Influencer To Entrepreneur: Fatima Almomen

This talented Kuwaiti woman, a UM Graduate, has almost two million followers on Instagram. Her appreciation of details, singularity and different styles has gained her a huge following on social media.
Fatima’s dreams are aligned with the principles of her culture, but she has some strong opinions of her own and she stands by it, no matter what the situation. Not even a pandemic could stop her from opening multiple medical clinics, which was a huge risk as the world was unaware of where the pandemic would lead.

With a strong presence at the renowned film festivals and fashion events, Fatima is making a statement, not only in the Arab world, but also in the international world of fashion.

L’Officiel Arabia met with Fatima to discuss her journey so far and her unique world vision.

L’Officiel Arabia: Please tell us about your experiences so far.

Fatima Almomen: I selected a major in architecture because I wanted a mix between science and arts. Art is very important to me. I studied architecture at UBC Vancouver, then at UM in Miami. After that, I was an exchange student in St Petersburg.

I always thrived to explore more, alone or in a group. I needed to accomplish my vision and sometimes you have to take the road less traveled alone. I moved back to Kuwait and earned a scholarship to work in Chicago.

I worked as an architect in Kuwait for two years. During the second year of my career as an influencer, I thrived and it became hard to manage my job with a lot of traveling. I felt it wasn’t fair to my colleagues to see me have a special treatment being an influencer.

I worked as a social media influencer on multiple platforms. When I succeeded, I decided to expand to the medical field. I opened three clinics during the pandemic. It was a huge risk and challenge, but I decided to go through it. Luckily, the odds worked in our favor.

LOA: What has changed on social media since you started working as an influencer?

FA: Since I started working as an influencer, I have noticed some changes, particularly the significant growth of the industry. The social media platforms have tripled in the last decade to 3.6 billion user base in 2021. The interaction on social media is bigger than ever before. Your followers want to know everything about you. To be successful as an influencer it is important to be transparent and your followers will respect it. This is what truly differentiates a genuine influencer from others.

 

LOA: Do you think you can bring positive changes to society? How?

FA: As an Influencer and content creator, I think I can bring positive changes to society by exchanging experience, sharing cultures and values, and being an example to inspire. For me, interacting with my followers who come from different sections of society, helps me empathize with them, understand their situations better. Being in a place of power as an influencer, I feel it as my responsibility to voice, explore and bring a positive change to society.

LOA: What do you think of the fashion scene in the Middle East and how does it make a statement with the international fashion world?

FA: One must always be proud of their origin. For me becoming a fashion messenger from the Middle East means trying to take the Middle Eastern fashion aesthetic to the western world. The fashion scene in the Middle East has changed drastically in the last few years with various fashion councils working across the Middle East promoting Arab fashion to the western world. We now have fashion weeks held every year and they are gaining a lot of traction from around the world. Local fashion designers are making name for themselves with few becoming sought after names for celebrities in the west.

 

LOA: What is the hardest thing about being a social influencer? What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?

FA: The toughest thing about being an influencer is staying true to yourself. The influencer field is expanding rapidly and it is a challenge to please everyone. It is important to let your followers know what you stand for, that is when you get a true and genuine following. Your followers are constantly judging you to see if you stand by your values. Therefore, I do my best to keep protecting my image from people’s misconception.

LOA: What do you think is the single most important change that needs to happen for women in the next 10 years?

FA: For me, the most important change that needs to happen for women, especially in the Arab world, is for them to be more confident and know they are equal in society and they have a voice. This change is already moving at a brisk pace in the Arab world as women are taking on leadership roles at their workplaces, running successful businesses and also becoming thought leaders. I can already see gender equality increasing in the Arab world and these are exciting times for women in the region and I want to be a part of it.