This week, Emirates Woman speaks to Joyce Gereige, a fashion stylist turned entrepreneur, and founder of Rewrites Eyewear, a conscious accessories brand built on the values of quality, confidence, and longevity—designed to rewrite the way we think about shopping and self-expression.
Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
Here, Gereige shares her journey from selling shoes at Aldo at age 15 to styling celebrities across New York, Lebanon, and Dubai, the ultimatum that pushed her to pursue her dreams, and why following your instinct is the best advice she ever received.
What was your favourite subject at school?
Easily art class, it was the one class I constantly looked forward to. I always loved drawing, coloring, and just creating fun pieces. It was easily my top favorite, with geography being a close second.
What was your first job?
My first job was at Aldo Shoes. I worked there for 4 years as a key holder before working at Michael Kors for 2 years, then ultimately decided to leave retail and pursue fashion, where I decided to head to New York and officially study fashion.
I absolutely loved my time at Aldo, from working in stock to sales to selling shoe care like my life depended on it — it taught me so much. I absolutely loved connecting with clients. I remember it like it was yesterday, walking in at the age of 15, about to turn 16, and handing in my resume. It taught me so much and built such a strong foundation for me. I was still in high school and couldn’t wait to finish to go straight to work.
What inspired you to enter the fashion space and launch Rewrites Eyewear?
Funny enough, at first I thought I was going to be a psychologist — I always had a desire to work in fashion, but at the time, fashion wasn’t as common as it is now, especially working as a fashion stylist (I didn’t even know it was a thing). After working retail for 6 years, I had an ultimatum at my last job where I was told if I wanted to move up, I had to either remove my social media account because I was dabbling with blogging and they saw a conflict of interest, or my second option was to leave and pursue my dreams. I ultimately followed my gut and did.
There was a fashion school in New York I would always look into, but didn’t think I’d actually be able to pursue it. After having that ultimatum, I took it as a sign to go full force and give the fashion world a try — a decision I’m forever thankful for. When I came across styling, it felt like something so natural to me. Without even knowing, I was always the friend styling my friends when going out, cleaning out their closets for pure job. I even had a friend who was getting engagement, asking me if i could style their shoot, because she always loved my perspective and how I shot my blogger images back in the day. Once I saw it was an actual career path, I decided to dive full force into it — coincidentally, there was enrollment for the next month and I went for it. After graduating in 2017 as a fashion stylist from The School of Style in New York, I interned between New York Fashion Week with brands like Collina Strada and magazine publications to understand what type of stylist I wanted to be.
Shortly after, I ended up in the Middle East, which ultimately led to me launching my career as a celebrity, music video, and editorial stylist working between Lebanon and Dubai for 7+ years. To me, fashion has always been more than trends, but about empowering individuals to express their true selves while building a timeless wardrobe. I always believed accessories had so much power, and that was always my main focus with styling. I founded Rewrites Eyewear in 2023 with a simple but powerful goal — to rewrite the way people think about shopping and self-expression. Built on the values of quality and confidence, Rewrites was born from my years as a fashion stylist working across New York, Lebanon, and Dubai, where I saw firsthand how the right piece could shift not just a look, but a mindset.
After years of styling women across the Middle East, I realized that true style starts with how we feel — confident, intentional, and authentic. Rewrites is my answer to that belief: eyewear designed to last, to empower, and to remind us that slow fashion and self-assuredness go hand in hand.
Our mission is to shift the conversation around how we shop, dress, and express ourselves — by embracing conscious choices and cultivating lasting style that makes you feel as good as you look.
What are the key elements of your role?
Naturally, when building your own brand, you find yourself wearing many hats. As of now, I work closely with our manufacturer when designing new pieces, manage production, design our new packaging, plan out our social media grid and marketing strategy, plan and execute shoots, and so much more.
I’m super intentional with everything I do with Rewrites, from the smallest detail like the placement of our logo, sizing, and who we work with. I’m hoping we can build a team soon enough, as I’d love to collaborate with some amazing creatives to see where we can take this little baby of mine.
Talk us through your daily routine.
My day starts off around 6:30 am. I like to wake up early and take some time to myself to read, connect, and feel aligned before the day gets started.
First thing, I do my skincare routine, gua sha, and then read 5 pages from a current book I’m reading. I’m always seeking inspiration because you never know what you might read that can spark an idea or give you that extra motivation you need.
I always like to remind myself how blessed I am to be doing what I’m doing, so I write out a list of 5 things I’m grateful for, say a little prayer, and get the day started. I like to have warm lemon water (sometimes with a teaspoon of honey), then I open my laptop and get started on emails.
I do my best to stay away from my phone when I first wake up (but I do have my days). I usually like to have that first hour to myself, then get started on my day. From there, I start working around 8:30–9 am on whatever is on my to-do list, and then the day is off. Some days I’m working from a coffee shop, other days I’m visiting locations that carry our sunglasses, reviewing an event we’re planning through our event series, or simply packing orders — the days truly vary.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
I would say to make sure you’re really passionate about what you’re doing, because some days will feel harder than others, but if you are truly excited and passionate about something, it won’t feel like work (as cliché as it sounds). Try new things, experiment, and put yourself out there — you never know who you’ll meet or what opportunity might come your way. I always believe there’s room for all of us, so don’t doubt yourself and just go for it.
What are the pillars that define Rewrites Eyewear?
We’re a brand built not only on empowering you to embrace your boldest, most confident self, but also on finding power in building a wardrobe based on longevity, durability, and style. Quality, craftsmanship, and intentionality are everything for us. I was fed up with fast fashion and constantly feeling like you need to fall into the cycle of trends, but realized I needed to rewrite my mindset. It wasn’t where I was shopping, but how I was shopping — my approach — which ultimately led to our name and what it represents.
What do you think makes Rewrites Eyewear unique?
Our perspective and our vision. We are very intentional with every decision we make. I like to say Rewrites is the perfect balance between form and function, combining the highest level of polarization and clarity on the market with timeless, yet stylish pieces. It’s something you can see yourself wearing season to season, while truly taking pride in ownership.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
To follow your instinct, because it truly is an inner compass and guide for us. Move fast. Make decisions and keep it moving.
And what is the worst?
Honestly, anything from someone who is not in my line of work telling me how to run my business… hah. As tough as that sounds, I can’t stress enough that not every piece of advice is good advice. Always seek opinions from those who are in places you want to be — everything else is truly just background noise.
What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?
I would say my mindset. Sometimes we get in our own way with our thoughts, not feeling like we’re enough, when in reality we were all created with our own special powers and gifts. I’ve always been someone who explores and follows my instinct, even on days when my thoughts might not be the most positive.
What are your goals for the future?
Where to begin — so many. I’d love to see Rewrites in a few online retailers that I truly admire and see as a good fit, host more events within our event series, which was created to connect, inspire, and support both personal and collective growth. These gatherings explore how we can do better and be better — together — covering everything from fashion to wellness and beyond. Our goal is to rewrite the way we think, live, and interact, unlocking the best versions of ourselves, and to see our frames on some amazing individuals we truly admire. Ultimately, aside from these goals, we want to be the go-to accessory that inspires people beyond the product.
– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Supplied
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: emirateswoman.com
