'Motherhood taught me to love without holding back'

Cherine Magrabi Tayeb, creative director of Magrabi and founder of non-profit House Of Today, talks about changing lives and the moment her own ceased to be the same

Published: Thu 2 Feb 2017, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Thu 9 Feb 2017, 5:19 PM

What is your most cherished childhood memory?
Those days when my father would pick my brother and I up from boarding school in Switzerland and we would go for walks along Geneva's Lac Léman, skipping and singing songs he would make up on the spot!
If you could move anywhere in the world for free, what place would that be?
The moon. You can get the best possible view of the earth from up there.
The biggest learning point or experience in your life.
Motherhood was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. It showed me what it really means to love another person selflessly and without holding back.
If you won a million bucks tomorrow, what would you do with the money?
I'm particularly sensitive towards helpless children and the elderly. So, I would put the money to good use, making sure those who need it most get it.
What advice would you give your younger self, if you could?
Never base your decisions on other's expectations.
If you could go back to any era in time or witness any major event in history, which one would it be, and why?
Probably the '20s and '30s. they were such glamorous times! I would have loved to get all dressed up in those lovely gowns and feathered hats.
Your greatest fear.
Waking up and being unable to remember who I am anymore.
If you could trade lives with one person for an entire day, who would it be and why?
The étoile ballerina (dancer and choreographer) Marie-Claude Pietragalla. because, who wouldn't?!
Favourite movie character of all time - and why.
Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady (pictured above). She's the sweetest, kindest, most endearing character ever written. She's so "loverly"!
If you were President of your country, what is the first thing you'd do?
Invest more in education. It's the best way to prepare for the future.
- Staff Reporter