What designers are you most looking forward to seeing this upcoming fashion week?
Mary Katrantzou gets more and more desirable every season. I can’t wait for her spring/summer collection to arrive in stores and the collaboration with Topshop looks promising; I’m holding my breath to see whether A/W will be even more exciting. Generally I prefer the spring/summer collections, but Louis Vuitton always does autumn/winter really well and I look forward to seeing how Marc Jacobs turns this season’s Vuitton candy colours on their head for A./W.
Are there any trends in particular that you are forecasting for autumn winter 2012?
I hope that there is plenty of colour in the autumn/winter collections; it’s so important for the Middle Eastern market. I expect that designers will be looking East (hopefully via the Middle East) for inspiration, especially in light of such uncertainty in the euro zone.
What is your favourite recent discovery (restaurant/service/shop/hotel/website/anything?) in Dubai and London?
I recently discovered a wonderful website called Motilo, which was co-founded by a girl from the UAE. It takes the experience of shopping with friends and puts it online. Far more sartorially satisfying than Facebook!
To you, what is style and does it alter between Dubai and London?
As a magazine editor, style is someone’s ability to draw my gaze and keep it there, whether I am looking at pictures for the magazine or walking into a room or down the street anywhere in the world. Such magnetism tends to come from combination of clothes and charisma, and I envy those who have it.
What are you currently reading?
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. I refuse to watch the film until I’ve read the book.
Favourite piece or pieces from Annoushka and how you would wear them
When you live in the Middle East you come to appreciate the symbolism of talismans such as the Hand of Fatma; Annushka’s Evil Eye amulet in green diamonds is an everyday piece that matches the colour of my own eyes.
What would your perfect Friday be?
Waking up in one of the amazing locations that are so accessible from Dubai, such as Oman or the Maldives. An early morning run, followed by mountains of dragon fruit for breakfast, then it’s competitive waterskiing with my wakeboarding husband (he’ll win), before collapsing onto the sand for a lazy afternoon that slips into night. Bliss.
Who is your style icon?
On a professional level, my ideal cover star for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia is a combination of Jennifer Lopez and Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al Taweel of Saudi Arabia. On a personal level, I long for Blake Lively’s legs, locks and Louboutins.
