DUBAI: The Saudi-Italian model talks style, holidays and good and bad advice.
Best TV show or film you’ve ever seen?
I’m definitely a “Game of Thrones” fan. I’ve rewatched it more than five times. I love it. I also love “White Lotus.” I think that is a great show. I would say my favorite movie is “City of God.”
Worst TV show/film you’ve ever seen?
That’s a tough one. I would say “The Idol.” It’s not a good show, but it is, like, so bad that you want to watch more of it.
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Best personal style moment so far?
I’m the kind of person that dresses for comfort. That’s my number one priority. So whenever I dress up, for, like, a wedding or for an event, it feels special. I think those are my best outfit moments. I wore a really beautiful, blue gown to my uncle’s wedding, and I felt very myself, you know? Very fairy. I really loved it.
Worst personal style moment?
I was a very nerdy looking kid. I used to wear massive pink aviator velvet glasses. Even though I respect my younger self for going for it, that wasn’t a cute look.
Best accessory for a little black dress?
It depends on what you’re going for. But, I think, even if I am going for something a bit more casual, a little black bag would be perfect.
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Worst accessory for a little black dress?
The opposite: A big bag. I don’t see that working for me. But, again, it just depends on what you’re going for.
Best fashion trend of 2024?
I love how we’ve started to normalize mixing different wears together. Like, mixing elegant with casual. Some people like to mix formal wear with street style; I think that’s one of my favorite things I’ve seen. I really enjoy it. It gives people liberty to express themselves.
Worst fashion trend of 2024?
I do not enjoy chunky shoes. I might have enjoyed them when it first started, but they’re just not very wearable at the end of the day. That’s one trend that I don’t enjoy anymore.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Treat others the way you want to be treated. That’s stayed with me my whole life. And, recently, something that I really appreciated that I heard in a movie was: “It’s better to regret doing something than to regret doing nothing.” I think that’s really true!
Worst advice you’ve ever been given?
That you’re better off doing something yourself, by yourself. I feel like learning or asking for help is a really important skill to have. Like, you don’t have to do anything on your own. It’s a sign of courage to ask for help as well, and it shows that you want to learn.
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Best book you’ve ever read?
“The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran. The second I read it, I knew it would not be the last time I read it. The book is so beautiful in the original language. It was written in Arabic, and it has been translated. The translation is also really good. I love that book. I think there’s so much to be learned from it. I didn’t want it to end. It was the type of book that puts you in a good mental state and I just wanted to be in that mental state for as long as possible.
Worst book you’ve ever read?
I remember as a kid reading really bad horror books. I would, like, cringe while reading. So yeah, I would say really cheesy horror books.
Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?
Well, you have things that help you in the moment and things that will help you in the long term. When I’m feeling down, I’ve realized that meditating and reflecting is the thing that will help me get out of that state. But in the moment, to distract myself, just blasting music would help me to block things out.
Worst thing to do when you’re feeling good?
Taking things for granted and not being grateful for being in that place and trying to maintain that state of mind. It’s like your health; when you’re sick, you cannot wait to feel better, and when you do, you don’t appreciate your health.
Best holiday destination?
If I want to relax, then anywhere by the sea. I also love Japan. And I thought Mauritius was a beautiful place because they have a lot of cultures there. Generally, though, it has to be somewhere really sunny, because I cannot stand the cold.
Worst holiday destination?
Anywhere that’s polluted. It’s just not enjoyable.
Best subject at school?
Languages. I was really good at my English classes and my Arabic classes. I also really loved — and I really excelled in — psychology.
Worst subject at school?
To be honest, I enjoyed studying a lot; it was something that my parents instilled in me from when I was really young. So I didn’t really have a very bad subject, but my weakest would probably be math.
Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?
Plan ahead the night before. Have some idea of what you want to get doneAnd also, start your day right. Meditating or working out just starts off your day on a high note. I’ve realized that even if the other half of my day is not as good as the start, it still feels like a productive day.
Worst thing to do when you’re trying to have a productive day?
Doom scrolling is the worst. That’s a killer of productivity.
