Find out why Hollie dubs herself the ‘celebration queen’!
Tell us a little bit of yourself
I am Hollie Briant, a British expat who moved to the beautiful land of milk and honey, Dubai. I am 32 years old and a co-host on a Podcast called The People of Dubai whereby every month we interview someone in Dubai.
I own two kick-ass businesses that I built from scratch. My first business is a Luxury Bridal store based in Media City, Dubai called You&I Bridal. I brought seven new designers to the Middle East that are exclusive to me.
I am newly engaged and very excited to get married next year and very eager to start planning and picking THE DRESS! I wonder where I would get it from?
I co-started a hen party website called Dazed & Engaged with my business partner Amelia Smith. A one-stop e-shop, dedicated to all of your hen party celebrations! Offering a high-quality curated selection of on-trend accessories and essentials, perfect for any bridal soiree, Dazed & Engaged takes the fuss out of all your celebration shopping with something for every bride and her tribe.
I think it’s safe to say I am the celebration queen in life moments and getting married!
How and when did you move here, and what inspired the move
I came to Dubai in 2014 when the market for jobs was just like the property market is today. As soon as you arrive (come on the market) an amazing company is looking to snap you up!
I first came to Dubai when I was in my second year of University. I was visiting close friends and this is when I first learnt that you are meant to meet people for a reason and go places you are meant to go.
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I did not know what to expect when visiting Dubai but when I arrived I immediately loved everything about it and knew I wanted to call this place my home. I returned to the UK to finish my studies.
Four days after graduating, I was on a one-way flight to Dubai with no plan, a hotel room booked for a week and one suitcase. In the first week, I got my first job offer and I knew I was staying – This is truly the land of opportunity. Now after 10 years, I have much more than one suitcase! I will need a cargo container if I never have to leave.
How has living in Dubai shaped your sense of belonging and community?
It’s a massive part of why I am the woman I am today. I was given so many opportunities, life lessons and experiences I will always be grateful for!
Your friends become your family and you just naturally stick together and support each other. I love how safe, respectful and clean it is to live here and I feel everyone around you has the same mindset as you, and we want it to stay like this forever.
Can you tell us about a particular person in Dubai who has had a significant impact on your life and why?
My partner, my rock and the man I am going to marry!
People indeed say opposites attract. He is an amazing businessman and voice of reason. Every evening we always have dinner together and discuss our day.
Life is too short to sit with people who do not challenge or teach you something new. If I hit a hurdle in my businesses he always has a different outlook on it and listens to me.
What is your favourite thing about the emirate and why?
The list is endless!
It’s the hub of the world! My Bridal Boutique is appointment only but it always amazes me how different people come to find their dress with me. In one day I can meet five to seven different women from different parts of the world.
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How convenient it is for basic life things like food delivery, cleaning, etc. It has everything you need, the lifestyle is incredible and we are very blessed!
You can honestly be whatever you wish to be! I always knew that I would be an entrepreneur and Dubai never held me back!
A myth about Dubai that you would like to bust
That you have NO rights. I love how safe Dubai is and I support how strict the police are and that they will not tolerate any criminal activity. You can live here very peacefully and everyone knows the law, you just have to abide by it and have respect for the amazing place where you live.
Could you share a memorable moment when you felt the genuine warmth and hospitality of the Dubai community in your own life?
It’s small but I love seeing this every year. Every Ramadan all my neighbours put water, dates and small snacks for anyone passing needing to break their fast. It’s the little small gestures like this that make me smile. It’s the little things in life!
To meet more Dubai People, visit Yalla Dubai