Dubai Bling's Safa Siddiqui talks fashion and reality TV show

I recently rewatched The Devil Wears Prada; the Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway-starrer served as memory refresher on how intricate the world of fashion is. The world of fashion, was, is, and will continue to overflow with energy.

That ultimately translated into a conversation opener with Safa Siddiqui, the popular face of Netflix's highly-rated reality TV show Dubai Bling, and perhaps the show's most fashionable cast member, when she dropped down to the Khaleej Times office for a chat.

She took us to the other side of what we see as audiences in the fashion world. But obviously, "the fashion world has changed a lot since the film released in 2006," she remarks. "I feel it is a lot more inclusive right now, it is for everybody. Everyone's energy can be translated into fashion; whatever their mood is for that day or however they are feeling. That's why fashion is evolving and it is getting better for everybody."

When addressed as a fashion influencer, Safa was quick to correct us. "Icon," she said, "fashion icon." So we further discussed the weight that term holds for her, the importance of social media, and how being a part of Dubai Bling changed her life.

Excerpts from the interview:

You said you're a fashion icon. That term holds a lot of weight, what does it mean to you?

Fashion icon means that I am unapologetic about what I wear. I will wear what makes me feel good. And I feel that is the movement I want for everybody. I want them to wear whatever they feel. Their shape, size, or height doesn't matter; they should wear what they feel like wearing. And this is what I do.

You've become a social media sensation. How has that affected your daily life?

Wow, social media has taken up so much of my life recently. Before Dubai Bling, we were very private people and suddenly there's a lot of attention and excitement on my social media. I'm so grateful for it because I have an amazing community who I connect with. It's also very nice because I feel I've suddenly got my mojo back, I had my babies, and I am connecting with other people in the world and creating content. It's actually really exciting and it's just it's giving me life; I really love it.

But surely it gets challenging, you're a mother to two beautiful children. How do you juggle between being a mum and other things?

The easiest way to manage my kids and my social media is to combine them (laughs), I use my kids. Honestly, I try not to post them as much, but I do also involve them because they actually like it, especially the older one. She really enjoys dressing up and doing photo shoots. So I combine both worlds and obviously my kids, my family are my priority. The beauty of social media is that I can be very flexible with what jobs I take, and which content I want to put out there. So I'm my own boss, which I really enjoy.

Moving on to Dubai Bling, you mentioned you were very private before the show. What kind of change happened after the show's success?

From absolutely being able to walk out the house in anything I wanted to suddenly now having this pressure to at least look civilised. I think that was the biggest change. A lot of people have also been so nice and supportive. I love everyone I get to meet and all the opportunities I've got, it's just absolutely amazing.

Did you feel intimidated by all the changes you had to go through?

Of course! I was so nervous doing the show, honestly, because I had no expectations. I honestly don't even know what made me do it. I was up for the challenge and I thought, 'okay, you know what? Maybe these new opportunities will come along.' But of course, it was very nerve-wracking. I remember going into the interview rooms feeling pulsated because I was like, 'Oh my God, what am I going to say? What if I say something controversial and I always say something controversial so I know this is going to happen.' But I'm just happy that most of it is love. The feedback has been mostly love. Obviously there are haters, but most of it is love, and I'm so grateful for that.

Tell us a funny or interesting behind-the-scenes encounter from the show.

There's always some fashion issue, actually. There's always something happening, whether a strap breaks or an eyelash comes off or whatever, something random is always happening backstage. But all of that is also a part of it because this is real life.

When it comes to fashion, how do you deal with fashion you like versus what appeals to the wider audience?

I don't say that my fashion is always relatable, but it should be inspiring. I say this because even if you don't feel like wearing exactly what I'm wearing, maybe there is something that you like from my hairstyle, from the kind of makeup I'm doing, or there are some elements that everyone can take into it. And my friends always laugh and say, 'Oh, look, I'm doing a Safa vibe today.' And they show me that they've put something that kind of reminds me of them; it could just be a colour. So I feel that as long as I'm inspiring people, that's great.

So what's next for you?

Right now, I'm working on a new collection and I'm working on something else as well. And obviously I've got my hands full with two kids, a husband, a fashion line and also my social media. So I have a lot right now and I don't need extra stuff. I'm very busy with all those things that are going on right now.

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