essentials because it
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helps improve the look of fine lines while giving my skin a firmer, more lifted appearance. It’s so easy to keep in my bag for quick touch-ups.
GrandeLASH-MD Lash Enhancing Serum Dhs559 GRANDE Cosmetics I’ve been using this lash serum for over six years, and it’s one product I can’t live without. It helps keep my lashes looking longer, fuller, and healthier. Roses Vanille Eau de Parfum Dhs620 Mancera This has been my signature fragrance since 2017, and I still get compliments every time I wear it. The blend of rose and vanilla is elegant, feminine, and unforgettable. 95% Retinol & Collagen Under Eye Patches Dhs99 Mediheal These eye patches are a staple in my skincare routine because
they deeply nourish and smooth my under-eye area. They always leave my skin looking brighter and well-rested. Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Face Wash Dhs110 Biossance This cleanser has become a staple in my routine because it leaves my skin feeling fresh, nourished, and never tight. It’s the perfect first step for healthy, glowing skin. PDRN Pink Peptide Serum Dhs149 Medicube I’ve been loyal to this serum for almost a year because it keeps my skin looking healthy and radiant. Korean skincare never disappoints, and this is one of my favourites.
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C O M P I L E D B Y: A M I N AT H I FA S A
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Fragrance Forecast
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A new wave of niche scents has arrived. Discover the latest launches bringing fresh notes and distinctive bottles that offer a more personal edge to a perfume collection
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iche fragrances look to have finally moved out of the cult category and into the mainstream, with unusual scents becoming more personal, expressive, and less about simply finding a crowd-pleasing perfume. From Burberry’s rich, inviting Goddess Amber Vanilla, to Maison Crivelli’s Musc Nurasana, a luminous, meditative blend of sparkling citrus and velvety rose enveloped in warm musk and DS & Durga’s Ain’t That Sweet, a malty date that stirs things up with a touch of bourbon vanilla and Sri Lankan cinnamon – these are scents that demand a bit of focus and a splash of daring. YSL Beauty’s new Libre Santal Couture fragrance notably lean towards the gourmand side, pairing floral notes with woody and milky sandalwood, while Santa Maria Novella’s Rosa Gardenia offers a softer, more contemplative floral. Amouage’s Overture 41, it reaches deeper, letting incense and spice do the heavy lifting. For something even more unexpected, Maison Margiela’s Blaze of Stillness and Loewe’s Field Diary fragrances give an olfactory reset with notes of orange blossom. The message is clear: a fragrance wardrobe built on contrast will always be more interesting than one built merely on comfort.
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1. Rosa Gardenia Eau de Cologne Dhs419 Santa Maria Novella; 2. Field Diary EDP 100ml Dhs1,400 Loewe; 3. Ain’t That Sweet Dhs1,101 DS & Durga; 4. Scentsorium- Chapter 1: Blaze of Stillness EDP Dhs1,650 Maison Margiela; 5. Goddess Amber Vanilla Eau De Parfum Intense 100ml Dhs735 Burberry; 6. Musc Nurasana Extrait de Parfum Dhs995 Maison Crivelli; 7. Libre Santal Couture Dhs580 YSL Beauty; 8. Overture 41 Dhs2,365 Amouage
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r Flutura Hasa Harold’s reputation precedes her. But it’s not her impressive professional skillset that gets mentioned when her name first comes up. It’s her innate positive attitude. Dr Harold is a functional medicine physician and longevity specialist at the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie at One&Only One Za’abeel. But even with more than two decades of clinical experience behind her and a following that has earned her the nickname “The Hormone Doctor”, it’s the way she moves through the world that her staff brings up first. They clearly adore Dr Harold, describing her as permanently laughing, permanently bright. And you absolutely can’t miss her in a crowded room with her bright red hair and striking thick black-framed glasses. But as upbeat as she is in life, she is also completely unsentimental about the unglamorous yet important work of trying to stay healthy for as long as possible. “I practise what I prescribe,” she says about the routines and regimens she assigns her patients. “I really track what I do, not because I am purely fascinated by the data, but because daily, personalised good habits can make such a huge difference in the long run.” Born in Albania, Dr Harold trained and lived across Europe and the United States before landing in Dubai, and she rattles off her geography like a woman reading a boarding pass: Belgium, Austria, India, Sri Lanka, Spain, Italy. She speaks Spanish and Italian. She spent three months studying Ayurveda in India, not because a curriculum required it but because she couldn’t stop wondering what ancient health practices could teach modern medicine, and how it could be strategically implemented in the pursuit of healthy longevity. Triple board-certified, she holds postgraduate degrees in public health and health economics. She has also trained as a yoga teacher as a side hustle, purely for her own edification. “I’m one of these people that really never stop learning,” she says. “I know that in healthcare, we doctors should keep learning. How could we stay up to date and help our patients if we’re not trying to know everything that is happening?” What all that travel taught Dr Harold had less to do with medicine than it did mortality. “We all age, it doesn’t matter which country we are from,” she says. “But in general, the way we approach ageing by culture and by country can really make a difference.” The traditional systems she studied preached methods of dealing with detoxing, digestion, sleep, stress, and finding internal balance, while the modern research she trained in focused on toxins, inflammation, mitochondrial health, immune regulation, and biological ageing. Dr Harold’s entire practice makes the argument that these different perspectives are actually part of the same conversation – two sides of the same longevity coin. Her pivot out of conventional medicine was not, however, academic. It was personal, and it was her own body that forced it. Ten years ago, working in anaesthesiology, pain management and a trauma centre, Dr Harold was burned out and unwell. She was in perimenopause and getting nowhere. “I was going to the gym every day and on top of that, I was dancing at night,” she recalls. “So I was like, what is going on with my hormones?” She consulted colleagues across
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LIVE LONG AND PROSPER W O R D S : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT
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Relaxation Lounge, Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie at One&Only One Za’abeel
