Madiyah Al Sharqi grew up as a member of the royal, ruling family of Fujairah—a small state in the United Arab Emirates, where strip malls and mid-rise office buildings sprawl under the foothills of a rugged mountain range. A princess who studied in Paris, Al Sharqi has since stayed put in her hometown—and brought a little pizazz to it with her flamboyant, eponymous fashion house. Her glamorous, 1970s-inspired designs, which include paisley lace trousers and red patent leather dresses, have since made it to pop-ups in Dubai and New York and into wardrobes all over Hollywood.

Can you recall a pivotal moment in your upbringing that influenced your attitude to fashion?

My love for fashion started at a very early age and I mostly credit my mother for that. I remember her working closel...