As a woman you're not accessible to every world.

Of course there is a lot of fluidity now between art, architecture and fashion - a lot more cross-pollination in the disciplines, but this isn't about competition, it's about collaboration and what these practices and processes can contribute to one another.

Two years ago I focused on one apartment to see how many variations you can come up with in a given space with the same parameters. I would work on this repeatedly for days and you see that there is maybe seven hundred options for one space. This exercise gives you an idea of the degree at which you can interpret the organization of space, it is not infinite but it's very large.

The spirit of adventure to embrace the new and the incredible belief in the power of invention attracted me to the Russian avant-garde.

You have to be very focused and work very hard, but it is not about working hard without knowing what your aim is!

I have always appreciated those who dare to experiment with materials and proportions.

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