the endless specialists, and nobody talking to anybody else. “One doctor means one strategy, which means building personalised pathways that connect every aspect of your health.” The five-step framework she has come up with consists of diagnose, optimise, regenerate, rejuvenate, and finally sustain. It’s a process that always begins with possibly the least glamorous step: a full history, a physical, and comprehensive labs. “We are really going back to the basics,” she says, before going “deep, deep, deep to see what the root causes are.” On one of the health and wellness space’s current hot topics, she is candid. GLP-1 drugs and peptides, she says, “are amazing, powerful tools. But they are not a magic solution. None of them is the magic pill or magic injection and then things will magically just get better.” Weight gain is never just weight gain. “It won’t work that way,” she says flatly, noting that there are usually deeper issues. Ask her what she’d recommend a 35-year-old focus on when it comes to their health and she laughs, because she was that 35-year-old once. “You feel that you can do whatever you want. You have all the energy.” Her instruction is simple: look at your hormones first, build the habits now, “don’t abuse your body.” And do not, under any circumstances, wait for something to go wrong. “Please don’t wait for a diagnosis to start paying Dr Flutura Hasa Harold attention to your health,” she says. “Everyone thinks that going to a longevity hospitals in the US and the UAE, brilliant doctors all of them, and clinic like where I work is a fancy thing, but it’s not. It’s really a negot back what she now calls “old-fashioned guidelines and old cessity when it comes to being smart about preventive healthcare.” studies.” Synthetic hormones, essentially, and a shrug. Her own regimen is not for the faint-hearted. She is up every The turning point in her career came at a conference in Caliday at 6 am. Pilates three times a week, reformer sometimes, fornia, where a functional medicine doctor made her an offer that and hot yoga, which she rates “better than a sauna” for detoxing, sounds almost like a dare. “She said, if you are so curious, you though she warns her patients off doing it more than twice a week. could start with your own health,” recalls Dr Harold, who explains It is meditation, though, that she credits with doing the heavy liftthat the woman also suggested she join the American Society on ing of her mental and emotional health. “That is where my escape Aging programme, to discover other perspectives on the topic of is,” she shares. “My meditation journey has made me resilient to ageing well. So that is exactly what Dr Harold did: she started with overcome some of the big challenges.” her own health. Her years working in the ICU gave her the other Dr Harold believes, genuinely, that the answers to how to age half of the longevity equation. “I saw so many people suffering, gracefully are changing, and modern medicine is making imprescomplex patients with chronic illness,” she says. “With time, I resive breakthroughs every day. “Ageing isn’t something that just alised that if there are chronic conditions and the patient ends up happens to us and we have to resign ourselves to a slow decline,” in the ICU because it’s too painful, there could be a way to prevent she says. “We can measure our true age now, we can influence it some of those, before they get to that point.” and we can manage it.” By taking the power of ageing into our Today her motto is one doctor, one strategy, whole-body lonown hands, we can have a profound impact on how the third, and gevity – which she is quick to clarify is not a claim to omniscience. maybe the fourth, act of our lives plays out. “Let’s aim together to What she takes issue with is the exhausting relay race most of us not only treat symptoms, but restore the whole body and spirit. To run when it comes to managing our health: the scans, the labs, add life to our years, not just years to our life.”
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Right page: Tomato Leaves Body Scrub, Loewe Perfumes
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CHANGE S E N I O R E D I TO R : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT P H OTO G R A P H E R A N D C R E AT I V E D I R E CT I O N : A M E R M O H A M A D
T H E N EW S C E N TS , S C R U BS , A ND S A LVE S D ESI GN E D TO MA K E YO U R S K I N F E E L L I K E I T’S ST I L L O N VACAT I O N
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GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A
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uveen Sahib held up what looked, on screen, like a small dark cloud, and told me it weighed about as much as a ponytail. It was a bundle of roughly 19,000 strands of hair, the median amount K18 says its testers retained after three months of using Future IQ, the brand’s newly launched scalp serum, and it was the kind of visual that made an otherwise dense conversation about follicle biology suddenly land somewhere personal. Sahib is the Co-Founder and CEO of K18, the hair care brand that built its name on molecular repair, and speaking to him it became clear the company sees repair less as an end point and more as the groundwork for
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something bigger. “Repair was never the destination,” he said. “It was a foundation. And once we proved we could reverse damage at the molecular level, the next question was obvious: how do we stop that damage accumulating in the first place.” That question is what led K18 toward longevity, a word borrowed from skincare that Sahib believes hair care is only now catching up to. His argument is that hair, scalp and follicle do not operate as separate systems any more than a tree can be separated from its
hydrogen peroxide, which is what eventually pushes healthy hair into a resting phase, disrupts the scalp barrier, and interferes with the enzyme responsible for producing melanin. “Hair is not hair to us the way it is to biology,” he said. “It becomes energy consuming, and the body shuts it down to preserve energy for everything else.” For the Middle East specifically, Sahib sees a market that is, in his words, one of the most sophisticated luxury beauty consumer bases in the world sitting inside one of the harshest climates for hair, between prolonged heat, dry air, constant air conditioning and the water quality. “It’s not just one thing,” he said. “It’s the prolonged heat cycles, the dry climate, the minerals in the water, the air conditioning, the frequent styling, all of it is increasing that oxidative load.” When I brought up oiling, a ritual so embedded in daily life across the region and in South Asia that it barely registers as a beauty step, he agreed it
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“REPAIR WAS NEVER THE DESTINATION. IT WAS A FOUNDATION”
roots and soil, and that shedding, scalp devitalization and early greying, three things women often describe to him as unrelated frustrations, are actually different symptoms of interconnected biological processes. “These were not three different isolated problems,” he said. “They were simply a different expression of what was happening in the same underlying biology.” He walked me through it using an image that stuck, describing every biochemical reaction in the body as an electron trying to make its way down an expressway towards becoming water, and describing stress, heat styling, pollution, and sun exposure as the traffic that piles up behind it. During biological stress, the excess electrons turn into
