Noora Shawqi On Sharing Knowledge, Overcoming Fear and The Importance of Helping Others Grow
The jewellery designer’s life-affirming philosophy towards her career shines as bright as the diamonds she’s qualified to grade
Vacheron Constantin’s One of Not Many Mentorship Programme is a humbling example of what happens when a luxury maison gives back, thinking outside its traditional remit and into something truly wide-reaching and meaningful. Launched six months ago, the house brought together six Emirati women of phenomenal, multi-faceted skills – Alia Al Shamsi, Hala Al Gergawi, Latifa Al Gurg, Salama Al Shamsi, Noora Shawqi and Mouza Aldhaheri – for a scheme that would take six young female Emirati students from Zayed University under their wing, culminating in a six-month internship at either Vacheron Constantin or another Richemont maison.
The spirit of entrepreneurship runs deep in the UAE, as does talent and tenacity. Here, Bazaar celebrate bringing that all together for a bright, beautiful future as Noora Ahawqi talks sharing knowledge, overcoming fear and the importance of helping others grow…
Why was it important to you to become a mentor?
One of my brand’s missions is to send and share knowledge, so this opportunity enabled me to help others and see them grow, which I love.
What is the importance of having a mentor?
Being a mentor is a big title. A mentor is a person who teaches how to develop life skills professionally that aren’t in the books, all through experience and guidance. I am grateful to have Abdulla and Hamad from Gafla Jewellery as my biggest mentors in the industry. They sincerely look after developing my business, helping me through my mistakes, and guiding me from A to Z. Whenever I go through a hiccup, they’re the first people I call. [Fashion PR] Ann Hertha has also guided me to where I am today by expanding my business and teaching me the ins and outs of having a professional brand. Honestly, without any of them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
What was the most valuable lesson or piece of advice they taught you?
Abdulla and Hamad taught me how to make my brand stand out. Their advice is always honest, which helped me to know the market and which direction I wanted to go. Ann looks at my brand’s potential of being big and international. Her energy is what I love to be surrounded with; she always pushes me to do better and guides me through the good and bad.
What’s your mentee taught you through this process?
She has actually taught me a lot, more than she knows. We are working on a campaign together, her ideas are brilliant and fresh, she taught me to be more creative and to think outside the box. Just observing her and her energy motivates me so much, I love surrounding myself with hard workers.
How do you hope the mentorship programme will make a difference in the industry at large?
I believe as a community, it will make us stronger as we help each other out. We’ll grow together, make connections, and learn from each other.
There are still many negative narratives around ambitious women. How do we overcome this?
Women being recognised for their achievements will subconsciously start changing stereotypes.
What are the three most important pieces of advice you want to teach your mentee?
Always try to think of the solution rather than the problem. Connections are so important, start early to start strong! Nothing is stable: you’ll go through ups and downs and that’s normal.
How would you sum up the mentorship programme in three words?
Rewarding, sentimental, friendship.
How do you believe we can overcome fear of trying something new or speaking up?
If you are certain of your capabilities and motivation to deliver, then you can overcome fear. Point out what your fears are and ask for advice.
Can you tell us about one hurdle you overcame and what it taught you?
While developing my brand, I was so lost that I didn’t know what to do. I kept asking people, maybe too many people, which left me even more confused. A friend of mine pointed out that maybe I wasn’t reaching anywhere because I was asking for so many opinions. Once I filtered out the opinions, I smoothly found my way back on track.
What first drew you to jewellery design and what is it about it that you love?
I have loved jewelry since I was little. I was driven to design after starting my blog and exploring different jewelry brands and noticing all the details. I learned about details, the colour combinations and much more.
Where do you hope the future of fashion and luxury in the UAE goes next?
Recognition and appreciation for Emirati brands worldwide, especially by the top people in the fashion industry… though I believe we are almost there!
Noora wears: Égérie Selfwinding Watch in pink gold with diamonds, Dhs241,000, Vacheron Constantin. Abaya, Dhs4,000, Manaal Al Hammadi. Shayla, Dhs190, Nafs Designs
Editor in Chief: Olivia Phillips. Art Director: Oscar Yáñez. Fashion Director: Anna Castan. Photography: Greg Adamski. Make- up: Charlotte Tilbury. Manicure: Sisters Beauty Lounge. Styling Assistants: Shahira Hossameldin and Anusha Hattalmakki. Producer: Elle Hutchinson. Studio Manager: Johana Dana
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s May 2021 issue
