Thank you, Iwona, for having me. It's great to be here.

Okay. Um, I guess kind of everything that you said. I mean, content creator slash fashion stylist slash fashion writer. Kind of jack of all trades really. It's kind of like every kind of step has emerged into another one and another one. So I have this like trajectory of doing a few different things but all kind of going back to fashion mainly, you know. And I suppose you could throw in a bit of UGC content creation there now also. I'm doing a bit of that for brands, so I create the content for them and then they would use it themselves on their own platforms. So yeah, just kind of a bit of everything at the moment.

True. I mean, that age bracket... Okay, so I'm 48, okay? So in January, I'm going into my last year of my 40s, which kind of terrifies me a little bit. It's like, should I be marking this in some way? Because you're not going to get that back, right? So, and then I have one year basically till I'm 50 and that's quite the milestone. It's quite the age. I mean, on one side, obviously we're all blessed to be growing older and to be, you know, to celebrate it. But on the other hand, you're like, oh my God, I'm really old now. It's just like, you know, you start getting your reading glasses, you start, you know, the perimenopause symptoms are real. Like everything is just very, I guess, intense as you head into the late 40s and 50s. But also on the other side, they're also very freeing, you know, as you get older. You know who you are. You feel comfortable in who you are. And you feel you're just a lot more confident. But in saying that, and a lot of people, older people... I mean when I say older, 50 is not even old. Like I don't know where, like I have this thing, it's not. It's like, everyone seems to forget about the generation, like I'm going to call it Gen X. Or no, am I Gen X? I am Gen X, yes. So like, you know, they're the people that have money. They've lived, you know, their kids are older, you know, they're looking at retirement. They're consuming a lot of social media. They're buying a lot from social media. But I find, I'm finding personally, and I've lived in Dubai for over 22 years. Oh wow. And it's like, look, Dubai is a young person's place. You know, you come here as a single person, you can make a great life for yourself, there's great opportunities. But it's great for young people to be here. You know, there's a great freedom here, you know, it's fun. There's beach clubs, there's nightclubs, there's ladies' nights. It's brilliant as a young person for men and women. And you know, the place, Dubai and the UAE is geared up for that. Which is great. But at the same time, I feel in my industry, getting older, I don't feel as seen. I feel like there's a place for you. You know, you're older now. Okay, you're not in the same bracket as someone in their 20s, you know. It's like in terms of looks, in terms of everything. And it's like, I'm trying to navigate that myself a bit too. And it's like, I'm always the oldest. Like wherever I go anywhere, I always feel the oldest. Like for example, going to an event in Dubai. I mean you're in a room full of 18-year-old TikTokers. And you're like, okay, I all of a sudden feel really old. I'm just gonna go get my Zimmer frame in the back. But um, yeah. So it's trying to find a bit of a like, find where you belong in that kind of older age bracket within the whole industry in Dubai here. The fashion, the kind of lifestyle realm. So yeah, it's... because for example if you say if I went to an event say in the UK, in London, or in Ireland where I'm from, there's a lot more I feel diversity when it comes to like age especially. Like I remember being to an event in London before, a fashion event, and there was like there was ladies there with their gray hair, silver hair, older, you know, and it's like I felt like I could relate to them more. I'm like, these are my people. Whereas like here in Dubai when I go to events it's like, okay, I'm definitely the oldest person in the room. I'm definitely the oldest. So that's kind of like, that's my comparison I suppose, you know.

God, I would love that. That would be amazing. Yeah. I'm like, where are all my nearly 50-year-old girls? Like, where are we?

100%. Absolutely. Like even, you know, like looking at movies and parents, you know that movie Father of the Bride? Remember that movie? They look like they're in their 70s. And they were like 45. It's like... So yeah, Caroline is great. I mean I have to say I really enjoy her podcast and I feel like I can relate to a lot of what she's saying about getting older, having older kids, you know, like kids in their teenagers. So yeah, no, there is something in that by kind of paving the way a bit, you know.