helps but pointed out something most people never consider, that the oil itself oxidizes under enough environmental stress, working against the very scalp it is meant to protect. “The challenge is the oil itself gets oxidized,” he said. It is why K18 built Future IQ around what Sahib calls an orchestration of technologies rather than a single hero ingredient, comparing it to a symphony where no one instrument matters if the rest are out of tune. Results gathered after three months of nightly use, ahead of the launch, showed nearly all testers reporting less shedding, more than half noticing improved scalp vitality, and over 70 per cent seeing fewer greys, though he was careful to note that outcomes shift with age and individual biology, and that someone further along in graying should expect the product to slow things down rather than reverse them entirely. The serum itself is designed to slip into an existing evening routine rather than add a new one, four applications spread across the scalp rather than the hair itself, left on overnight alongside a regular skincare regimen. “It’s not going to interfere with your styling,” Sahib said. “It may feel a little wet, but it dries very fast. It’s as simple as that.” “It may give you a superficial feeling of improved hair density,” he said, “but it’s not really happening up there.” What he wants, more than anything, is for hair to be protected the way skin already is, well before the damage becomes something you can see in the mirror.
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WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A
AM TO PM BEAUTY
Content creator Najwa Hubaishy shares her morning to evening beauty routine Talk us through your morning routine. I start my day with my beauty routine. For my face, I use the Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray and do eight minutes on my Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask. Next, I apply a light moisturizer with no active ingredients. How does your evening routine differ? In the evening, I like to unwind with a slow and nourishing ritual. I like to wash the day off using the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser. Next, I go in with a thicker cream to treat my skin barrier, which is the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+, Rhode Peptide Lip Boost and the Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream. I focus on intense hydration for the evening and use more active ingredients.
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What are your go-to skincare products? I am such a simple girl when it comes to my skincare, and I learned that the hard way! I focus mainly on unscented face creams, thick and rich body butters, like the Fenty Skin Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream, and hydrating my skin from within using electrolytes (Rite Mango Flavored Electrolyte Sticks are my favorite). Are you a fan of masks? Yes, yes and yes! I fly through the Medicube PDRN Collagen Masks, and I can’t live without my Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask – it’s worth every penny. How would you describe your approach to makeup? I like bringing out my features rather than putting on a whole new face. I focus mainly
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Clockwise from top left:
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Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream with Tropical Oils + Shea Butter Dhs265 Fenty Skin; Dyson Supersonic Nural™ Dhs1,649 Dyson; Peptide Lip Boost Dhs84 rhode; Palatine 75ml Dhs1,490 Parfums de Marly; Absolut Repair Shampoo Dhs153 L’Oréal Professionnel; Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara Dhs155 Charlotte Tilbury
on my eyes and eyebrows, and they are my most prominent features. I also love a bronzey look all year long. I feel my best when I have my bronzer on. What can always be found in your makeup bag? Definitely mascara and eyebrow gel! I love the Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Gel and it’s the only one that keeps my bushy brows up and tamed without looking crunchy by the end of the day. My favourite mascara is the Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara from Charlotte Tilbury. No mascara is as black, as lengthening and as thickening as that one. Also, I always have a lip balm as I prefer it over a lip combo any day. Which fragrances are your current favourites? This is the hardest question you can ever ask me as a perfume collector (I have 117 perfumes). But if
I had to answer, it would be Palatine by Parfums de Marly layered with Tears from the Moon by Gucci for the day. For the night, I love mixing Moonlight Patchouli by Van Cleef & Arpels layered with Matière Noire by Louis Vuitton. Talk us through your hair routine I like to try to keep it plain and simple. In the shower, L’Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Range. Post shower, I use K18 Molecular Repair Leave-In & Darya Magic Scalp Serum. I always pick the Dyson Supersonic or Airwrap for styling. What is the most unusual item in your makeup bag? I hate leaving the house without earrings, so I always have a pair of gold tone earrings just in case. This can actually ruin my day, and I know it’s dramatic.
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WO R D S : A M I N AT H I FA S A
FRAGRANCE AS ART AUDREY MINARD CEO, ROJA London
As CEO, what is one commercial compromise you refuse to make even if it means slower growth? I would never compromise
on the integrity of our brand or the quality of our creations. Every decision begins with two considerations: staying true to our values and listening to our clients. Their trust and loyalty have been built over time and protecting that relationship is of paramount importance. Whether it is product development, storytelling, or the retail journey, we focus on continuous improvement of the experience of the client while remaining faithful to the DNA of timeless ultra-luxury. How do you protect artistic integrity when commercial pressure pushes for faster, safer releases? ROJA London has always
ROJA London’s CEO Audrey Minard and Roja Dove, founder of ROJA London, discuss the topics of craft, integrity, and the philosophy behind one of the world’s most coveted fragrance houses
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been driven by creativity and craftsmanship over market trends. Since launching in 2011, ROJA London has become a pioneer of modern haute perfumery. Over the past five years, I have led the brand’s vision and global expansion. Originally a founder-led house, ROJA London has evolved into a stand-alone brand. I spearheaded a rebranding strategy that built the connection from an individual figure to a more universal, human narrative. This has resulted in a more accessible, engaging brand experience and releases that resonate with a broader, global audience, whilst remaining faithful to our loyal clients and connoisseurs, many of whom have been with us from the beginning. How do you decide which creative risks from ROJA London become global launches versus limited editions? When deciding which
creative concepts become global launches versus limited editions, we always begin with our brand identity and long-term vision.
