< PreviousGET WITH THE PROGRAM From catwalks to coding, Karlie Kloss found her true vocation when she entered the online world. Now, with a Roblox collab under her belt, she tells Frances Hedges why the tech world needs women’s input CareersKarlie Kloss never intended to work in fashion. ‘I feel like I just fell into it – but because I started my career so young, I’ve kind of grown up in this industry,’ says the Chicago-born model and entrepreneur, who was discovered aged 14 at a local bene t show and made her catwalk debut two years later at New York Fashion Week. ‘I’ve seen not only the incredible artistry involved, but also the power that comes from building a brand.’ She cites female businesswomen such as the designer Carolina Herrera – who gave Kloss her rst opportunity to open a show in 2008 – as an inuence on the professional choices she has made, which have been consistently bold and increasingly unexpected. In 2015, nine years into a modelling career that had seen her front campaigns for brands from Lanvin to Louis Vuitton, she took control of her own narrative by launching a YouTube channel, Klossy, which she used to share behind- the-scenes clips of her life in fashion before such revelations were the norm. ‘At the time, it was a bit controversial that I was bringing my camera backstage on a shoot or travelling to a show. You know, models are traditionally seen and not heard,’ she says, ‘and this was one of the rst times I got to show people I could actually talk.’ Not only did Kloss want to talk, she also wanted to learn. That same year, she ended her two-year contract with Victoria’s Secret, blaming scheduling conicts (she later admitted that the decision was motivated by a growing sense of discomfort with the brand’s values), and took part in a summer camp where she was introduced to the basics of coding. ‘I was craving more of a challenge, intellectually and personally, and frankly feeling a little burnt out,’ she says. ‘Learning to code was an eye-opening experience for me, because it made me realise, wow, if I’m not formally educated and I can gure it out, other young women need to have access to these opportunities and skills too.’ Hence the establishment of Kode With Klossy, an initiative founded in partnership with New York’s Flatiron School and Code.org to offer free access to coding camps for girls interested in computer science and software engineering. What started as a 20-person scholarship has since evolved into a programme that welcomes 4,000 students annually, with a curriculum that includes website development, app building and elements of AI and machine learning. ‘I feel very strongly that if the engineering industry only has the perspectives of white men of a certain age – which was certainly the case when I started this project – that’s just far too narrow,’ she says. ‘Imagine the ideas that can get developed if we have people from all walks of life coming up with solutions to the problems they’re experiencing.’ Kloss certainly isn’t short of ideas of her own. Most recently, she teamed up with the online-gaming platform Roblox to launch ve digital pop-up shops stocked with selected designer pieces that players could purchase using the platform’s virtual currency, Robux, over a fortnight in July, essentially transferring the concept of a limited-edition ‘drop’ to the metaverse. ‘I wanted to bridge the gap between the two worlds that I love – fashion and technology – because at the moment I think we’re just scratching the surface of what we can do with this more immersive way of connecting and communicating,’ she says. Women’s contributions are vital if we are to avoid recreating real-world inequalities in the metaverse, adds Kloss. ‘When you’re build-ing an algorithm, or any kind of technology that’s reaching a lot of people, you need diversity of thought and life experience.’ The same goes for the way businesses should be run, which is what prompted Kloss to accept positions on the boards of Serena Williams’ media company Oath and the private women’s liberal-arts institution Barnard College – despite, by her own admission, feeling initially out of her comfort zone in a boardroom environment. ‘When I rst joined the meetings, I was really timid and insecure in my own voice,’ she says. ‘I thought, “What can I possibly contribute among all these other people who are so much smarter and older and more experienced than I am?” It wasn’t until I’d done a few meetings that I nally worked up the nerve to realise, actually, I could represent a view in this conversation that would otherwise not get represented.’ Part of her purpose in founding Kode With Klossy is to give young women the condence to recognise their own potential and stand up for what they believe in, regardless of whether they end up working in science, engineer-ing or another discipline altogether. ‘I still remember how I felt when I opened my rst show at 15 – so powerful, and seen in a way I’d never experienced before,’ she re ects. ‘I think there’s a parallel with the kind of self-realisation some of the girls in our community go through – it’s like something shifts within them.’ Kloss turned 30 in August and gave birth to her son Levi last year. Now, she is more careful about what she reveals about herself. ‘I’ve learnt to nd a balance, and to have parts of my life that are just mine. I believe if you’re intentional about how you use it, technology can be a power for good.’ If even half of her scholars share that conviction, we might nally have a shot at building the world women want. Kode With Klossy (kodewithklossy.com). From top: Adidas x Karlie Kloss, Dhs212 Adidas x Karlie Kloss, Dhs510 Dior, Dhs11,300 TheraFace Pro, Therabody, Dhs1,560 Ring, about Dhs3,390, Alison Lou Very Good Girl Glam eau de parfum, Carolina Herrera, Dhs460 for 80ml Beats by Dre, Dhs,1275 The Karlie Kloss ‘Softwear’ Edit “Imagine the ideas that can get developed if we have people from all walks of life coming up with solutions to problems” IMA GE : SHUT TERS TOCK 71 CareersSTART BY H A NN A H SM O T HER S It’s a skill many of us never properly learned—but definitely should. Am I bad at setting boundaries? Your parents are coming for a visit. Where do they stay? A nearby hotel. I’m on the couch; they’re in my bed. With doomscrolling spirals. With a lot of mental health breaks. The news cycle is le horrible. How do you deal? What do your mornings look like? Ignore it, duh. Make a note to reply later. Respond immediately. I check my inbox as soon as I open my eyes. No tech before 9 a.m., my friend. You’re at work when your sibling texts you (again!) with family drama. You: Careers 72You’re a maid of honour (yay!), but the bride has a lot of demands (oof). Your take is: Your coworker asks for help even though you’re already swamped. You: Drop everything to help her out. Tell her I can pitch in once I finish my own project. Someone questions a boundary you set. What do you do? Politely defend it—I’ve worked hard on these. If you landed here, you may be a doomscrolling people pleaser, but hey! At least you’re now fully aware that you’re prone to spreading yourself thin for the sake of others. Focus rst on carving out time for rest and letting the people in your life know when you need a break. Have a convo with your boss about your need for better work-life balance, or start integrating more “No, thanks” or “Sorry, I just can’t” responses into interactions with friends. While you’re at it, put your phone on Do Not Disturb every once in a while. You’ve got this! Like so many others, you try to set personal boundaries, but yeah, it’s dif cult when people are constantly vying for your attention. If you’re struggling, remind yourself that this takes practice and that it’s important to have these limits so you don’t end up feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated. You can only work effectively if you rest effectively, and that same logic applies to all areas of your life. Making your boundaries a little more concrete will improve the quality of your friendships, relationships, and free time. You’re basically the queen of setting (and sticking to!) healthy limits, which is a BFD because boundaries are hard to enact and even harder to maintain. It’s denitely worth it though: People who have this gured out tend to be happier and less stressed. So keep doing what you’re doing, and if you ever nd yourself in need of a mental reset, take a look at what’s draining you (work? family? relationships? all of the above?) and consider how you might create new self-protective parameters in those areas. It’s her day— she can do whatever she wants. It’s all about managing expectations. You should teach the class on this stuff. You’re not “bad” at this, just a little hesitant. Sorry, but this isn’t your strong suit…yet. Get frustrated and soften my stance. Your BFF says she needs to vent, but you’re already stressed. You: Tell her I can chat later tonight. Pick up on the first ring. Do you check work email after you leave the oþce? Sometimes I peek at my dumpster fire of an inbox. Always, without fail. Stop them mid- sentence—I don’t need to get in the middle. Pretend to listen while checking my email. A colleague tries to gossip about someone you know and like. You: Your family has diûerent political views than you, and you’ve told them to: Go ahead and spout off—I’m unbothered. Avoid talking politics with me at all costs. Cancel something small and meet her for coffee. Squeeze her in for dinner—I guess I’ll sleep next week. A friend’s in town last- minute, and you’re booked solid. You: Fine! They’re totally healthy. Boundaries? Isn’t that a new bar downtown? How does the word “boundaries” make you feel? CBA CBA BA SOURCE: MELISSA RUSSIANO, A CALIFORNIA-BASED LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER IMA GE : S TOCK SY 73 CareersDear Minaa, I’ve been in my current job for more than three years now and my coworkers are some of my best real-life friends (two of them were even bridesmaids in my wedding). I really love the work I get to do at the company—not only is it challenging in an exciting way, but I’m actually motivated to go the extra mile because my work has started to feel personally rewarding. There’s just one major problem, in the form of my new (micro)manager. We’ve worked together for only a few months so far, but I swear she has it out for me. She’s incredibly aloof, and the only time she interacts with me is when she’s shooting down one of my ideas or asking me for constant—and I mean constant—updates on my projects. I’ve tried to stay positive, but lately I’ve been feeling miserable. I just can’t get past this feeling that she hates me—and that she doesn’t trust me to get my job done. I don’t want to quit my job, but I can’t handle the near-daily stress and toxic vibes I get from her. Is there anything I can do...besides leave? There’s you-should-quit toxic, and then there’s toxic you can do something about, says our advice columnist, therapist Minaa B. I hate my boss, What do I do? But I love my job 74 CareersDear Reader, If you take one thing away from this, let it be the fact that your boss’s management style has nothing to do with you. The way she works is just an extension of her internal world and how she projects it onto others. When it comes to leaders who micromanage their teams, it often means they’re struggling with their own issues of insecurity or anxiety. In your case, your boss might feel anxious about being new, and that might be expressed in the form of asking for updates all the time or being picky about your ideas. It’s also possible that she thinks this is the best way to support a team. I’d rst encourage you to think about what she might be going through in this new job. Maybe she’s having a hard time tting in. Being mindful of that enables you to have a little more empathy, which often goes out the window when we’re on edge. That said, it makes sense that her style is really stressing you out, especially because it seems you’re putting the blame on yourself. Thoughts like She’s shooting down all my ideas, so she must hate me set you up for a rough time at work. But if you can reframe your thinking from ‘She has it out for me’ to ‘The way she manages people isn’t about my abilities or ideas’, you can release yourself from some of that toxicity. It also might be worth having a hard conversation with her because the micromanaging likely won’t stop unless someone addresses the issue. You could start by explaining how her actions make you feel. That may sound like, “I feel like you don’t trust me with my work MINAA B., LMSW, is a therapist, writer, and speaker and the founder of Minaa B. Consulting, where she works with busy professionals on enhancing their well-being and developing workplace boundaries to improve their mental health. She is a cohost on Sydel Curry-Lee’s podcast Because Life and sits on the mental health advisory committee for Wondermind, a mental-ü tness company cofounded by Selena Gomez. When a leader micromanages, it often means they’re struggling with their own issues of insecurity or anxiety. responsibilities when you ask me for updates more than twice a day.” The next step—and this is an important one—is to invite some curiosity into the conversation by asking open-ended questions. So you might say, “I’d like to understand why you prefer to be updated in this way.” Or “I notice that when I bring certain ideas to you, you don’t align with them. Do you have some feedback as to what I can do differently?” This puts the responsibility on your manager to explain her needs and concerns and address her behavior. Whether a manager gives helpful insight or not, their response is data you can use to navigate your working relationship with them. If they say they just really like knowing what you’re up to all the time, try to keep in mind that it’s not a personal attack. You can adjust by learning to make space for proactive radical acceptance, which means accepting things for what they are and refocusing where you exert your energy instead of trying to control your manager’s behaviors. Because this is an environment that you don’t want to leave, try not to reduce your entire work experience to this one person. That gives her actions way more power than the team you care for and have a healthy relationship with. Ultimately, though, if your situation with your boss becomes too much to bear, see what kind of support your company’s HR offers when it comes to issues like micromanagement. And if even that goes nowhere, it may be time to think about quitting. I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY H O I C H A N 75 CareersWO R