Basically having kids. So I knew once I'd gotten married and like I really wanted to have kids and I was like in my like mid-30s, you know, and I was just like, well I need to start having kids now because what if I can't have kids? I need to start trying and I was like... So I really want to have kids. So and you know luckily for me I was able to have my kids and when I got pregnant with my daughter, I obviously you once you're pregnant and you know you're pregnant, you kind of have to let the airline know ASAP because you can't be flying at like I don't know like even like 12 weeks, 15 weeks, you know, it's not... It can be quite dangerous. Yeah. So once I found out I was pregnant, I went on kind of like unpaid leave. And I kind of knew I wouldn't go back. So yeah, so I hung up my wings after I had my daughter and resigned and you know, I was a mum and I kind of threw myself into that world. Funny enough, I kind of like really missed my Emirates days in the early, early days of being a mum like those newborn days where they're really hard, you're tired, you don't know what you're doing, you don't know who you are anymore. And I really missed my Emirates days. I just I missed the me-time. I missed checking into a hotel and having my routine and just like putting on the uniform, walking through the airport with the hat. I just missed the glamour, the me-time. It was very different, you know, to, you know, being a mum was just very different, the polar opposite to being crew. And then I suppose I don't know when it started, but I kind of thought, well is this who I am now? Like do I, what else am I going to do? You know flying has a shelf life. You know cabin crew has a shelf life. I think once you reach 50 with Emirates you kind of have to resign, you know you've kind of reached your end there. But I was like what am I going to do now? And obviously you know I love being creative, I always loved fashion, and I kind of like started a blog. Like a WordPress blog. I did it myself. I learned on YouTube how to make your own WordPress blog. So I did that. I called it Gingham and Sparkle because I loved gingham. And all my friends who were having babies were all like starting their own businesses and they were all like making kids' bibs and making, I don't know, kids' little shoes. They were all doing all these like little fun little kind of businesses. And I was like, I want a business. I want to do something. And so I started my blog and then I remember like for content wise, I like I remember going to The Body Shop and buying spending a fortune, because Body Shop is not cheap, spending a fortune on like all these new body creams that they just released. And I mean I wasn't on any PR list. I was, I didn't know anyone. I was just like okay this is what you do. You go and you buy the stuff and you review it and you talk about it and then you do a blog post. So I did that. So I was buying my own stuff and reviewing it myself. And then you know I really enjoyed it. I loved it. I loved the writing. I loved pressing publish and then this this article was all mine is on on the internet and it's mine. I loved that. Absolutely loved it. And then I suppose I got I was pregnant with my son then and then Instagram kind of was happening and I started an Instagram page but I didn't realize you like you weren't meant to have a private page. You were meant to have a public page. So my Instagram was private for a long time because I was like why why would I want strangers following me? Why would I want people that I don't know looking at my private like stuff? And because on Facebook that was it. You just your friends and your family followed you. That was it. You wouldn't like let anyone that you didn't know follow you. So I just thought Instagram was the same thing. So for ages I was private. I didn't realize, oh, oh I see you you grow because other people follow you. So anyway, so eventually I, you know, I realized what was Instagram what was all about. So I basically went from there. I called my Instagram was also Gingham and Sparkle. And um I kind of like put up a bit of lifestyle, you know mum stuff. Um I remember I think the first PR agency that invited me to an event was TishTash. And I went to like a mommy event or something and um and then it kind of went from there. Once you're in, you're in, right? Once you're in, you're in. And it was basically more I still kind of like even though I had kids, I wasn't really a mommy blogger. That was not really my thing. It was always the fashion. Like even my my blog, it was all fashion. I would I would put up some outfit picks and then I would talk about the outfit. Like in an article like a little blog post. So that was always I always did that. Always.

