The Icon Edit

This week on The Icon Edit, I sit down with fragrance brand founder Emma Hamsa for a conversation about scent, memory, creativity and the invisible details that shape how we feel. A beautifully personal episode on the art of creating fragrance and the stories we carry through scent.

Rana Saab, fashion stylist and founder of Kapsul, joins The Icon Edit for a conversation on personal style, intentional dressing, and the emotional side of fashion. From building a wardrobe that feels like you to understanding why clothes communicate before we speak, this episode explores how style can become a form of confidence, identity, and self-expression.

Financial coach Beth Clay joins The Icon Edit to talk about money confidence, financial wellness, and why feeling in control starts with understanding your habits without shame. We discuss emotional spending, lifestyle inflation in Dubai, investing without overwhelm, money dynamics in relationships, financial independence, and why it is never too late to start building a stronger financial future.

Home organiser Eli Danila joins me to talk about clutter, mental load, and why getting organised is not about perfection, but about creating a home that truly supports your real life.      

In this episode, I’m joined by Christelle Bedrossian, an emotional eating specialist and clinical dietician, for a conversation about the deeper patterns behind overeating, cravings, body image, and weight struggles. We talk about why emotional eating is not really about food, how to tell the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger, and why willpower alone is usually not the answer. Christelle also shares how stress, loneliness, self-talk, nervous system regulation, and childhood conditioning can shape our relationship with food. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for anyone who feels stuck in cycles of overeating, guilt, dieting, or negative body image.

Motherhood changes everything, but not enough people talk about what it really does to your identity. In this episode, I sit down with matrescence expert Maddy Scott to talk about the emotional, mental, and relational shift that happens when women become mothers. We discuss grief, loss of self, loneliness, and why this transition can feel so overwhelming even when it is deeply meaningful.

Luxury travel isn’t just about expensive hotels. It’s about access, discretion, relationships, and the invisible work that makes everything feel effortless. In this episode of The Icon Edit, I’m joined by Maxime van Gelderen, a luxury travel advisor based in Dubai. We talk about what a luxury travel advisor actually does, how bespoke trips are designed around a client’s lifestyle, and the behind-the-scenes problem solving that turns last-minute requests into seamless experiences.

Negotiation does not have to feel like conflict and you do not have to change who you are to ask for more. In this episode of The Icon Edit, I am joined by negotiation expert Gloria Esoimeme. We talk about how to negotiate with confidence, what to say when you hear “there’s no budget,” how to name your number without guilt, and why you should negotiate the full package, not just salary.

Julie Mallon, founder of Nurture2Sleep, joins The Icon Edit to unpack why so many high-functioning people feel “tired but wired.” We talk stress, nervous system overload, what actually works (and what’s just noise), and simple, science-backed resets to sleep better without turning bedtime into another performance metric.  

Home staging can make a property feel instantly more expensive and sell or rent faster. In this episode, home staging professional Rym Toumi shares what buyers notice in the first seconds, why “less is luxury,” and the simple tweaks that elevate any space (especially online listings).  

In Episode 9, I’m joined by Leah Nicholls, founder of Impulse Self-Defence, for a practical conversation on what real-world self-defence actually looks like: trusting your intuition, spotting red flags early, using your voice and body language, and setting boundaries without guilt. We break down the fight/flight/freeze response, why training matters, and simple scripts you can use in everyday situations to feel safer and more confident.

Perimenopause can start earlier than you think and the symptoms don’t always look hormonal. Menopause Coach & Educator Sharon James joins The Icon Edit to unpack “The Hormone Shift”: the most overlooked signs, what gets misread as stress or burnout, how to track symptoms and advocate for yourself, and what you should know about HRT.      

Episode 7 is a science-first skincare deep dive with Athina, a skincare chemist who formulates the products we use every day. We unpack what’s hype vs what actually works, how to protect your skin barrier, and why ingredients like hyaluronic acid can behave differently in Dubai heat and constant AC. Plus: Korean skincare, underrated actives, and a simple routine framework that delivers real results.

In Episode 6 of The Icon Edit, I sit down with Victoria Brugger - writer, cultural commentator, and the mind behind a rapid rise to over 100K followers through bold takes on capitalism, feminism, modern identity, and the uncomfortable truths people usually avoid. Victoria also self-published a 550-page book, Last Words of an Ego on Death Row, which she describes as the “autopsy of an ego” and the record of who she became on the other side of collapse, reinvention, and radical self-honesty.

In this episode of The Icon Edit, I sit down with Maya Moghrabi, founder of Innocent Sweets - a sugar-free, gluten-free dessert brand (with a shop in Business Bay, Dubai) that started from a personal need and grew into a real business. We talk about the real story behind “healthy desserts,” the stigma people have when they hear “everything-free,” and the behind-the-scenes pressure of building a brand that people take seriously, especially when they only see 10 seconds of your day on social media.

From accountant to stand-up comedian, Imah Dumagay turned stage fright into sold-out theatres and became the first Filipino to build an English stand-up career in the Gulf region – all while being named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Filipinos in the world. In this episode of The Icon Edit, we talk about how laughter can change your life (and other people’s), what it means to represent overseas Filipinos, and why you sometimes have to be a little “shameless” to follow your purpose.

Being almost 50 in a world of 18-year-old TikTokers, navigating perimenopause and building a thriving fashion career online – in this episode of The Icon Edit I sit down with Irene, Dubai-based content creator, stylist and fashion writer, to talk about what it really means to grow, evolve and stay visible as a Gen X woman in the influencer space.

In this episode, host Iwona Laub sits down with Salwa Ali, a Dubai-based real estate agent who has built a standout personal brand in one of the most competitive markets in the world. From Saudi Arabia to Toronto to Dubai, Salwa has turned courage, consistency, and social media savvy into a thriving career in property.

In this episode, host Iwona Laub sits down with Aga Al Rumaihi, an award-winning interior designer known for creating deeply personal, functional, and culturally inspired homes in the Middle East.

Welcome to The Icon Edit — the podcast for women who want real conversations about the things that shape our lives. I’m Iwona Laub, based in Dubai, and every week I sit down with women who say the honest part out loud — about identity, ambition, money, power, relationships, health, confidence, reinvention, and everything in between. We launch January 15 with three episodes at once. After that, you’ll get a new episode every Thursday. Hit Follow so you don’t miss the launch.