Many Western women are fascinated by how much Saudi women love fashion when they have to wear the abaya outside of the home. Why is that?

"I can actually simplify this for you. If you go back to the Victorian era, when a woman left her home, she put on her cape, her bonnet, and her gloves. She got into her carriage to go across town. That is the exact function of the abaya. It is like a cape or a cloak that you would put on as an outer garment, and once you arrive to your destination, you remove it.

"If you are in a restaurant, because that qualifies as a public space, you don’t remove your abaya. But, if you’re in somebody’s home, you remove it. If you walk into somebody’s home, and it’s a group of 10 girls, half of them will be dressed in Western fashion and the other half will be dressed in Middle Eastern fashion. By Middle Eastern fashion, I don’t mean they’re all wrapped up in drapes. I mean they’re wearing designers that are from this region that actually have some pretty edgy designs. The others will be in Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, Derek Lam, or Zara — everybody you could possibly imagine. If it exists in the world, it exists in Saudi, from a fashion perspective."

What is your advice for women who want to follow in your footsteps?

"For women in Saudi Arabia, our challenges are no greater or smaller than anyone else's, they’re just different in nature. We’re definitely on our path to a new era, but how that era is defined is the moment that we’re in. How are we going to evolve in our own community?

"Step one is getting women into government, which is happening in the next three months. December is when our election happens. It will be the first time our voices are heard, and I think that that’s wonderful. I think that if people from the outside could have a little bit of faith and patience, they would see that we’re developing our system as we go. It’s not strict, it’s not canonized, and it’s not structured yet, but it’s getting there. We’re sticking our toes in the water, and it’s a fascinating moment to be in.

"I don’t like to say follow in my footsteps because I think each individual has a singular journey, but I would say: have the confidence to jump into a challenge that you are not sure you’re qualified for because it’s a learning experience. I had no business being in the business I was in, but it opened my eyes to opportunities that not only will help other women progress in their lives, but also have shaped my soul and my life. I now know what I want to do, and the only reason I know that is because I jumped in somewhere I didn’t think I knew what I was doing.

"Face the challenge, no matter how hard it is, because something wonderful can come out of it, if you’re open enough to the opportunity that’s presented. "

Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.