Yeah, it has changed a lot. Um, it's gone... Well, when I say that, I love having I love having an outfit coordinated. That was always me. Like I always loved that. I love kind of mixing and matching. It's probably got a bit more streamlined in so far as I wouldn't be into say, for example, prints certain prints that much. Like I wouldn't don't give me a floral. I probably wouldn't even wear a floral anymore. Unless it was like a Farm Rio one or something. It had to be a specific floral. I'm a bit fussy now especially with prints. I'll only wear like stripes or polka dots or you know I wouldn't I wouldn't really wear gingham now that much. I'll be like oh no like even though my my blog page was called Gingham and Sparkle I wouldn't really choose to wear gingham now. So it's a bit more like plainer block colors, you know, kind of more neutrals. Um and then I love I love a trend. I I always I've always loved a trend and I don't think I'll ever change from that. You know like like the scarfs now, you know like I have one on me today. You know that's so wearing it around your waist. Like so I love a trend still. But I think in terms of like being a bit more streamlined. Um I love tailoring. Um I wouldn't really wear like I suppose I never really dress I never really wanted to dress like frumpy or anything like that you know I don't know I kind of always try to put myself together. You know even on the days where I'm up to here with kids or you know like I always felt if I dress if I got myself dressed and felt really nice then I'd feel good.

Yeah, absolutely. Like I, you know, as much as like I love being in my pajamas at home. Like literally I'll go home after this I'll probably get into my pajamas. But I feel like some days you get up like just like make yourself put on a nice outfit. You know even if you don't even have time to put makeup on just wear something nice. You know and just like and maybe do something put your hair up or something like that you know so it makes you feel good. Yeah, it makes you feel like you've a bit of a purpose you've done something today. You've actually got dressed nicely. So yeah.

Okay, yeah I like this question. It's very easy for me. Like I, oh my god, with global brands, especially if they're a brand that I've grown up with in Ireland or I know of or I've bought or I've used or I've recommended, it's an instant yes for me. You know there's certain brands like your M&S, your Next, for example, you know your Primarks, your H&Ms, Zara, all those brands. I've been shopping with them and buying with them since I've been earning my part-time money when I was at school or college, you know that kind of way. So that's an instant yes for me because that resonates with me. That's part of my childhood or my, you know, growing up. So I suppose it's I really try and think about me like, okay, so for example, I'm not a mommy blogger, I'm not really... I wouldn't really do anything with child focused because my kids will not be in any of my content. They actually it's cringe for them. Like if even if I beg them they wouldn't be in it. Like it's their worst nightmare. So I... so if it's anything fashion related that I would personally wear, I would be yeah let's look at it. You know, um let's let's have let's have a talk. Um but it's definitely has to be something that I would get value out of. It's not I'm not one that like will just take on any collaboration even if it's paid because just to you know because it doesn't feel authentic, it doesn't feel right. I don't think I could put my all into it because I'm not really enjoying it because I don't like it. So yeah, so that would be a big thing.

Well the most recent one I think I can think of is when Next brought me to London last April, I think it was last April, for a week. Um all expenses paid, like amazing hotel. Um just everything. It was just the most enjoyable just inspiring week in London with the brand. You know photo shoots and events and dinners and it was just... I felt like it was kind of reminded me of my Emirates days. You know going to like a nice hotel in a big city again and you know going out for dinner. It was just it brought all that back to me and I I really enjoyed it and I just I felt like wow this brand wants to bring me over to their headquarters and show me, you know, where they are based and I just for me I just I loved it. It was amazing. It was really good.

