I like Bahrain - I love the place. It's beautiful. I think the kingdom has everything to offer

Q. What is your opinion on the roles that women play in this day and age?

A. I think women are getting more and more powerful. You can see that there are so many positions for women now and top positions at that, especially in the hotel industry, which is my industry.

I really believe that soon I will have a lot of women in high positions in my hotels because I find women are working harder and still have to prove themselves to men.

Women pay more attention to detail and in the hotel business you have to catch everything. We are so detail-oriented - where you have to check every inch of the hotel from flowers to bed sheets and hangers. I think women in the hospitality business are a huge success and I hope to see more successful women in the near future.

Q. When did you realise that you had an eye for design?

A. My father was an architect so I was reading architectural plans since I was a little girl. I can look at the plans and for example know exactly what's on the second floor. Then I went to a school of design in New York. Basically, I believe that you either have it or you don't. It's like management and leadership qualities. You either have it or you don't.

When it comes to design it's a matter of putting things together, you need to know what goes with what. I have a lot of experience in this, for example, because of my experience with Atlantic City Casino, lots of traveling and the Plaza Hotel project.

Q. How do you deal with gossip writers?

A. I am used to hearing things, for example, during the divorce there was a lot of nonsense flying around. But after that everything simply calmed down. I don't really get bad press. I usually come across some silly things.

Like today, I came across a story from a reporter that said I took P. Diddy's theme of all-white suits for the men at my wedding. P. Diddy said to the reporter I think it's cool if she wants to go with all-white for her wedding as she is family, she's allowed to do that.

I think it's silly things like that you usually read on a daily basis - but that stuff is totally harmless. I don't really hold any grudges about stuff like that.

In the end, you have to take the high road. The more you get defensive and try to fight back the more the media will push and dwell on it.

You just have to see it as another day gone by. You just have to get over it and look ahead to another day because the media will always find something or someone to focus on. Don't fuel them even more as they will eventually move on to someone-else anyway.

Q. What annoys you the most?

A. I hate incompetent people and that is the only thing that really bothers me.

Q. What advice can you give young women trying to make it in the world?

A. I would say - go and fulfill your dreams. If you have some kind of vision, something you have wanted to do for so long, go ahead and do it. Don't lie down and die. And have a passion for what you do.

I'm actually writing a book now which is a self-help book advising women with certain hobbies to do something greater and take them to the next level.

You could be a good writer or someone that is good at arranging flowers; I will try to show them how to turn that hobby into a small business and then make it even bigger. I will advise them on how to market and start up a small business and how to let your money work for you.

Q. Is this your first time in Bahrain?

A. It is my first time. I had been in Dubai many times but never to Bahrain. The first thing that I noticed is how clean Bahrain is in comparison to the other places I had been around and compared to Dubai.

There is more greenery here, more landscaping and grass.

Dubai is rapidly growing. You have all the construction going on and they are building up so many towers.

There are like five thousand buildings which are under construction. They don't have time to really build the landscape yet so it still seems incomplete.

I am just so happy to be in Bahrain and I like the hospitality I received at the airport and although I will only be here for a little time, I find that the people are very friendly and kind.

I like Bahrain - I love the place. It's beautiful. I think Bahrain has everything to offer. Dubai has tourism and Bahrain has a lot of catching up to do on that front. But Bahrain will become tremendously international - like in the banking industry - it has a tremendous potential in every way.

Q. Where do you like to travel to most of all?

A. I really fly all around the world because of Ivana Inc. and the projects such as the Ivana Great Barrier Reef Resort in Australia which is a luxury condominium development.

I am also starting a boutique hotel in the Fiji Islands and it will be five stars Ivana, four stars known as 'Hot' and three stars known as 'Cold'.

Hot is like the luxury hotel for the youth and Cold is for the businessman and woman. I am starting up all the boutique hotels in that area. And, alongside that, I will be travelling with Darvesh Group all over for our project, meeting the new world in luxury and style.

Q. How do you cope with your wedding plans and the projects as well?

A. I don't have a problem with this thankfully. We already have over a thousand people coming and people are constantly calling me for invitations - and these are people I haven't even seen for years. But, you see, my office deals with all this and sometimes we have to be firm and say no. It's a great occasion and we are all looking forward to it.

Q. The wedding plans?

A. On Friday I am going to Paris as I have fittings for my gowns. I have four different designers. I don't know which I will pick but I know I will wear one for the ceremony and then change into another later on.

The men at the wedding will dress in all-white and the ladies will all be in pastels. The colours are pink and yellow.

The flowers will be a beautiful mixture of the pastel colours as well and there will be roses and orchids.

My cake is coming from the largest chocolate factory in Germany and I went there a few months ago and when they showed me the designs of my cake I was shocked.

The cake is 12 feet tall and it is the most unique chocolate cake ever to be designed. It will be dark chocolate on the inside and white on the out. It's something I had never ever seen before.

Q. How did you and Rossano meet?

A. Rossano and I met in Milan. When I was in Milan I was a personality for Roberto Cavalli and Rossano was working for Armani at the time. We met at a party, became friends for a year-and-a-half and then we started to slowly date and well the rest is history.

Now I know Rossano is much younger than I am but we seriously don't feel any differences at all. I am young at heart and need someone to keep up with me. I have said before to those that have approached me with this: "I would rather be a baby sitter than a nurse maid."

Rossano right now is in Dubai and has a couple of meetings of his own as he is designing his own restaurant; he is in negotiations with a few famous brands to deliver a top quality restaurant.

l Ivana also has business interests involving a boutique, jewellery line, cosmetics and accessories.