< Previous10 commercialinteriordesign.comOpinionMarch 2026 A new forum is empowering women across the t-out sector, providing a community that champions ambition, inclusion and resilience BUILDING CONNECTIONS11 commercialinteriordesign.comOpinionMarch 202612 commercialinteriordesign.comMarch 2026Fit-out Superwomen “Relationships are the key to getting in the room. This app is that room” Emily Perkins THE FIT-OUT industry has long been a high- pressure, fast-paced world dominated by male voices. But in recent years, women across the Middle East have been carving out spaces where their expertise, ambition and leadership are not just recognised they are celebrated. One such initiative is Fit-Out Superwomen, a forum and now app dedicated to supporting women in the construction and interior t-out sector. Founded by Gemma Hughes, Nicola Trivett, Emily Perkins and Claire Spring, the platform is creating an ecosystem of mentorship, peer support and opportunity. The roots of Fit-Out Superwomen are humble but telling. “Around seven years ago a few of us thought it would be a great idea to arrange a Christmas lunch for some of the industry ladies,” explains Trivett, General Manager at Summertown Interiors. “We created a WhatsApp group to keep all of the arrangements in one place. The group has literally grown organically from that rst lunch. We were fed up of the ‘boys’ lunches and wanted to create something for the ladies.” What began as a small gathering of peers has since evolved into a regional network spanning multiple sectors and disciplines, from high-end interior t-outs to architectural own early experiences. She says: “The de ning moment in my career was entering the industry in London at just 18 years old. At that time, I stepped into a fast-paced, male-dominated environment, straight into boardrooms, construction sites, and high-pressure conversations. I had to nd my voice quickly, build confidence under pressure, and prove myself daily. Looking back, having a community like Fit-Out Superwomen back then would have been invaluable, to prove that no matter your age or experience, you can still thrive, lead, and make your own mark.” The platform is about more than networking, it’s a mechanism for changing career trajectories. Trivett explains: “Women in construction often feel isolated and have limited career development insight. Women supporting women at the same level or across roles is critical for improving retention, wellbeing, and professional development. Peer-to-peer support directly addresses systemic obstacles and can completely change a woman’s career path.” Hughes adds: “There was not a de ning moment, but over time you come to appreciate how important the right network can be. Fit-Out Superwomen has offered connection and perspective at different stages of my career.” acoustics. With the launch of a dedicated app, Fit-Out Superwomen now offers a structured platform where women can connect, share insights, access mentorship, and build careers with con dence. Navigating a male-dominated industry Women in construction and t-out face challenges that are often invisible to outsiders. Trivett elaborates: “As a woman in the construction industry, we often face the challenge of proving competence even after gaining credibility. Constant second-guessing, the need to be validated by a male colleague, or having to be overly prepared can affect mental health. Often women are excluded from decision-making, networking or ‘boys’ club events, or miss out on career development opportunities.” Spring, Managing Director of HTS Interiors, recalls her 13 commercialinteriordesign.comMarch 2026Fit-out Superwomen “Women supporting women is critical for improving retention, wellbeing, and professional development” Nicola Trivett Learning from experience Many of the group’s leaders are mothers balancing demanding careers with family life, a dual perspective that enriches the forum. Perkins, Sales Manager at Eomac, explains: “I have eight years in the Middle East construction sector, specialising in architectural acoustics. I work alongside architects, acousticians, designers and t-out teams to supply performance-driven solutions that enhance design while meeting practical and commercial requirements. I’m also a proud mum to a ve-year-old boy, so while I sell noise control by day, I’m still negotiating volume levels at night.” She recalls two pivotal career moments when a network like Fit-Out Superwomen would have accelerated her progress. She says: “First, after landing in the UAE in 2018 with big ambition but zero network, I had to build everything from scratch. A room full of women who had been through the same scenario would have accelerated everything. The second instance was starting my current role, stepping into sectors I hadn’t previously touched, I had to get uncomfortable and reform relationships. Relationships are the key to getting in the room. This app is that room for me and others.” Rede ning success for women Spring and Trivett emphasise that the forum is not about creating exclusivity but fostering inclusion. “Having made many transitions throughout my career whilst also navigating motherhood has at times been a lonely road,” Trivett re ects. “To have had a network where I could reach out to senior ladies or peers to ask advice, or even just have a chat, could have lifted a load that was super heavy to carry. It may also have helped pave the way and make career progression easier to navigate.” For Spring, the platform is about