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Every launch should elevate the brand while engaging and inspiring both existing and new clients, whether through new launches or by celebrating our iconic pillar fragrances. Limited editions are often reserved for special luxury partnerships and unique storytelling opportunities. Over the years, we have developed exclusive collaborations with Harrods, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman, creating distinctive fragrances that resonate with specific audiences and occasions. Similarly, our global flagship boutiques offer exclusive creations tailored to their markets, generating excitement, encouraging discovery, and reinforcing a sense of rarity and exclusivity. A recent example of our collaborative approach is the Harry Potter collection, which celebrates British creativity, craftsmanship, and artistry through the magic of perfumery while engaging a global fan base. After all, fragrance, like magic, has the power to evoke emotion and transform how we feel. Many niche brands chase trends like gourmand or oud. How do you avoid just following the crowd? Our philosophy has always
been to create a diverse olfactive portfolio
that allows clients to discover fragrances that truly reflect their individuality. Rather than pursuing trends, we focus on creating exceptional fragrances across a wide range of styles and families. Oud has been part of our DNA since the brand's inception and played a significant role in establishing our reputation. At the same time, some of our most successful creations globally are fresh, vibrant fragrances such as Elysium, Burlington 1819, and Isola Blu. That balance reflects our commitment to creativity and expertise, and to finding the perfect fragrance for our clients, rather than trend-driven innovation. You unveiled Espresso Aoud in London. Why was London the right city for this launch?
London was the natural home for the launch of Espresso Aoud as it represents the inception of the brand and is home to our flagship boutique in The Burlington Arcade. We launched simultaneously with key retail partners in the Middle East to reflect the current global appeal of oud. What was once considered a regional ingredient has evolved into one of the most recognised and loved notes in modern perfumery, and we fully embrace this as pioneers of the oud category.
ROJA DOVE
Founder, ROJA London Espresso Aoud is a gourmand twist on oud. What makes the Aoud Collection still worth reinventing after all these years?
Since launching the brand in 2011, we have become globally recognised as the authority on oud, and so it was important for us to disrupt and do something totally unexpected and surprising. The result is Espresso Aoud which is a modern twist on the Aoud Collection. Espresso Aoud takes oud to the next level by combining it with roasted coffee beans. In the background, caramelised nuts evoke a little sugar in your coffee, finished with pistachio which gives a very creamy quality. I adore oud because I love the thought of taking an ancient ingredient and modernizing it in new and surprising ways for extraordinary experiences. ROJA London stays ultra-niche while others expand. What is your single nonnegotiable when creating a new scent? As
an ultra-luxury brand, my thoughts are always on the creativity of a fragrance and how we tell stories through the language of ingredients. Based on a brief from ROJA
“Like fine jewellery for the senses, these are statement pieces” London, we are united in the belief that we can never be driven by budget, otherwise creativity and artistry are stifled. Your fragrances are called addictive but not mainstream. How do you balance wearability with provocation? Our fragrances are
carefully composed expressions, blending imagination with expertise to create multilayered, theatrical, and personal olfactory stories. All fragrances are treated as art pieces, expertly hand-finished, echoing the legacy of traditional British craftsmanship. Like fine jewellery for the senses, these are statement pieces. What keeps a Roja fragrance unmistakably Roja beyond the ingredients? Our timeless
olfactive objects are deeply individual. Our clients are encouraged to discover madeto-measure signature fragrances through the art of layering for a personalised experience, whilst connecting with raw materials for a meaningful connection to the making of each of our fragrances. If you had to describe ROJA London in three words without naming a single note, what would they be? Opulent. Complex. Longevity.
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S E N I O R E D I TO R : J E S S I C A M I C H A U LT PHOTOGRAPHER: SHEENA GOLANI M A K E U P A N D H A I R S T Y L I S T: A L LY S O N S A D I A N
SECOND NATURE The familiar becomes fantastical as texture and imagination reshape the language of beauty
Right page: Step 1 Primer Hydra Booster Dhs180 Make Up For Ever; HD Skin Sculpting Palette Dhs375 Make Up For Ever; HD Skin Blush & Glow Palette Dhs299 Make Up For Ever; FauxFilter Under Eye Color Corrector in Cherry Blossom Dhs145 Huda Beauty; All Covered Under Eye Concealer in 102 Dhs105 Inglot Cosmetics; GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzing Powder in Tan Light Dhs289 Huda Beauty; Backstage Glow Maximizer Palette in 003 Pearly Peach Glow Dhs252 Dior; Bright Matte 42 Colour Palette Dhs120 Beauty Bay; Buttermelt High-Pigmented Powder Blush in U Butta Werk Dhs46 NYX Professional Makeup; Buttermelt Highlighter in 05 Bright and Butta Dhs47.27 NYX Professional Makeup; Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara in Black Dhs52 Maybelline New York; 3D Hydra Lipgloss in 01 Clear Dhs75 Kiko Milano; Lasting Eyebrow Gel in 05 Ebony Dhs59 Kiko Milano; Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Sugar Cookie Dhs186 Huda Beauty; Fix+ Stay Over Setting Spray Dhs160 MAC Cosmetics
