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GTK the woman sculpting the Middle East's most fabulous faces: Dr. Dragana Spica
GTK the woman sculpting the Middle East's most fabulous faces: Dr. Dragana Spica

Cosmopolitan ME

time7 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Cosmopolitan ME

GTK the woman sculpting the Middle East's most fabulous faces: Dr. Dragana Spica

Instagram filters, you've met your match. With 20 years of sculpting the world's most discreetly fabulous transformations (including Dubai's elite), plastic surgeon Dr. Dragana Spica is the woman behind the best 'Did she or didn't she?' glow-ups. While everyone else is chasing plumped-to-the-gods lips and frozen foreheads, her superpower? Making work look like you woke up like this. (Spoiler: You didn't – and that's the magic.) Speaking to Cosmo Middle East, Dr. Spica reveals all: The under-the-radar treatments worth your dirhams (and the overhyped ones she refuses to perform), the three non-negotiable products in her bag, and why some trends deserve to stay on TikTok. Consider this your backstage pass to glowing up without looking like you tried. CosmoME: Why plastic surgery, and what's the most unexpected lesson you've learned? Dr. Dragana: Art was always my favourite subject growing up, it taught me to see beauty in every detail. Plastic surgery felt like a natural extension of that passion. The most unexpected lesson? That sometimes, saying 'no' to a procedure is the most powerful form of care. Patients often come back grateful, realising that what they initially wanted wasn't truly right for them. CosmoME: What's the biggest misconception clients walk in with? Dr. Dragana: That plastic surgery is a one-size-fits-all solution. It's deeply personal. My goal is to enhance natural beauty, not to create replicas of trends or celebrities. CosmoME: Can you share a career 'pinch me' moment? Dr. Dragana: Becoming Medical Director at Aesthetics by King's College Hospital London in Dubai was such a milestone – leading this visionary team in one of the world's most exciting cities still feels surreal. But the real 'pinch me' moments came after working with everyone from celebrities to everyday clients, and all of them trusting me with their transformations. At the end of the day, though, what keeps me grounded is knowing that whether it's a subtle tweak or a full glow-up, I get to play a part in how people see themselves. That's why I love what I do. CosmoME: What's your ultimate holy grail treatment? Dr. Dragana: A 'liquid facelift' using collagen-stimulating injections. It's subtle, non-invasive, and a fantastic glow-up option. CosmoME: What's one trend you'd never spend your dirhams on? Dr. Dragana: Overfilled lips or exaggerated facial features. Beauty should be balanced and timeless, not trend-driven! Glow Recipe Glass Balm Lip Treatment for Shine Hydration BYOMA SPF 50 face fluid Gucci Brume de Beauté Mist CosmoME: Can you name three non-negotiable products in your handbag right now? Dr. Dragana: 1) A hydrating lip balm infused with peptides – not just for softness, but to support collagen production and keep lips youthful. I use Glow Recipe or Laneige. 2) Broad-spectrum SPF with antioxidants – it's my daily armour against UV damage and premature ageing, protecting skin at the DNA level. I love the BYOMA SPF 50 Face Fluid. 3) A mini facial mist enriched with hyaluronic acid and growth factors – it's like a collagen-boosting refresh on the go, keeping my skin plump, radiant, and resilient throughout the day. The Gucci Brume de Beauté Mist is amazing. CosmoME: What's your personal skincare splurge and save? Dr. Dragana: Splurge: Collagen injections, without question. I rely on Nithya Collagen Treatments because they go beyond surface-level improvements – they actively stimulate the body's natural collagen production. What makes them truly special isn't just wrinkle reduction or temporary plumping, but how they restore skin's fundamental elasticity and structure. The results deliver this beautiful, natural-looking radiance – that kind of refreshed, youthful glow that makes people wonder what you're doing differently. It's one of the smartest long-term investments in skin health you can make. Save: I'm a big believer in keeping your basics simple and effective like a gentle, hydrating cleanser. You don't need to spend a fortune for your skin to feel clean and calm. Anything that respects your skin barrier and keeps it balanced is a win in my book! CosmoME: If you could ban one beauty myth on social media, what would it be? Dr. Dragana: That everyone needs filler – I'd ban it in a heartbeat! Social media has glamourised volume to the point where people forget what true beauty is: balance, structure, and skin integrity. Filler isn't a universal fix, and when misused, it can distort rather than enhance. I've seen stunning faces lose their natural charm chasing trends that were never meant for them. Supplied CosmoME: Beyond the clinic, what's your 'unwind and recharge' ritual? Dr. Dragana: It's all about connection and comfort. Being with family is equally grounding; their support and laughter remind me of what truly matters. Whether it's a quiet evening at home or a walk outdoors, these moments help me reset, stay present, and feel my absolute best inside and out. I love spending time with my dogs, their energy and unconditional love are the perfect antidote to a busy day! CosmoME: Give us the scoop! What's the next big thing on your radar that you're obsessed with? Dr. Dragana: Personalised regenerative treatments – they're a total game-changer. We're now harnessing the body's own healing power to rebuild and rejuvenate. No foreign ingredients, just pure biological magic. We're talking collagen biostimulation, stem cell therapies, and tissue remodelling that go way beyond surface-level fixes. It's not just skincare anymore – it's like hitting the reset button on your cells. I think it's going to completely redefine how we approach ageing, healing, and that lit-from-within glow we all want. CosmoME: If you weren't a plastic surgeon, what would your dream job be? Dr. Dragana: An interior designer. That's always been a dream of mine, and it totally aligns with my love for detail, symmetry, and creativity. Going through a cosmetic research hole? Read about halal botox next.

