The UAE-based fashion designer and blogger talks hard work, empowerment and unicorns Saudi social media star Tamara Al-Gabbani has more than 170,000 followers on Instagram DUBAI: I love to work hard, so my demanding schedule suits me. No two days are the same, plus I travel a lot, so every day is a little adventure — a challenging adventure I’m grateful for and gives me the beautiful opportunity to help those less fortunate. My best friend is obsessed with unicorns. She’s a grown woman, but I respect her wishes and, obviously, want to make her happy, so I’ve bought her a unicorn outfit and a matching unicorn phone charger and unicorn dressing gown. Whatever floats your boat, you know? I’m living proof that if you want to create an independent life for yourself, with self-respect, decency and dignity, you can. But it takes hard work, focus, determination, and an indomitable belief in God. If people treat you — or judge you — negatively, it’s usually a projection of their own insecurities and deeper issues. That isn’t my problem, so I choose to carry on positively. We’re in the midst of a very interesting time. Men’s perception of empowered women is changing for the better. It’s heading in a positive direction; misogyny, being intimidated by women, judging or underestimating them… all that is changing. A man doesn’t need to feel undermined because a woman is empowered. I don’t even blame them, that is what they were taught. But a re-learning is taking place. I have learned a lot about life and business from men — being levelheaded in emotional situations, not gossiping, not holding onto grudges — but men can also learn from women. Women have the marvelous gift of being able to view a situation from different perspectives, providing a more accurate assessment of what is really going on. And women excel at communication; a critical leadership skill in both professional and personal settings. When we keep the conversation flowing, there’s no room for misunderstandings or harboring negativity. I’m proud of a lot that I’ve achieved: being the face of DKNY and Dolce & Gabbana for their modest collections, and setting up my own fashion brand. Still, I regret not being more fearless.