Fragrance's New Queen Almas Anfar Kathuria

“There Is Still So Much Life Left to Live”

Stories can remind us that life does not have to follow a straight path. This is a conversation about honoring your origins while finding the courage to become your own person. It is about fresh beginnings, self-belief, and using success to help others know they are seen, supported, and worthy of dreaming again.

L'Officiel Arabia: Fragrance has been part of your life. What does that legacy mean to you personally?

Almas Anfar Kathuria: Fragrance was part of my life and became my career. I grew up surrounded by perfume bottles, oils, family stories, and the art of scent. My grandfather, Haji Anfar Ali, began our family business, and my father, Shahid Anfar Ali, brought that dream into homes throughout the GCC.

Now it is my turn to write the next chapter. I treasure what my family created, but I also want my work to represent me: colorful, playful, emotional, and full of love. A fragrance can bring back a person, a place, or a beautiful season of your life. That is the magic I continue falling in love with.

Your life has taken you outside perfume. Did you always imagine wearing various hats?

Honestly, no, and that is part of the fun! I get bored easily, and I have not wanted a single title on a business card. My curiosity has taken me into fashion, hospitality, business, philanthropy, and even cricket. Yes! Even cricket! Who knew, right? But it is what it is. That’s just the kind of woman that I am.

Becoming a female team owner in Abu Dhabi T10 was something I could not have predicted. But it taught me that no industry gets to tell a woman, “This place is not for you.” I want women owning teams, leading businesses, making decisions, and saying yes to opportunities that surprise them.

What did competing on international pageant stages awaken in you?

Winning Mrs. India Middle East, Mrs. Tourism International, and Regent Smart City Queen gave me beautiful memories and friendships. But the women I met touched my heart.

I met mothers who had spent so long caring for everyone except themselves, women starting all over again after divorce, and women who believed their chance had passed. I recognized parts of their stories all around me. I wanted to tell them, “No, you still can dream, and you can dream so much bigger! There is no such thing as end of the road.”

That is why I created Luxestar Pageants. It is about fresh beginnings and women choosing themselves again. Often, a woman simply needs someone to say, “It is your turn now” and that is my role.

 Is that same belief behind Couture by Almas?

Absolutely. A dress can help a woman see herself with fresh eyes. It can remind her of her beauty, help her stand proudly, and encourage her to take up space.

I create custom couture and bridal pieces using luxurious fabrics, intricate details, and craftsmanship that becomes special from the fitting. For me, fashion celebrates looking extraordinary and helping a woman embrace the queen she has always been.

Of your accomplishments, what makes you happiest?

Helping people. Success means very little to me unless it can make someone else’s life easier.

In life’s hardest chapter, I opened my hotel to families in need. We provided free accommodation, food, milk, diapers, and daily essentials. Watching people regain comfort and dignity became a rewarding experience in my life.

People call me the Charity Queen, and I appreciate that love, but service does not need cameras nor grandstanding. Whether anyone hears about it or not, I sleep peacefully knowing I helped someone at the moment they needed it most. We don’t need press to cover this, do we?