On this episode Nataliya talks with Ahlya Rafique Fateh in her beautiful Weybridge home about her incredible journey, contribution to the fashion industry, new interior design venture, family relationships, childhood homes and why being connected to your inner voice is so important when making decisions.

Ahlya’s career journey started at PWC as a trainee accountant. But her heart was not set on accounting and she landed her dream job at Condé Nast International. In 1998 Ahlya was seconded to Russia as Editorial Business Director with the task of launching Russian Vogue! Ahlya shares fascinating details of the 'happiest time in her life' in Moscow: ballet classes, regular visits to see all her favourite operas and ballets and experiencing cultural differences.

Following that, Ahlya returned to Tatler in the UK as Managing Editor in 2001. She left Tatler in 2010 to become Managing Director of the fashion label Tata Naka before moving to Amanda Wakeley in 2014.

Ahlya has moved on from the world of fashion to the world of interiors. And she talks about the ultimate importance of learning and collecting knowledge as part of her new role as MD at the luxurious interior design company Fameed Khalique, whose projects include the super yacht owned by Roman Abramovich in their portfolio.

Fashion and interiors share many connected elements and this is a fascinating insight into the life of someone who has moved successfully between the two spaces on a journey that reflects her empathetic nature.

Amongst many achievements Ahlya was runner-up in the Asian Women of Achievement Awards and was appointed to the English Cricket Board as Head of the Women’s Cricket Committee.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• I’ve learnt to not trust my intuition but to always trust my inner voice and gut feeling.
• Being connected to and listening to your inner voice is very important
• If you are open to being sensitive and to energy, the more the energy helps you to make good decisions
• I watched, listened and learnt so that I could build the blocks about a way of dressing that felt true to me.
• Personal style is about dressing in a way that’s true to you. If you copy others you will always look like a slightly second rate version.
• There is a stealth, wealth way of dressing and it’s about the detail of it all.
• When you want to learn about something you have to put yourself in the mindset of someone who already knows
• Learning and collecting knowledge is the best armour you can have. Once you have learnt you can bring the showmanship
• Move into your space when you are ready and don’t let anyone push you into it until you are ready.
• As an individual, you are always working through something as you move through different parts of your life.
• Interior designers have a way of allocating space to make your way of life better
• It’s about how people feel within the space

 

BEST MOMENTS

‘I have moved from the language of fashion into the language of interiors’

‘This house just felt like home from the first time I walked into it’

‘As you become older you are more confident  about carrying your experience on the inside not on the outside through how you dress’

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Beehive Household podcast

  

ABOUT THE HOST

Nataliya Lloyd is a finance expert and after 15 years of studying and working in the industry, she changed tack and went with her dream of becoming an entrepreneur and followed her

creative call.  She is now the owner of Nataliya Lloyd Interiors, with an Interior Design certification from the Chelsea College of Arts. Nataliya is also the Finance Director and a supporter of the charity Professors Without Borders, which specialises in providing university-level short education courses in developing countries. She is a member of a pre-eminent members’ club for women in business - The Sorority. But most importantly, she is a wife, daughter and a mother. You can connect with Nataliya on:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliya-lloyd-32a24547/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nataliyalloydinteriors/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NataliyaLloydInteriors/

And her website: www.nataliyalloydinteriors.com