A SHORT Q&A WITH SARA BIRDS

N.: What does a normal day look like for you? Besides taking Bruno for a walk, have you got any kind of ritual or routine? 
S.B.: Every day, come rain, snow or shine, Bruno begs me for breakfast at around 6 and then goes back to bed once he’s managed to wake me up! I take advantage of the early start to go for a run. When I get back, I take a shower, we go for a walk together and then I have breakfast on the balcony (unless it’s raining or snowing, in which case I move into the kitchen). Then the peace and quiet is over and it’s time to face work.

N.: Do you think about the life cycle of the clothes you buy? 
S.B.: I’m trying to be more responsible and inform myself before I buy anything. I try to consider not only the materials used to make the garment, but also the philosophy of the companies behind it. Thanks to Instagram, it’s becoming easier to find out about small brands that produce responsibly.

N.: You live between Valencia and Doha. Where are your favourite places to visit in each city?
S.B.: For me, a perfect day in Valencia consists of getting up early to go to the Central Market to buy food, having lunch at Ricard Camarena's Central Bar, strolling through the Plaça de l’Ajuntament and buying flowers at one of the stalls there, before getting lost in the La Seu district and having a vermouth at Ostras Pedrín with friends. Normally that’s when plans go to pot and the unexpected starts happening.

In Doha, I love having breakfast at the W hotel while reading quietly, walking along the Corniche to the Museum of Islamic Art and lying down in the park at the end of the promenade overlooking the bay and reading a bit more. 

N.: If you could go back five or 10 years, what advice would you give yourself?
S.B.: Get used to Qatar, since the project you just started is going to last way longer than the initial six-month estimate! 

N.: What’s the last thing you Googled?
S.B.: Best destinations for solo travel, now that I've got free time to plan trips.

N.: Besides your passion for shoes (hee hee), what “guilty pleasure” don’t you feel guilty about?
S.B.: I haven’t felt guilty about much for a while now. However, my most embarrassing pleasure and the one I’ve tried to hide behind lots of pretentious indie playlists, is a playlist of Luis Miguel rancheras (I’m so sorry).

N.: Something you think is underestimated...?
S.B.:Peacefulness.

N.: And something you think is overrated...?
S.B.: Instantaneousness.

N.: Finally, how did you find out about Naguisa?
S.B.: Through Instagram. I remember seeing a girl from Barcelona with espadrilles with ribbons and thinking instinctively, “I must have those”.