Members only: Inside the new playgrounds of India's rich and famous
Members only: Inside the new playgrounds of India's rich and famous

BBC News

time19-07-2025

  • Business
  • BBC News

Members only: Inside the new playgrounds of India's rich and famous

For decades, the Indian elite have sought escape in Raj-era private clubs and gymkhanas, scattered around the swankiest neighbourhoods in the country's big cities, hillside resorts and cantonment to these quintessentially "English" enclaves, with their bellboys, butlers, dark mahogany interiors and rigid dress codes, has been reserved for the privileged; the old moneyed who roam the corridors of power - think business tycoons, senior bureaucrats, erstwhile royals, politicians or officers of the armed is where India's rich and powerful have hobnobbed for years, building social capital over cigars or squash and brokering business deals during golf sessions. Today, these spaces can feel strangely anachronistic - relics of a bygone era in a country eager to shed its colonial Asia's third largest economy breeds a new generation of wealth creators, a more modern and less formal avatar of the private members-only club - that reflects the sweeping economic and demographic changes under way in India - is emerging. This is where the newly well-heeled are hanging out and doing business. Demand for such spaces is strong enough for the international chain Soho House to plan two new launches in the capital Delhi and in south Mumbai in the coming months. Their first offering - an ocean-facing club on Mumbai's iconic Juhu Beach - opened six years ago and is wildly chain is one of a host of new club entrants vying to cater to a market that is booming in House started in London in the mid-90s as an antidote to the upscale gentlemen's clubs that lined Pall Mall. It came in as a refreshingly new concept: a more relaxed club for creators, thinkers and creative entrepreneurs, who might have felt like they didn't belong in the enclaves of the old years later, India's flourishing tech-driven economy of start-ups and creators has birthed a nouveau riche that's afforded Soho House exactly another such market opportunity."There's growth in India's young wealth, and young entrepreneurs really need a foundation to platform themselves," Kelly Wardingham, Soho House's Asia regional director, told the BBC. The "new wealthy require different things" from what the traditional gymkhanas the old clubs, Soho House does not either "shut off" or let in people based on their family legacy, status, wealth or gender, she says. Members use the space as a haven to escape the bustle of Mumbai, with its rooftop pool, gym and private screening rooms as well as a plethora of gourmet food options. But they also use it to drive value from a diverse community of potential mentors and investors, or to learn new skills and attend events and Maya, a young filmmaker, says her membership of the house in Mumbai - a city "where one is always jostling for space and a quiet corner in a cramped cafe" - has given her rare access to the movers and shakers of Mumbai's film industry - which might otherwise have been impossible for someone like her "without generational privilege".In fact, for years, traditional gymkhanas were closed off for the creative community. The famous Bollywood actor, the late Feroz Khan, once asked a gymkhana club in Mumbai for membership, only to be politely refused, as they didn't admit taken aback by their snootiness, is said to have quipped, "If you'd watched my movies, you would know I am not much of an actor."By contrast, Soho House proudly flaunts Bollywood star Ali Fazal, a member, on its in-house magazine cover. But beyond just a more modern, democratic ethos, high demand for these clubs is also a factor of the limited supply of the traditional gymkhanas, which are still very sought queues at most of them can extend "up to many years," and supply hasn't caught up to serve the country's "new crop of self-made businessmen, creative geniuses and high-flying corporate honchos", according to Ankit Kansal of Axon Developers, which recently released a report on the rise of new members-only mismatch has led to more than two dozen new club entrants - including independent ones like Quorum and BVLD, as well as those backed by global hospitality brands like St Regis and Four Seasons - opening in India. At least half a dozen more are on their way in the next few years, according to Axon market, the report says, is growing at nearly 10% every year, with Covid having become a big turning point, as the wealthy chose to avoid public these spaces mark significant shifts, with their progressive membership policies and patronage of the arts, literary and independent music scene they are very much still "sanctums of modern luxury", says Axon, with admission given out by invite only or through referrals, and costing several times more than the monthly income of most Soho House for instance, annual membership is 320,000 Indian rupees ($3,700; $2,775) - beyond what most people can afford. What's changed is that membership is based on personal accomplishment and future potential rather than family pedigree. A new self-made elite has replaced the old inheritors - but access remains largely out of reach for the average middle-class Indian. In a way the rising take-up for these memberships reflects India's broader post-liberalisation growth story – when the country opened up to the world and discarded its socialist galloped, but the rich became the biggest beneficiaries, growing even richer as inequality reached gaping proportions. It's why the country's luxury market has boomed, even as the high street struggles with tepid demand, with most Indians without money to spend on anything beyond the growing numbers of newly-minted rich present a big business 797,000 high-net worth individuals are set to double in number within a couple of years - a fraction of a population of 1.4 billion, but enough to drive future growth for those building new playgrounds for the wealthy to unwind, network and live the high BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.

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