MY FABULOUS FRIDAY

Everything has changed for the founder of toxin-free nail polish Kure Bazaar since her days on the catwalk with Naomi Campbell – except her favourite books and music

Kartika Luyet trades the catwalk for a quiet life as a mother and the founder of Kure Bazaar, a brand of toxin-free nail polish.

Destination Dubai

My mother is Indonesian and my father, who is Swiss, has been in the hospitality business managing hotels around the world his whole career – which meant growing up I changed countries and cities every two or three years. I decided to move to Dubai when my husband [Nicola Ventola], an ex-Italian footballer, retired and became a sports commentator. He was offered a job with a TV channel here in 2015.

NAIL IT

Manicures and pedicures are something I’ve always done, for both research and for my job [as a model]. You can be dressed in sweatpants but if your nails are done you’re forgiven for everything else. Nails are the only part of make-up that you do for yourself that you can actually see.

REDISCOVERING RIO

Rio de Janeiro is my bucket-list travel destination because I was born there and left the city when I was three months old. I’ve never, ever been back. So I definitely want to go there to discover my roots and visit the place where I was actually born.

TO THE TUNE OF

Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz would be the soundtrack to my life because it’s such a positive song with a great rhythm that gives you hope. When my son was a baby, I’d play this song and he’d stop crying instantly.

MOTHERHOOD AND MEMORIES

The bond that I have with my son Kelian, 13, is what I cherish the most in the world. There’s nothing that’ll ever come above that. I was a model for many years and stopped my hectic career full of travelling because it was important for me to stay in one place to take care of my child and be there.

RUNWAY DREAMS COME TRUE

The second [fashion] show I did was for Chanel in Tokyo. I had just started [out]. I was having my hair done and next to me there were top models like Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer (right). I could not believe that I was there with these people that I’d admired as a teen.