D S BY B L A N C H E D M E L LO HAVE ENTERED THE CHAT 76 CareersICYMI: Gaming is undergoing a reputational change. Women now make up 58% of users in Saudi Arabia, so then why is just a mere fraction of that gure represented in the upper echelons of competitive gaming and historically male-dominated elds like development? Where lm and TV create voyeurs, video games create active participants - time for women – in gaming and real life – to be afforded the same opportunities as men. Ahead, we pro le the MENA region’s trailblazers, from pro players to senior managers, who are paving the way for future generations. Rasha Al-Qahtani 19-year-old Saudi student Rasha Al-Qahtani developed a game feature that can be applied to popular video games like Minecraft to help teens diagnose a generalized anxiety disorder. The project, created while she was part of the national STEM program Mawhib, won her a behavioural science award last year at Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Madiha Naz The UAE-based Madiha ‘Madi’ Naz began her esports career in 2020 and was part of the first- ever all-female Middle Eastern esports team. Being known as the first female League of Legends Pro Player in the country, Madi has participated in a range of local and international tournaments. She currently works at Division as a gamer relationship agent to support aspiring gamers in the region. Lululunaa Laila, popularly known as Lululunaa, is a Twitch partner, content creator for Geekay Esports, and a Miss Esports Ambassador. Among her list of accolades, the Moroccan esports player also received the title of Best Female Streamer for 2020 and 2021. Haya Al Qadi As the Global marketing manager for one of the Middle East’s largest esports organizations Galaxy Racer, Haya Al Qadi has been part of creating partnerships, marketing strategies, and campaigns - which includes its partnership with La Liga where professional footballers and gaming influencers can compete in tournaments across the globe. Najd Fahad Najd Fahad is a notable name in the women’s FIFA tournaments. She previously made headlines when she became the first Saudi woman to win an e-football title at the FISU eSports Challenge’s female tournament in 2020. In another world first, she also bagged the title of the first Saudi woman to win a gold medal at the GCC Games in May. Mary Gaming Maryam ‘Mary Gaming’ Maher is the number one female Fortnite player in the region and the first GCC-based female gamer on the G2 Gozen roster. At only 16, the Bahrain-based esports player (and former Cosmo ME star) is only getting started. 77With great concentration comes a great hunger for food. There are plenty of options to choose from, and that can be daunting. So we’ve rounded up the very best snack options to keep your wits and thumbs working. BY T H E E D I T O R S PHO T O G R APH S BY C H E L S I E C R AIG Your Ultimate Guide to Gaming Snacks Best late-night gaming snack After endless hours playing GTA or Animal Crossing, this frosted hot fudge sundae flavoured snack hits the sweet spot that you’ll need to survive your session. Kellogg’s PopTarts frosted hot fudge sundae, Dhs23 PROP S T YLIS T: MARINA BEVILA CQU A . SUS AN ALEXANDRA BA G , $325 , SUS ANALEXANDRA .COM . 78 BitesBest keyboard- friendly snack Don’t worry about getting your precious keyboard or controller dirty when you’re snacking on this fun- for-your-tastebuds kettle corn. We love a low maintenance and delicious buy (!!) Coney Island - Sweet & Sea Salty Kettle Corn, Dhs5 Best Nintendo Switch snack Slightly different, more colourful, yet a forever classic, we’re talking about both the Nintendo Switch and these Goldfish. While you’re playing Rainbow Road on Mario Kart, why not enjoy these cheddar- flavoured rainbow snacks? Pepperidge Farm Goldü sh crackers colours, Dhs19 Best guilt-free gaming snack Mango and Cacao. That’s the entire ingredient list for these juicy bites. Each portable pouch packs the same satisfying chew you love in organic fruit strips Solely, Organic Mango Strips, Dhs18 Best game concentration snack You could spend your gaming time tediously cracking pistachios and stashing those shells in a gross pile, or you could rip open this snack emergency kit for some instant gratification. It has all the flavours of salt, with a nutty bonus. Bayara Cashews Salted Jumbo, Dhs18 Best snack after a good game Honey belongs on everything, but consuming this combo is just *chef’s kiss*. Get these yum potato chips to have ever existed STAT. It’s a reward from yourself, to yourself. Kettle Chips Honey Barbecue, Dhs3 Best afk (away from keyboard) snack There’s no better way to take your mind off a game loss *gestures broadly* than eating a cookie. Word of warning though, you might want to keep this one away from your gaming set-up to avoid any ~crumbs~. Nabisco Handi-Snacks Oreo Cookie Sticks ‘N Creme Dip, Dhs23 79 BitesNext >