Architecture is particularly difficult for women; there's no reason for it to be. I don't want to blame men or society, but I think it was for a long time, the clients were men, the building industry is all male.

All the privileged can travel, see different worlds, not everyone can. I think it is important for people to have an interesting locale nearby.

There are so many great galleries and museums in London, but they can be very crowded during the day.

I have been interested in fashion since I was a kid. Then I lived in London, where it was more about costume and a personal statement of who you are than about fashion.

My father was a politician, and a very important politician, and one of the leaders of the Iraqi Democratic Party, who believed in progress.

Architecture is unnecessarily difficult. It's very tough.

I will always have two regrets. I don't have a presence in London, and I would have liked to have done more work in the Middle East.