Member News

I'm Carina Harvey. I help people understand who they are, express that clearly, and create environments that reflect it. In practice, that means two things: working with individuals and businesses on identity and personal style, and designing interiors and commercial spaces. They're more connected than they might sound.

My work as an Identity and Style Advisor draws on a background in people development, coaching, and human behaviour, combined with formal training in personal styling. I work with individuals and groups to build the kind of self-understanding that actually changes things. Not surface-level confidence tips, but the deeper clarity that comes when you genuinely know who you are, what you stand for, and how you want to show up. When that foundation is solid, decisions become easier, self-expression becomes more natural, and the gap between who you are and how you present yourself begins to close. That plays out across life, work, and personal style.

The second strand is interior design, but with a similar philosophy at its core. I design intentional spaces for individuals, investors, and commercial clients. My approach is consultative and concept-driven rather than trend-led, which means every project begins with understanding who the client is, how they live or operate, and what the space needs to do for them long-term. For commercial clients, this extends into what I call identity-led concept development, where brand positioning, customer psychology, and spatial experience are designed as a single integrated strategy, not bolted together at the end.

Underneath all of this sits a belief I've come back to again and again across ten years of building a life here in Dubai: when you are clear on who you are, everything else begins to align. That's true for people, and it's equally true for businesses and the spaces they inhabit.

My route here was anything but linear, which I suspect is true of many of us in this community. Before exploring a business of my own, I spent a long career in the corporate world, working across talent, leadership, management of global programmes, and complex stakeholder and employee case management. Along the way, I accumulated qualifications that have shaped how I think: a Master's in HR Management, CIPD accreditation, certifications in NLP coaching, PRINCE2, Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School, and further formal training in personal styling and interior design from Condé Nast, among others. Each of those chapters added a layer, and what I do today is the sum of all of them.

Dubai has been the backdrop to much of this evolution. A decade as an expat in this city teaches you a great deal about identity, about reinvention, resilience, and what it means to build something from scratch in a place that rewards those who back themselves. It has also given me a deep appreciation for a community like the BCCD, where British values of professionalism, integrity, and mutual support meet the particular energy and opportunity of this city.

Upgrading to a business membership feels like a meaningful step, a public commitment to what I'm building and a genuine desire to contribute to this network, not just to benefit from it. Whether that's through conversation, collaboration, or simply being a useful connection for someone navigating their own next chapter, I'm here for it.

If any of this resonates, whether you're thinking about how you show up, the space you're working or living in, or the experience your business creates, I'd love to continue the conversation. And for those I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting, I'd like to say hello, and I sincerely do hope that changes soon.

Carina Harvey is an Identity & Style Advisor and Interior Designer based in Dubai. Her work supports individuals, businesses, and commercial clients in creating lives, brands, and spaces that feel considered, aligned, and built to last.

Author: Carina Harvey, Identity & Style Advisor and Interior Designer