“Then add feathers and bling!”: Interview With Safa Siddiqui

A fashion designer, a reality tv star, a social media celebrity, a model, and a businesswoman, Safa Siddiqui finds her true calling in running her own career as well as raising her family. Starting with her Debut in a famous Netflix reality tv show called Dubai Bling, Safa has gained exceptional recognition. But she was taking the role of an icon long before she showed up on our TV screen. The television personality we know now completed her graduation in the field of commerce and management. Her career may have started as a real estate agent, but her passion always led her back to fashion. From a very young age she was the fashion advisor for her family & friends and her love for clothes, accessories and the overall idea of fashion only grew as she explored her career path. She was way ahead of popularity before her debut because of expressing her independent fashion mind through posts on social media. She has always been an influencer and her debut in Dubai Bling has only accelerated her career as well as opened multiple opportunities for her. Her dreams are hers to bring to life and she has. She took her fate in her hands and has started her very own ode to her dreams, her own fashion label!

What is your favourite aspect of being a fashion designer?
I love making people feel something through my designs. I love that if they wear something I’ve created and they walk in a room they feel amazing, and people compliment their style.

Do you have an inspiring fashion icon? If so, who and why?
I get inspired by many people and many things. I wouldn’t specifically say one because I like to take certain elements from certain people and combine it along with my own individual style – then add feathers and bling!

Define your style in five words.
Exaggerated, eye-catching, edgy, fun, feminine.

What is the core inspiration for your debut collection?
My inspiration comes from things that I thought were a little bit different. I wanted people to feel like the outfits were for special occasions. I was actually pregnant as I was designing, so I didn’t manage to wear these items myself until after I had the baby, which was very challenging as it is important for me to try my own collection beforehand. For my next collection I really would want to wear, style and feel my clothing. I like to make sure that everybody looks at it, compliments it and I feel amazing in it before actual production.

Where do you see your fashion brand in the next five years?
I hope that it would be recognisable, loved and enjoyed by those that wear it and those even to those that don’t. It would be amazing to see it in malls, online and worn on social media and around us. I want to create inspiring pieces that make you admire your outfit when you look in a mirror.

It is widely known that you are an absolute handbag lover. Among the many you own, which is your most favourite one and why?
I would say my first birkin, which my husband got me when I was pregnant. I was going to get a bag and I wasn’t being offered one. We were away on a baby moon and of course I needed to check if I could get one, I told Fahad the bag would ease the pains of pregnancy. So when I got offered this bag it was so special to me.

Would you agree that your time in Dubai Bling had a positive impact on your career as well as personal life?
Of course, exposure from Dubai Bling has really accelerated me because I’ve been able to express my style and my attitude, so of course I would say it has definitely helped me and given me some amazing opportunities.

What are the challenges you faced entering the flamboyant fashion industry?
I feel the challenges were that when I got pregnant, Fashion wasn’t for everybody and I feel that it was so restricting. I want to make Fashion for everybody . It shouldn’t mean that, you know, because you’re not a certain height or a certain size that you shouldn’t be able to express yourself through fashion. I really want to change that for everybody so they can feel confident and that fashion can be enjoyed by everybody.

As a woman of career, talent and a mother of two lovely girls, what word of advice would you say to our fellow women and young girls with ambitions and dreams?
I was not working for four years just after I got married and honestly it’s so important to keep yourself busy and follow your dreams because you become a more amazing person for yourself and your family and this is something that I didn’t really realise until I got back into creating and working on my fashion line.

Last but not least, who in your life, played a great role in your journey to success?
I would definitely say my mother. She always told me that through education, and having my own path, the person that I would marry would love and respect me more. Even though she wasn’t completely on board with my fashion career, or my passion for fashion growing up as she was raised in a very different environment, she has been so supportive and trusting and that’s what really meant the world to me.