My work has been my greatest achievement to date: Samia Shahzada

Footwear Designer Samia Shahzada on loving life, Superman and Coco Chanel.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

I absolutely love having breakfast with a beautiful view in front of me. It’s when I am the happiest.

What is your greatest fear?

I have learnt in life that fear itself is what hampers you the most, so I would say fearing things is my greatest fear.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I feel that sometimes I give in too quickly and that is often to my disadvantage.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

I absolutely deplore liars and gossip mongers.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Typical things found on most women: shoes, clothes and bags!

What is your current state of mind?

Reflective. I feel looking at the past really helps you make decisions for the future, it tells you a lot about yourself and the type of person you have evolved to be.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

I feel that there is no such thing as an overrated virtue. Having one or multiple strong virtues is always admirable.

On what occasion do you lie?

Only to save someone from getting into trouble or getting embarrassed.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Nothing really. I seldom fixate on my appearance.

Which living person do you most despise?

People who misrepresent Islam.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Honour and generosity.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Discretion. It’s an admirable quality to have in a woman.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Possibly”.

When and where were you happiest?

On the day I got married and on the birth of my daughters.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I have always wanted to learn to play the piano.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish I could manage stress better than I usually do.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My work has been my greatest achievement to date.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I have loved and enjoyed every phase of my life.

What is your most treasured possession?

My family. Their support and love means everything to me.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Not having dessert after dinner.

If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?

I would love to be a gourmet chef; food is a form of art and I would love to create new things with it.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I am very candid when asked for an opinion.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Superman, always.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Coco Chanel. I feel she was revolutionary, and a designer should design like her, with the whole look in their mind.

Who are your heroes in real life?

All those who are running NGOs and actively participating in charity work. Our country is surviving because of these heroes.

What’s your favourite quote?

“To mourn a mischief that is past and gone, is the next way to draw new mischief on,” Shakespeare’s Othello.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, June 19^th, 2011.