Okay, so talking about trends... I know exactly what I'm going to say. I just can't get over the whole Labubu thing still. I am like... I feel like I'm going to judge you if you have a Labubu now hanging off your expensive... If you're over 12... Yes! And if you're... Even my 12-year-old wouldn't have one. She was she was like oh no. But like even if if I see someone like and they're hanging off their bag, I'm just like what is the purpose of this? What are we what are we doing here? What is this for? You know I just I just can't I've never I would never buy into that and I think I'm quite open I have spoken before how I just don't get them. I don't like them. I feel like it's just like a big massive ugly teddy bear hanging off your bag. I feel the same by the way. But yeah, there's there's other there's other like clothes I probably wouldn't be on board with either but for me the instantly I can think of the Labubu. And the other part of the question was in to how to be consistent is it? Yeah, in your like authenticity because I think to not jump on every trend you know that comes along right? Yeah yeah no. Um I kind of think about okay am I going to be wearing this in a year's time? I kind of think will I be able to incorporate it into my wardrobe in some way in six months or in a year's time? Or how would I how will I use it? So that's so for example I'll give you an example of this. Adidas. So Adidas obviously everyone knows Sambas, Spezials, everything. I mean they're like the trainer to have and they have been in fairness the last couple of years and there's no slowing down. So I I'm a big Adidas fan. Like huge other brand. That's one brand I would love to work with by the way. I haven't... Hi Adidas. So but yeah so I've I've obviously I'm a big fan I have quite a few pairs but I'm still wearing them. I'm still wearing them. I'm still loving them. Um I'm still they're very relevant still. Um and yeah like if I can see myself wearing them in about a year's time I kind of like okay let's look at it. So that's kind of how I base it on that you know. But like there are fads that last a season. You know and then Leopard print... I mean I love leopard print but I know that next year nobody will wear leopard print. Yeah but then leopard print about a year ago was it a year or maybe the autumn before? Huge huge. Then the this this season is a bit more cow print. Yeah. Uh but I would leopard never I would... It will come back. Leopard's a neutral. I'm sorry but leopard is a neutral. I always say it. It's one of those that even if you have it in your wardrobe, you'll still pull it out and you know in another in a year's time and it'll still look good. Polka dots another one. Polka dots are great. They're even they're trending now. Um and you know you know there's certain ones there's certain trends that will always have a place I feel. Yeah that's true.

Do you know what? I think it's an easy one. I feel like I don't know what it is as I've gotten older, they don't even bother me. Like I actually kind of laugh. It kind of amuses me. I kind of I kind of nearly look forward to a negative comment. I'm like okay what are we going to now what are we going to have here now? How do I respond? Not even how do I respond like how do I feel about this? You know I feel like definitely age plays a big part in this. Like you feel like you you don't care and it doesn't bother you. Yeah. And maybe my 20-year-old self would have felt way more upset if I had gotten if I get a negative comment. Um but I mean I have to say if if I put up a reel for example and it you know goes a bit viral, that's when you start attracting crazy wild comments like wild. I mean I put up a post there a few um about a month ago um about a Marks and Spencer's jacket. Okay. Um it was just a checked jacket I loved it. It was the last one in the shop. I was like I mean you talk about a trend. I mean I was just like I need to have this. It was viral this viral jacket that I needed to have. I got it. Well the comments I mean I thank god I have a thick skin because they were wild. They were gone they were they were gone crazy in the comments about this jacket. People were not liking it. Um a lot of people didn't like it. But you know I kind of like water off a duck's back you know I was just like I was like you know that's their opinion that doesn't really affect me. I mean I still love the jacket. Doesn't change. I have to say like I know some people will say maybe you don't do this but if they were really not nice I would I would delete the comments. Yeah. Because I don't want negativity on my page. Yeah. And it's your right. I mean yeah my page my room. Yeah it's yeah. I'm like if you're going to come and you know say something really negative and maybe something towards me like really like degrading towards me like like say something about my appearance or something delete. You know I don't want like you know even in down the line if my kids were ever on Instagram. Don't I don't don't want them looking at those those comments which you know they're like why would someone say that? So I would anything really bad I would like delete. Yeah that's that's a good strategy. Yeah but I don't really really get really many unless a post goes viral then it goes crazy. And it attracts people who usually don't follow you I guess or... They just find it and then that's their time to like put a little trolling comment there. But like because it goes worldwide right when if when a post goes viral like that it hits everyone. So you don't even know where it's going it's like where's you know but yeah so.