challenging outdated assumptions of what success looks like for women. “We’re passionate about rede ning success so ambition and wellbeing can co-exist,” she says. “It’s about empowering women to thrive in their careers without compromising on family, health, or personal ful lment.” Launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, Fit Out Superwomen’s app embodies a shift in the regional construction landscape. It is both a celebration of the women currently shaping the sector and a practical tool to accelerate progress. Members can access peer mentoring, share industry insights and gain visibility into leadership opportunities, all while building a supportive community that crosses company lines and professional roles. “Women supporting women is the fastest route to closing gaps in opportunity, con dence, and leadership in the fit-out industry,” Trivett concludes. “It’s about connection, empowerment, and giving every ambitious woman the room to thrive.”14 commercialinteriordesign.comNew RecruitMarch 2026 must coexist with strategy, scalability, and leadership, and reinforced the importance of designing spaces that perform as well as they inspire. What core beliefs or principles guide your approach to designing spaces for work, hospitality or public life? I believe design must always start with purpose. A space should tell a clear story, support the way people use it, and feel authentic to its context. In hospitality especially, beauty alone is not enough. Design must be operationally viable, commercially grounded, and emotionally engaging. I also strongly believe in collaboration. The best outcomes come from working closely with clients, operators, consultants, and contractors from the beginning. What excited you most about this role and the culture or ambition of the rm you’ve joined? Social F+B’s ambition to create experience- driven hospitality spaces that are both creative and pragmatic immediately resonated with me. The studio’s understanding of the regional market, combined with its appetite for growth and innovation, made this a very natural next step. The opportunity to help shape design direction across MENA while contributing to the rm’s expansion was particularly exciting. In your rst year, what impact do you hope to mak at Social F&B? My focus is on strengthening design vision while supporting sustainable growth. That means embedding a strong narrative-led design approach, mentoring teams, and ensuring projects are delivered with clarity from concept through to execution. I also aim to bring a calm, collaborative energy that empowers teams to do their best work while maintaining strong relationships with clients and operators. Can you tell us about a moment that made you stop and think ‘yes, this is why I chose this profession’? Seeing multiple restaurants open successfully across the region, each with its own distinct identity, has been incredibly rewarding. Moments where clients, operators, and guests connect with a space exactly as it was envisioned reaf rm why I chose this profession. Moments when design enhances experience in a tangible way never lose their impact. How do you balance concept, budget, functionality and client expectation? It comes down to honesty and experience. Understanding contractor capabilities, cost implications, and operational needs early allows concepts to evolve realistically without losing their essence. Clear communication with clients and operators ensures expectations are aligned from the outset. When all parties have the same understanding, creativity becomes more focused and more powerful. How do your interests, habits or experiences outside the studio in uence the way you design spaces? Coming from Saudi Arabia and being raised in Lebanon, hospitality, entertaining, and coming together around food have always been a central part of life. Those experiences shaped not only my love for design but also my deep connection to F&B culture. Food has always been a shared language in my family, whether through gatherings at home or creative pursuits. That passion extends beyond my own career, with family members also immersed in the world of food, from my uncle’s food blog, Bedouin Foodie, to my brother, an amateur chef who I am certain will one day open his own restaurant. These in uences have made designing hospitality spaces feel instinctive. Every restaurant visit becomes a form of research, and every project Karma Zahran, Social F&B WITH A CAREER shaped by the hospitality cultures of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, Karma Zahran has built a reputation for creating F&B environments that balance narrative, commercial reality and operational rigour. Now, as she joins Social F+B as Design Director for MENA, Zahran takes on a regional leadership role at a studio known for its experience-led, strategically grounded approach to hospitality. Lambert re ects on the pace and ambition of Riyadh, shares the type of space he believes best captures the spirit of Vision 2030, and reveals how i/o atelier is merging cultural authenticity with data-driven design. What rst drew you to interior design, and how did that early spark shape the path that led you to this role within hospitality especially? From the beginning, I was drawn to how spaces make people feel and behave. Growing up and later studying in Lebanon exposed me to a vibrant, ever-evolving F&B culture where design, atmosphere, and social life are inseparable. That early exposure sparked a fascination with