Shahd Al Jumaily: Style with substance

Shahd Al Jumaily - inspirational TV host, successful entrepreneur and stunning style icon in the Middle East - has now embarked on her latest journey, TheArchiTales, to create fairytale set-ups for special occasions and events. Farhana Chowdhury meets up with Shahd to find out what keeps her going:

TheArchiTales and its inspiration

The ArchiTales is an events company I started back in 2016 which incorporates my Architecture background into the events industry with a main focus on weddings.

My goal was to be able to cater to weddings and events of all sizes and budgets while maintaining quality and elegance in the designs, and it's become a passion ever since! Apart from that, last year I joined MBC group to host a social talk show focusing on controversial issues in the Middle East, mainly in Iraq.

I believe that it is necessary for our community to openly discuss controversial issues such domestic violence, bullying, sexual harassment and divorce. This is the main objective of the show, it is the first of its kind for the Iraqi society and the feedback has been great so far.

Initiatives aligned with women empowerment

When it comes to women empowerment my goal is to always raise awareness about important issues through my social media channels. I've recently collaborated with The Womanity Foundation to educate women about their rights when it comes to domestic violence and encourage people to speak up about this issue.

I'm also currently working with UNICEF Iraq as an official influencer to raise awareness about their campaigns which focus on supporting and educating children as well as mothers especially in war zones or refugee camps.

Another thing that I love to focus on is supporting small women-owned businesses on social media. This is something that I've started doing during the difficult times of Covid-19 as many women approached me saying they have lost their jobs or are struggling with marketing their companies or products.

Words of wisdom for women in the UAE

As a woman in the UAE, I believe we are extremely lucky to be living in a land of opportunities that encourages and supports women in all industries. The most important advice I want to give women is to always aspire to create something new, look around for inspiration, work hard and take advantage of every chance you get.

When it comes to starting a business, it's not always about how much you invest. You can always start small, the more time and effort you put into it the more it will grow and succeed. As long as you have the passion and commitment you will definitely achieve your goals.

Styling tips for the career-focused woman

Always invest in key pieces that you can wear in different ways and for a long time. Pieces that you can dress up or down throughout the day are also great to have in your closet such as a pair of good quality black pants or a black dress that you can style in different ways.

These pieces usually save you time and money, because you can easily be ready for a night out after work just by adding a few statement accessories.

How and where do you like to unwind after a long day?

I'm a big food lover so after a long day of work I usually like to meet my friends at a chilled casual place with good food. One I've recently visited and loved was Swiss Butter, I also really like Hillhouse Brassiere when the weather is good.