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Left page: HD Skin Blush & Glow Palette Dhs299 Make Up For Ever; All Covered Under Eye Concealer in 102 Dhs105 Inglot Cosmetics; Bright Matte 42 Colour Palette Dhs120 Beauty Bay; Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara in Black Dhs52 Maybelline New York; Pro Lip Palette 6 Select Plums Dhs130 MAC Cosmetics; Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in 07 Bella White Dhs22 Milani Cosmetics; Color Icon Kohl Liner Pencil Dhs15 Wet n Wild; This page: Buttermelt High-Pigmented Powder Blush in 02 Butta Togetha Dhs46 NYX Professional Makeup
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Backstage Eye Palette in 002 Smoky Essentials Dhs280 Dior; Paradise Makeup AQ Refillable 30 Color Pro Palette Dhs626 Mehron; Glide It Waterline Eyeliner Kohl in Black Dhs39 Armaf Beauté
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This page: Backstage Eye Palette in 001 Warm Neutrals Dhs280 Dior; Contour Pencil in 906 Pink Dhs45 Kryolan; Magic Retouch in Dark Brown Dhs27 L’Oréal Paris; Right page: Berries Matte 42 Colour Palette Dhs120 Beauty Bay; Hyper Easy Liquid Eyeliner in Black Dhs22 Maybelline New York Model: Sonya; Editorial Assistant: Riya Kumar
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HERMÈS’ BEST-KEPT SECRET COMES TO DUBAI
ABODE
Petit h has always operated as Hermès’ most delightfully subversive idea – a workshop where the rules run backwards and the brand’s leftover silk, leather, and crystal become the starting point rather than an afterthought of creation. From 5 to 20 October, it takes over the Hermès store in The Dubai Mall with an installation by Creative Director Godefroy de Virieu. Highlights include a horse bookshelf draped in Rocabar, a terracotta jar finished in leather and braided silk, and a chic cork-andcrystal mirror. Sustainable, witty, and completely unexpected, the arrival of Petit h should make some big noise for luxury lovers here in the UAE.
– Learning how to make a house feel like home –D iscovering the power of circadian rhythm – Setting sail in style
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Find that sense of wellbeing by…
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For Alua Kul, great interiors begin with understanding how people live. Through LUMI Interiors, the designer creates considered spaces where comfort, functionality, and personal style come together WO R D S : R I YA K U M A R
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hen you ask interior designer Alua Kul what luxury means, she doesn’t mention marble. “To me, it’s comfort, practicality and functionality,” she asserts. “Those are the three words I use.” At LUMI Interiors, the studio she founded and runs as creative director, that philosophy is reflected in the details. For clients who dislike dust and clutter, she creates closed storage; for those who want their possessions on display, she incorporates open shelving. “The space must be both functional and comfortable,” she says, “with sufficient circulation space and enough room to breathe.” That instinct for spatial awareness appeared early on. When she was just fourteen, as part of the renovation of her parents’ villa, Kul prepared the plans for the new joinery and furniture. She oversaw the process from ordering through final installation,
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BUILT FOR LIVING
even though she had no idea then that a career in interior design was possible. “Our parents used to move a lot,” she explains, “and I was very observant. I looked at things that other children didn’t find interesting to look at.” Although she had studied at the KLC School of Design in London, where all her classmates were interested in clothing for sale on the shop floors at Harrods, she was attracted to the way the building was constructed. “I was completely amazed by all the interior architectural features,” she recalls. During her studies, London became a city of inspiration for the budding architect. She says she can still see the city’s impact on the way she designs interiors to this day. And at LUMI Interiors, that early love of architectural juxtapositions and her meticulous eye for detail – honed over years of practical personal experience – translated into a very exacting approach to interiors. Each new client receives a questionnaire for every room, with 10 to 15 questions covering everything from favourite colours to who lives in the home, whether there are children or pets, and will older relatives need to be considered. The aim is not simply to create a beautiful environment, but to understand the life that will take place inside it. “We have to find a smart way of incorporating convenient access at the moment they wake up,” Kul says, illustrating how even the smallest routines can influence a design. Kul opened her studio in 2020, during a pandemic which had closed down all the design fairs. “It was a great deal of risk,” Kul admits, “but then I told myself, right, now or never.” With just one designer alongside her, she started finding suppliers via social media platforms. Today the studio has expanded to 11 people. Much of the work that makes a LUMI project feel effortless happens long before the final elements are put in place. The studio coordinates with MEP and lighting specialists, sources bespoke details such as mesh for radiators and kitchen cabinetry, and works with fabricators on materials and finishes. Even the less visible choices are considered, including non-toxic glues and coatings designed to minimise off-gassing. “These small details are making the home very holistic,” she shares, pointing to the natural fibres and seaweedbased stain repellents, selected not only for what they contain but for how naturally they sit within the overall scheme of a space. If you ask Kul to explain what the LUMI look is, she argues it’s more about a feeling than a look – a sense of balance. If you go too luxurious, she says, “it will be just like a museum and not something you could actually live in”; if you go too rustic, then it might end up being nothing more than traditional or country-style. Her five words for the studio are honesty, creativity, functionality, sophistication and cosy. “Even if it’s sophisticated or luxurious,” she says, “it should feel like a cocoon.” Her goal is that her clients can just show up one day and “move in with a suitcase and not have to worry about anything at all”.