hospitality environments in particular. I quickly realised that restaurants and public spaces offered the most dynamic canvas, combining storytelling, culture, and human interaction. That foundation naturally led me toward a career in hospitality design. Which experiences or projects have been most formative in shaping how you think about interiors today? Working across the GCC and wider Middle East for over 15 years has been incredibly formative, particularly delivering projects in diverse markets with very different operational, cultural, and commercial drivers. Helping to leading the growth of my former company from a small studio into a multidisciplinary practice with projects across EMEA was especially in uential. It taught me how design excellence NEW RECRUIT: The CID Power List honouree steps into her new role as design director, MENA15 commercialinteriordesign.comNew RecruitMarch 2026 the operator or client side, my ambition is to remain closely connected to the full lifecycle of hospitality projects. As a leader, I aspire to continue building strong, collaborative teams and contributing strategically to brands and businesses that value experience, authenticity, and long-term impact. Ultimately, I hope to be known as a designer who balances creativity with pragmatism and as a leader who empowers others to grow and thrive. Beyond the CV, what’s one thing that colleagues might be surprised to learn? Colleagues might be surprised to know how observant I am outside of formal design moments. I pay close attention to everyday details, conversations, and behaviours, and those observations often nd their way into my work. It’s a quiet habit, but it allows me to design spaces that feel intuitive, considered, and deeply human. is approached with an understanding of how people truly gather, connect, and experience space around food. Where do you hope your career will take you in the next ve to ten years? Hospitality, and F&B in particular, will always sit at the heart of what I do and what brings me the most ful lment. Whether continuing on the consultancy side or eventually crossing over to 16 commercialinteriordesign.comProject: The Pelican ClubFebruary 2026 The A/P Room opens at Alserkal Avenue with a long view on design Collecting with intention17 commercialinteriordesign.comProject: The Pelican ClubFebruary 2026 L ed by Christelle Bassila and backed by Atelio, the new Alserkal Avenue space opens with a tightly curated exhibition that sets out a longer-term vision for collectible design in the region. The A/P Room has opened its permanent gallery at Alserkal Avenue, launching with its inaugural exhibition, At First Sight, running from February 11 to March 29. Founded by Christie’s-trained Christelle Bassila and operating under Atelio, the design platform within Vivium, the gallery marks a step towards more sustained, programme-led curation in the city. The A/P Room sits within a broader investment in culture, design and collecting for Vivium, the family of ce founded by Elie Khouri. At First Sight sets out the gallery’s curatorial position from the outset. The exhibition centres “What stays is what matters. What unfolds over time is what endures”18 commercialinteriordesign.comMarch 2026The A/P Room on how people recognise and respond to objects, and how meaning builds through time, material and use rather than instant visual impact. The works are presented to encourage close looking and physical engagement, placing emphasis on presence, scale and craft. “At First Sight is about recognising that rst intuition and trusting it enough to stay with it,” says Bassila. “To collect is not only to acquire, but to learn how to see. What stays is what matters. What unfolds over time is what endures.” At the centre of the gallery, a dining table and coffee table by Rogan Gregory in American walnut and bronze provide a strong material anchor, while Vincent Dubourg’s fragmented metal cabinet introduces a more unsettled, sculptural note. These contemporary works appear alongside mid-century pieces by Joaquim Tenreiro, Jorge Zalszupin, and Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, creating a conversation across periods rather than a chronological display. In adjoining spaces, the tone becomes more restrained. A carved oak coffee table by Faye Toogood, Andrea Branzi’s metal and bamboo bookcase, Hamrei armchairs and a oor lamp by Branzi in Japanese rice paper shift the focus towards texture and touch. On the mezzanine, a cabinet by Choi Byung Hoon continues that exploration of how form and surface shape the way an object holds a room. Bassila’s approach draws on more than a decade spent building collections and shaping interiors across Beirut and Paris, following an earlier career in nance. She has built her practice around combining historic and contemporary work and treating each piece as something that carries narrative, provenance and cultural weight, not just visual appeal. The choice of Alserkal Avenue places The A/P Room within Dubai’s established cultural district and underlines Vivium’s wider ambition to invest in design as a cultural and collecting eld, not only a commercial category. Through Atelio, Vivium has been building a platform across design furniture, art advisory and collectible design, and the gallery becomes a physical expression of that strategy. With a second space planned for Abu Dhabi in the nal quarter of 2026, The A/P Room is already poised for growth. 19 commercialinteriordesign.comMarch 2026The A/P RoomNext >