So I've kind of been thinking about that for a while. Like I used to say for example like go to Zara and I'd put up on my stories like I take some pictures about like you know oh I like that I like that and in my stories people were loving it. They were like oh my god I love when you do this um you know oh brilliant it saves me a trip to the mall. Um and then other women are like you know we work full-time so this is ideal to see what's in the store the shops but out actually getting in your car and driving there. You know because people just are like people don't have time in Dubai. You know time is money. Yeah absolutely. You know so when you're working full-time and working full-time in Dubai means working long hours so a lot of people just don't have time to go to the malls, park, you know walk around. They would just love to see on their little screens what's in the shops. So I just thought you know what let's try do this as a little series and see where it goes. And yeah and I started it um it's been a good few months now I think and I'm really enjoying it. I just so I kind of started off like with a little mini microphone and walking around but I felt like such a pleb. I felt like is everyone looking at me I felt like I felt like such an eejit as we say in Ireland which is like the same as idiot. And I was like oh god I can't do this this is so cringe. Then I got a little tiny little mic that sits there like a magnet that's very inconspicuous you don't really notice it. Like a little spy. Yeah a little like no one knows you're wearing a microphone. Um because I'm just not that person that stands there with a mini mic I just I'm not that person I just feel like a bit of a you know okay no everyone's looking at me I can't. So then um it went from going around the shop with the little mini mic to filming and doing one part you know walking into the store like you know what's in the shops you know um and then I you know I just say oh hey Zara or hey H&M and then I do the voiceover at home. Because oh yeah I thought that you're doing voiceover yeah. Yeah because you can get more in. Yeah. Because I I feel like if someone is there in your way and you're trying to film and then you start like talking about this look at this amazing new new skirt that's in like and they're like listening to you I just I can't I can't do it I can't I just I just it's so embarrassing. Yeah that's what our kids would call cringe right? Exactly exactly. So I just do the voiceovers at home and they're all about three minutes long. I mean some of them are probably a bit too long and I mean if I always kind of applaud people who sit through the whole three minutes like well done. But um there's always so much to talk about. Yeah. Once I start talking I can't stop. I I love that series by the way because also when you look of course you could go to the store's website and scroll through what's new but it's different when you see it like someone showing it in real life. Yeah. When you see it through the eyes of somebody not on the product picture yeah. Exactly. It's kind of like and what they think of it and you're like you're not sure but then this this person has said they really like it and it would look really well with this pair of jeans or that top or then you're like oh yeah it would. So it's kind of helping people to kind of like get ideas in their own wardrobes with new pieces in the stores. But I bought two things that you have shown. The shoes? The shu-kyu shoes? The oh yes the shukes. Yes. The sandals and I bought the burgundy mango bag. Oh yeah I love that bag. It's so nice I love it. I just don't have any shoes to wear with them now so I need to buy shoes. Okay. I need to look for shoes and then I'm gonna put put up on I think I'll go today and do another video and I'll find a pair of burgundy shoes for you. Yeah that would be lovely I love that. So you mentioned Adidas but what other brand would be like your dream collaboration?

Oh gosh. Um well I have to say and could only because they don't collaborate with anyone well unless you're like a famous model I think Zara would be up there because I've you know historically for 25 30 years shopped in Zara you know and that that's uh but um but who else I think yeah Adidas is up there um I don't god any kind of um really nice premium high street brands I'd be so excited to work for you know or work with. Um I mean already I'm working with some of my dream brands you know Next you know um Marks and Spencer's um for me they're my like my dreams because they're very much me. They're what I am what I stand for what I you know um I grew up with them. So um and in terms of um another one Never Fully Dressed which I have worked with too they're also a really like another brand that I've always bought and always worn. Um but yeah I just need to get Adidas because I I I shop I buy a lot of Adidas. Oh another one would be ASOS. Love to work for ASOS. Oh yeah. I've again another one from from the from day one. Yeah. I've always shopped in ASOS always and I still do. So they would be um particularly global brands like that because I have an audience in Ireland I have an audience in the UK I've kind of like followers kind of around the world also not just here so I feel like global brands like that really resonate to everyone. Makes more sense for your audience right? Yeah exactly exactly yeah.