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“EVEN IF IT’S SOPHISTICATED OR LUXURIOUS, IT SHOULD FEEL LIKE A COCOON” One of the clearest expressions of this approach is a penthouse she created on Palm Jumeirah, where custom rugs and chandeliers were selected to work within the wider scheme. The project later received Best Interior Design Scheme Global and Best Master Bedroom at the International Design & Architecture Awards in London. With those accolades in hand, LUMI is now looking beyond individual projects: a lighting collaboration with the British brand Bella Figura, covering table lamps, chandeliers, wall sconces and a pendant, is due to be launched at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour before being included in one of the company’s own projects, and a room at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House will be opened to the public in Dallas on 14 November. Kul also mentions plans to expand into the United States, aiming to grow LUMI internationally over the next 10 years while keeping it “very selective and boutique”. Away from the studio, inspiration tends to arrive when Kul is not actively looking for it. She finds ideas by the sea, during walks and while swimming off the Dubai coastline, moments she says help her stay balanced. “I’m alone with my thoughts,” she says, “and it’s at those moments that the beautiful ideas appear.” For Kul, that quiet space that leaves room for her own creativity is directly connected to the principle that informs her work: a home is not simply a composition of fabrics, colours and furniture, but an environment that can shape how a person feels every day. Her approach is rooted in crafting spaces that feel personal, considered and enduring, allowing each home to reflect the people who live in it. And when it comes to design, her philosophy remains refreshingly simple: “Trends come and go,” she says, “but personal taste and personal style remain.”
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Rest Assured
Forget counting sheep – the secret to better sleep could lie in how you spend your waking hours. Emirates Woman checks into The Emory’s new City Circadian Reset in London to put the theory to the test WORDS: NAOMI CHADDERTON
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sk any woman what is one of modern life’s most elusive luxuries and she will likely tell you it’s sleep. We track it on our watches, take magnesium before bed, invest in blackout blinds and promise ourselves we’ll stop scrolling at 10pm, yet many of us still aren’t getting enough of it. The problem isn’t necessarily just how long we’re sleeping, either. Increasingly, attention is turning to when we sleep, and how closely the rest of our lives align with our circadian rhythm, the body’s natural internal clock. Running on a roughly 24-hour cycle and driven primarily by light and darkness, it helps regulate everything from sleep and alertness to metabolism, body temperature and hormone release, yet with modern life not particularly well designed to accommodate it – we often spend much of the day indoors, expose ourselves to artificial light and shift our sleeping patterns between weekdays and weekends – it’s increasingly easy for our internal clocks to fall out of sync. It’s for this very reason that The Emory, London’s first all-suite hotel, recently introduced the City Circadian
Reset, a two-night wellness retreat designed to help guests bring those rhythms back into line. Emirates Woman checks in.
THE SUITE LIFE The experience begins as soon as you arrive at the hotel. Guests are met by a personal Retreat Concierge and taken straight to Surrenne, the wellbeing members’ club spanning four floors beneath the hotel where most of the action happens, for a quick tour before being whisked upstairs for a private check-in in their suite. And as to be expected, these aren’t exactly standard hotel rooms. The Emory opened in Knightsbridge in 2024 with interiors created by a roll call of designers including André Fu, Pierre-Yves Rochon, Alexandra Champalimaud,and Patricia Urquiola, and my suite was a masterclass in quiet, contemporary design complete with kitchen, living room, bedroom, balcony and perhaps the most beautiful bathroom I have ever seen. While the room’s amenities list is already impressive (think the likes of three different types of robes and three Dyson styling tools), there are
plenty of additional wellness extras added specifically for the retreat including compression boots for post-workout recovery, an LED light panel and a yoga mat, plus a complimentary minibar stocked with electrolytes, kombucha, cold-pressed juices, magnesium drinks and chilled 111SKIN eye masks. It’s definitely not hard to forget you are supposed to be looking after yourself.
THE HEALTH MOT The retreat itself begins with an in-depth consultation with Dr Liza Osagie-Clouard, Surrenne’s medical lead and an awardwinning orthopaedic surgeon who trained in New York and London. Rather than focusing solely on how well I sleep, she took a forensic look at the rhythms of my everyday life: when I wake up, what and when I eat, how much I exercise, my digestion and energy levels, and my caffeine and alcohol intake. It quickly became clear that sleep doesn’t begin when your head hits the pillow, with Dr Osagie-Clouard explaining how everything from getting enough natural light in the morning to the timing of meals and exercise – and what we do during the
Left: Suite dining area at The Emory Hotel, London; Below: Indoor pool at the Surrenne Health Club
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LEARNING HOW TO SWITCH OFF If the daytime is about movement and treatment, the evening focuses on sending the right signals that it’s time to slow down. Following dinner in my suite (more on that later), it’s time to relax, read a good book, throw on those compression boots, enjoy a cacao smoothie made with adaptogenic mushroom powder and be in bed by 10pm. The room temperature is also set to support sleep. Morning has its own ritual, with guests encouraged to expose themselves to natural daylight soon after waking by taking a walk around nearby Hyde Park, stretch, practice some deep breathing and take a cool shower. None of it is particularly complicated, which is arguably the point. While Surrenne has plenty of high-tech
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machinery at its disposal, some of the most useful lessons from the retreat require little more than daylight and a bit of consistency.
THE WORKOUTS There was, however, plenty of technology – and considerably more sweating – waiting downstairs. Surrenne is home to London’s only Tracy Anderson studio, and the following morning I tried the celebrity trainer’s signature Tracy Anderson Method. Taking place in a heated studio, her classes combine dance cardio with mat-based exercises, resistance bands and light weights to target smaller accessory muscles, with no scheduled breaks. Unusually, the instructors don’t speak either. Instead, you’re expected to watch and copy their movements – a method designed to make you more instinctively aware of your body rather than waiting for verbal instructions. Every class is choreographed to an upbeat playlist, and the result is fast, focused and very sweaty. For those who would prefer something less high-energy, the retreat includes a daily 60-minute personal training session, or one-to-one yoga or Pilates session. You don’t even necessarily need to leave your
suite: a custom-made Surrenne gym trolley can be rolled upstairs for private workouts. There is also a daily infrared iDome session, while even the lighting in the gym changes throughout the day in line with the circadian rhythm. My final treatment was a lymphatic drainage massage, a much gentler contrast to the deep-tissue treatment the day before, using rhythmic movements designed to encourage lymphatic flow and help reduce fluid retention and puffiness.
