There exists a curious paradox in the pursuit of dreams: whilst we race towards destinations, it is the path itself that shapes us. Talar Artinian, Founder of Be a Starlette, Fashion Editor, and currently PR and VIC Clienteling at Sartoro Geneve, has traversed continents and careers to discover this truth. My earliest memories are of standing before my mother’s wardrobe, drowning in dresses far too large for my small frame, yet feeling utterly magnificent.
Getting attention through fashion was never a choice; it was simply who I was. My grandmother lived to ninety-nine, and until her final days, she maintained her impeccable presentation. I suspect I inherited this devotion to beauty from her.
The war interrupted everything. When we fled Lebanon for France with nothing, luxury became an impossible dream. I remember standing transfixed before a simple black and white polka-dot set in a shop.
I dared not ask my mother to buy it; I understood instinctively that such requests caused her pain. But she noticed me staring, and when she said we would get it, tears filled my eyes. That set has survived for decades now.
My daughters have worn it, and I keep it still, preserved as a memory of impossible joy. Returning to Lebanon, I became the girl who studied the mothers collecting their daughters from school. I told myself that one day, I would become like them.
Yet when it came time to choose a university course, I studied finance. Banking was a practical way of survival. Eventually, I met the love of my life, and our path led us to Thailand that became home for thirteen years.
After having three children, I knew corporate life no longer suited me. Thus, Be a Starlette was born: a studio filled with designer dresses, a space where ordinary women could transform themselves for an afternoon. Dubai arrived like a revelation.
I moved here in summer 2021, and within weeks found myself beneath the Burj Khalifa at a Giorgio Armani fashion show, followed by an intimate after-party featuring Chris Martin. My second major event was a Chanel cruise show. These were my introduction to Dubai, and I thought: if this is how the city welcomes newcomers, perhaps I have finally found home.
For me, style means elegant, timeless, decidedly feminine. This reflects my actual personality, my approach to life itself. If I could offer advice to any young woman standing where I once stood, it would be this: believe in yourself completely.
Pursue your dreams with patience and dignity. Do not rush. The satisfaction lies in the journey, not merely the destination. The process itself is the reward, the becoming rather than the arrival.