Okay so that's a really good question actually. Um what I would say is first of all you're going to have a lot of noise around you when you start posting or you start your Instagram or your TikTok whatever. You're try not focus too much on what everyone else is doing. Try and stay focused on you. Just if you have to mute people, mute them. Because if that means that you will have a clear vision of what you want to do, do it. There's nothing wrong with that. We need to normalize that more because you're the one who wants to grow for you and you want to do it for yourself. Just ignore the noise around you. Um I find that helps me because I feel like once you start looking at what other people are doing you start comparing yourself and that's human nature we all do it. Yeah. And you need I mean comparison as we all know is the thief of joy. So once you stop comparing yourself and just focus on your mission your goal what you want to achieve and just like like a tunnel just just do that and don't like ignore the noise. Like I always think like when it comes to doing my own thing and building my own I suppose little mini brand, me myself and Irene. You know I just have to stay on that straight road. That's such a good that's such a good claim me myself and Irene. I know it's like my name works out well in some respects you know um because mainly my name is like only like old women are called Irene. It's a very old name by the way. Yes it's a really old old name. But um yeah no staying on that road for yourself focus on you and literally do not mind what anyone else is doing. That that's their they're doing that for them. You do whatever you're doing for you.

Yeah yeah it is. It's I think it's been it's been comfortable in your own skin to kind of I suppose there's a lot of different elements. I mean look I still have imposter syndrome all the time. I still suffer from that you know but I think success is kind of being happy and confident in who you are now either online or be in your business um and just having a sense of happiness I think for me that's what success is because you know everyone has to start at the beginning everyone has to start somewhere and you grind and you hustle for years and years but then you get to a stage where you just like okay can I not just not I'm just so tired of hustling I'm just tired now can I just be content. Yeah that's so good. Yeah be content and just yeah be happy and content I think that's what success is. Yeah that's a great definition. Yeah you know because you know just the stress I mean life is full of little stresses and everything. You know everyone everyone has stress in their lives but just I think to reach that part of your life where you're content and and you know who you are I think that's success. Yeah and I think that's an age thing right?

Totally. Totally. Yes um the the thing about yeah exactly you kind of wish you knew coming into your late 40s 50s that you would become that person that doesn't really care or is not bothered anymore about what people think you know but at the same time in your 40s and 50s for women we all know perimenopause and can bring a whole load of symptoms that you did not expect or you did not ask for including like you loss of motivation, tiredness and you know you just like sometimes it's hard to get up in the morning and a lot of people with you know with menopause I mean they give up their jobs because they just are they cannot cope and it's a known thing. That is tough to navigate through. But in one sense you also have a sense of like not really not really caring what others think and just going you know just doing it anyway. That makes many things easier I guess right? Yeah it does it does yeah so if you can get through the perimenopause and the menopause symptoms great. That's so good.

Oh gosh um I haven't even you know I kind of like think for next week I don't even like look at like in the next few months. Um I have some actually exciting personal trips coming up you know kind of like holidays um slash kind of trips which will be nice um and always nice and fun for content. Um I've that to look forward to personally. Um and just um a couple of little nice brand collabs coming up also before Christmas. Christmas is is a really nice time like coming into the festive season for some nice collabs with like you know coming into sparkle season and every you know I I get into my element when it's sequins season always like once the sequins are out I'm just like right I have arrived here we are. Um and uh yeah just um no I wouldn't say there's any one project coming up that you know that I can say I'm excited about but there's a couple of few things happening on you know in the background which is which is nice. Okay that's so good I love that for you.