EATING BY THE CLOCK Food is another important part of the equation, with three meals a day included in the retreat. The anti-inflammatory menu has been devised by nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner Rose Ferguson, with the team advising on the most beneficial windows in which to eat them. That said, this retreat is all about balance, and if you fancy something a bit more substantial, you are also free to eat in The Emory’s abc kitchens, overseen by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, where Surrenne’s doctors can suggest dishes that best complement the programme. For dinner, I kept things healthy with chicken breast, grilled asparagus,
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hours before bed – can help reinforce, or confuse, the body’s internal clock. My prescription therefore wasn’t simply “sleep more”. Alongside magnesium and 5-HTP, a supplement that the body uses to make serotonin, which then converts into melatonin, she recommended getting outside soon after waking, keeping my sleep and wake times more consistent, and establishing a proper evening wind-down routine. Dr Osagie-Clouard also ordered me a Nurosym device, a CEcertified, non-invasive neuromodulation wearable system designed to help regulate the autonomic nervous system and manage stress, improve sleep, boost energy, and reduce inflammation. What’s more, when I mentioned that my body often feels tight due to long hours at a desk, she also prescribed a deep-tissue massage incorporating assisted stretching to be enjoyed later that afternoon. Depending on what comes up during the consultation, other guests might be directed towards acupuncture, reflexology, red-light therapy or hyperbaric oxygen therapy instead, with one treatment per day included in the stay. Next came what was essentially a very sophisticated fitness MOT – a series of assessments that tested everything from mobility, strength and cardiovascular fitness to balance and body composition, before the results were combined to calculate my “wellness age”. Mine came back at 34 and, considering I turn 40 this month, I was more than happy to take the win.
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Left: Surrenne Café; Above: abc kitchens; Below: Surrenne Studio, a sanctuary for the body and mind, offering a fusion of yoga and floor Pilates, enhanced by EMS technology; Surrenne workout trolley
spinach and sweet potato fries while, for breakfast, expect the likes of sautéed wild mushrooms with scrambled eggs, avocado on toast and Scottish smoked salmon bagels, delivered to the suite at a time that works with your schedule.
CAN YOU REALLY RESET IN TWO DAYS? Probably the biggest lesson from the City Circadian Reset is that there is no single treatment capable of fixing years of late nights, lie-ins and staring at a phone
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before bed. Nor does Surrenne pretend there is. Instead, the programme looks at how lots of seemingly small behaviours – light, movement, food, stress, sleep and recovery – interact and gives you a framework for making them work better together. And as it happens, I slept brilliantly on both nights, and plenty of the advice has followed me home. I’ve continued with the morning and evening rituals, particularly getting outside into natural light early in the day and being more conscious of properly winding down at night. I still have the odd night when sleep refuses to come, but overall, it has definitely improved. And that’s arguably what makes the programme useful beyond two very relaxing nights at The Emory. Rather than promising to magically “fix” your sleep, it teaches you how much influence the rest of your day has over it – and gives you practical ways to work with your body’s natural rhythm rather than against it. The retreat doesn’t simply end at checkout, either. Guests leave with their monthlong supplement prescription – and, in a particularly nice touch, their gym kit freshly laundered – before having a virtual followup consultation a month later to see how they’re getting on. The treatments and technology might be what draw you in, but for me, it was the small changes I could take home that made the biggest difference.
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Explora Journeys is rewriting the codes of cruising, with intuitive service, considered itineraries and curated experiences that envelop guests in the ocean state of mind ABODE
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efore this past summer, I’d never considered cruising. As Explora Journeys’ president Anna Nash paraphrased on a recent podcast, the quintessential cruiser is typically ‘newly wed, over fed or nearly dead’. But Explora Journeys, MSC's new high-end offshoot, is looking not just to challenge those stereotypes, but rewrite the rulebook entirely on what ultraluxury ocean travel can look like. In fact, to call Explora III a cruise ship feels like a disservice. When I check into my penthouse suite on the ship’s second voyage, I feel more like stepping into a boutique hotel that changes address with the tide, rather than a cruise ship. Explora III, the third of six Explora ‘floating hotels’ planned to be in service by 2028, debuts as a sea of luxury hospitality brands make their maiden voyage into cruising, with Four Seasons and Orient Express unveiling their own interpretation of luxury cruising in recent months. Aman will follow next year with the launch of Amangati, scheduled to sail in the spring of 2027. But with three centuries of seafaring history behind the Aponte family – the founders of Explora Journeys – this refined hotel on water is already oceans ahead. For its third ship, Explora has extended by 19.2 metres compared to Explora I and II, introducing a pair of new suites, but reserving most of the extension for thoughtfully designed spaces for guests to enjoy onboard. Its already-impressive culinary array is further enhanced with Shore Club, a Mediterranean beach club-inspired restaurant adjacent to the main pool; and the Wine Cellar, proudly home to the largest collection of labels on water. The lobby bar has also been reimagined, a sweeping spiral staircase adding theatrical wow-factor reminiscent of the golden age of cruising to a destination where guests sip coffees by day and cocktails by night to the sounds of live piano and acoustic guitar. The running track, which wraps impressively around much of deck 12, has also been extended, providing the backdrop for what is surely one of the most iconic workouts a traveller can do on the open sea. Onboard, days are relaxed and refined, the concept of time told only by the way the sun’s rays hypnotically reflect like shimmering sequins on the water. There’s a peaceful serenity to
