Office Essentials, Fabulous Fragrances And Gorgeous Wedding Gowns: 24 Hours With Yasmine Yeya

The Dubai-based founder and creative director of Maison Yeya talks us through a fashion-filled day

5:00 A.M is the time I get up during the week. On the weekends it’s a little later. I’m a very sound and solid sleeper. I need my eight hours of rest. The first thing I do when I wake up is have a coffee, eat my breakfast, and then pray.

6:00 A.M I’m usually at the gym.

7:00 A.M I head back home, shower, and spend some time with my daughters, Mia and Ella before they leave for school. I’m incredibly quick at getting ready for work. I don’t like to think a lot about what I’m going to wear. This is why I have a lot of black clothes, and a lot of jeans. I’m a very minimal person. For jewellery I typically wear Bil Arabi by Nadine Kanso. I have a bracelet that I never take off. My skincare routine is more important to me than my make-up routine. I use rose water and natural oils like organic almond oil on my body. For my face I alternate between natural organic oils and moisturisers. I like to experiment so I don’t necessarily have one go-to product. Right now, I’m using La Prairie’s perfecting fluid. For my perfume, I have so many fragrances and I love to alternate between them depending on my mood, as well as the personalities I’m encountering on a particular day. My absolute favourite scents are Noa by Cacharel and Mademoiselle by Coco Chanel. Lately, I’ve also been obsessed with Obsedian and Candy Dust by local brand, Arcadia.

Maison Yeya Bridal Utopia Collection

8:00 A.M I head to my office which is located in Dubai Design District. I’m usually carrying my go-to Saint Laurent bag. It’s the Sac de Jour tote and is actually from the men’s collection. A driver drops me to work and it takes about 13 minutes from home. The drive is my Instagram time.

8:30 A.M I’m at my desk with my second coffee. The first thing I do every morning is individually sit with the head of each department and have a one-on-one update on everything going on. We go over all our projects and collectively brainstorm ideas and solutions. I would describe myself as a team player. I like to encourage my team to tap into their full potential and so I provide them with the flexibility they need to explore and get things done their own way. I don’t like to micro-manage them, that’s not how I see results. I can’t get through my day without my office manager, Alaa. She is my right hand. I have my laptop, I have my note pad, and then I have Alaa! She provides me with a sense of comfort. My office space is very organised. For my mind to function properly and in order to tap into my creativity, I need to have a clean, organised and decluttered space.

Maison Yeya Bridal Utopia Collection

11:30 A.M Since I wake up and eat breakfast early, I usually eat lunch between 11 and 12 o’clock. I either eat at my desk or I like to go to The Light House in D3.

12:30 P.M Back to work. One of the best things about my job is working with brides and contributing to their special day. My job gives me the chance to meet with and inspire a lot of women. I get the chance to impact them on so many levels. I feel like it’s a calling for me, my job goes beyond just creating dresses. Love is the main inspiration behind all my designs – in fact, if you go over my collections, there’s always something related to love! There are definitely bridal trends and styles popular with Middle Eastern clients, but it really depends on where the bride is from as to what she wants. A bride from Egypt requires different things to a bride from Lebanon, or from Saudi or Kuwait. I feel both humbled and blessed to have had plenty of Arab and international celebrities wear my designs. Some of my favourites include Jennifer Lopez at the Toronto Film Festival, Chrissy Teigan at the Critics Choice Awards, Shanina Shaik at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, and Nicole Scherzinger at the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Best Dressed event!

Maison Yeya Bridal Utopia Collection

5:00 P.M is the time I have usually left work by, but it really depends on the day and the workload. Sometimes I can leave at 3 o’clock and head to the beach or go for a jog, on occasion I’m at work till 10pm. Twice a week, I play tennis.

7:00 P.M I usually have dinner with my children. If I ever go out, I love to go to a friend’s house or to Greek restaurant, Nammos. I usually wear Maison Yeya. One of the perks of being a designer is being able to design your own clothes.

8:30 P.M I retire to my room to watch a series. I like watching Grace and Frankie. I also love watching YouTube. If there’s a topic I’m interested in, I get obsessed with it and end up watching all sorts of educational videos around it. The last thing I do before sleeping is read a book. I currently have a few books on my bedside table including Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss and Le Portrait de Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde.

10:00 P.M I finish my cup of tea in bed and it’s lights out and I fall asleep instantly.

From the spring/summer 2021 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Bride
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