I can’t say no to people: Nida Azwer

Designer Nida Azwer on good company, jewelry and assertiveness.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Good company, great food, and a fun destination.

What is your greatest fear?

To be locked up with rottweilers.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

The fact that I can’t say no to people.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Dishonesty.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Buying jewellery.

What is your current state of mind?

I’m trying to relax after a hectic season.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Modesty.

On what occasion do you lie?

When I’m trying to make it to my yoga class… it’s too early in the morning.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

My straight hair.

Which living person do you most despise?

No one.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Intelligence.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Confidence.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Okay, fine.

When and where were you happiest?

Last month, on vacation at a beach resort with my family.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I wish I could sing.

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

I would want to be more assertive.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I haven’t achieved it as yet.

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

Queen Elizabeth I.

Where would you most like to live?

Russia.

What is your most treasured possession?

My hairclip.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

People rummaging through garbage for food.

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

I’d love to be a lawyer.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I hear I’m always smiling.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Maximus in the movie Gladiator.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Nelson Mandela.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Greg Mortenson.

What is your greatest regret?

I don’t have any regrets.

What’s your favourite quote?

“We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents” — Eric Hoffer.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2010.