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seeing endless blues, whether it’s waking up to a morning coffee, glancing up from a book by the poolside, or gazing out at sunset from the rooftop sky bar, DJ sets and glasses of Champagne flowing with equal abandon. Those looking to cool off are spoiled for choice with five pools, and regardless of the time of day, none ever feels overcrowded. At the ship’s heart is Conservatory, the pool of choice for those looking to get their lengths in – to the sounds of melodic, piano-bar-style music, with a retractable glass roof making it weatherproof for seasonal sailing. Adjacent, an ambient pool bar transitions seamlessly from morning detox juices to afternoon cocktails, while the Shore Club serves as a chic daytime dining destination for those whiling away the day onboard, with a crowd-pleasing menu of salads, sandwiches and tapas. But I find myself drawn most days to the fifth-floor Astern pool, with its hypnotic infinity edge that melds seamlessly into the ocean beyond as we sail from Portofino to Barcelona. Its shallow depth means it’s designed more for relaxing rather than swimming, but the breathtaking view is unparalleled. Encased by plush cabanas, it’s an effortlessly stylish spot to drink in the endless azure shades, served by a bar where guests are just as comfortable remote working
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with laptops and cappuccinos as they are sipping mimosas and snapping selfies of the breathtaking backdrop. Meals unfold across nine restaurants, and the diversity of dining options means you can skip the main buffet entirely should you wish. But Emporium’s head-spinning array of cooked-to-order live stations will make you reconsider. One lunchtime, my multi-course meal features slivers of fresh nigiri, meaty lobster tail drizzled in lemon butter and fresh fruit, while another day’s dinner consists of fresh oysters spiked with shallot vinaigrette, al dente spaghetti alla vongole, and a creamy panna cotta with fresh berries. But you’ll want to book sleek steakhouse Marble & Co Grill or elevated Japanese restaurant Sakura for gastronomy at sea. At Marble, the decor and soundtrack are themed with a welcome touch of golden age glamour: dark, sultry and cinematic. Waitstaff smartly suited in monochrome bustle between tables, serving up caviar-topped crushed fingerling potatoes and sizzling steaks cooked to perfection. In-suite breakfast invites the opportunity to marvel at the sorbet shades as they give way to a Mediterranean blue morning sky as the ship pulls towards Portofino, the verdant Italian landscapes a scenic addition to the endless blue. Guests can customise every element of this morning feast, from continental freshly baked pastries and seasonal fruit platters to an avocado toast spiked with a hint of chilli or fluffy French toast with a generous swirl of maple syrup. Beyond idyllic poolside relaxation and gourmet dining, days onboard
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Left: Explora III lobby; Bottom (from left): The Chef’s Table; Sky Bar; Master bedroom of the Owner’s Residence designed by architect Patricia Urquiola
Explora III are curated to offer as much – or little – as your favourite hotel on land, ensuring time is spent exactly as it should be: exclusively on things that truly give you pleasure. Peruse the daily changing artworks at the floating Clarendon Art Gallery, the dazzling collections of Rolex, Cartier and Chopard (the latter’s first boutique at sea) at a row of boutiques, or pick up a memento from Ocean Atelier, where jewellery designer Fanny Blanchelande has masterminded an exclusive Mandala collection inspired by classic ocean motifs. Staying active is effortless: I wake to a game of padel at the world’s only court at sea, strikingly situated on the ship’s top deck, join a rejuvenating open-air yoga class as day breaks, and use the open-air spin rowing machines to enjoy a workout with
an inimitable view. When it’s time to unwind, I find a blissful sense of smugness in booking a treatment at Ocean Wellness, Explora’s interpretation of a spa, on a docked day. There’s only a handful of guests to share the salt room, steam, sauna and bubbling whirlpool with, and my one-hour signature massage uses rhythmic motions that mirror the ocean waves to gently soothe my skin with Subtle Energies oils, designed to detox the body and ease muscle fatigue. Explora’s impeccable curation extends from the ships to the routes it follows, with Alexa Aponte Vago, Chief Financial Officer and daughter of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte, describing the sailings as ‘itineraries we follow as a family’. It also extends to the subsequent destination experiences guests have exclusive access to. “Everything we do off the ship is complementary to what we do onboard,” explains Justin Poulsen, Head of Destination Experiences. During my Explora experience, that means a morning stroll along the idyllic promenade of haute boutiques in Portofino, followed by a sun-drenched lunch at Langosteria, the much-loved, family-run Italian restaurant nestled in the bay of Praggi, where coveted reservations have been taken care of. The day rounds out with an afternoon cruising the coastline in a boat captained by local guide Matteo, who traces the coastline north from Portofino, stopping at a hidden cove so we can swim in the crystal-clear waters, watch locals cliff jumping off the coast of San Fruttuoso, and visit the picturesque town of Camogli for a homemade ice cream. As I depart Explora III, it feels as though I’ve spent a few days aboard the elegant yacht of a family friend, rather than a cruise ship with 461 suites. And isn’t that, in the end, what ultra-luxury ocean travel should be? Less like taking a cruise and more like being welcomed into a home – albeit one that happens to travel the world. Explora III will sail Northern Europe in autumn, followed by the Americas in winter. explorajourneys.com
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STILL WATERS RUNS DEEP De Beers London’s Vibrations collection maps the Earth’s inland waters through four diamond-set chapters. Here, a necklace and ring from the Shimmer line were inspired by the Arctic frost flowers that form on Canada’s Ellesmere Island. Notably, the necklace features a lace-like motif that gives pride of place to a 2.07-carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond that was first discovered in Botswana.
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