Nicole Aisha

NICOLE AISHA

"Confident walking is more successful than confused running."

Meet Nicole Aisha - The model turn entrepreneur and founder of the multi-brand store ‘ESCHEL’. She has a very resilient character so for me challenges are just part of the journey. Nicole loves to spend time at home to unwind from a busy day. Read on this exclusive interview we had with Nicole to learn more about her and her business.

Hi, please introduce yourself to our readers. I am Nicole Aisha Pickering, my mother is Swedish and my father is Irish. I grew up in Dublin, Ireland and have now spend over a decade living in Dubai.

Tell us about your education. I started working from a young age, whilst in school so I didn’t go to university.

How and when did you land in Dubai? I moved to Dubai in September 2009 after having previously visited on vacation in January of the same year. My family have been doing business in the MiddleEast for many years so, when I decided that I wanted to move abroad; Dubai made the most sense for me.

You started as a model, what sparked your interest in fashion? My mother was a model all of her career so it was natural for me too. Specially with my tall height of 181cm. I began modelling when I was 16 years old.

When and why did you decide to open your multi-brand store ‘ESCHEL’ I have always had drive and motivation to work hard and I decided that I wanted to do more than modelling. So I decided to open up the store in 2012. I named the brand after my late grandmother, Eschel.

What was the biggest rookie mistake you made when just starting out? Starting out, one of the biggest mistakes I made was thinking that I knew it all and not really listening or taking any advice on board.

In a sentence or two, can you describe ESCHEL, and what makes it different and special? Eschel was established 8 years ago originally with a boutique in downtown Dubai before moving the business online this year. We still have several of the same loyal customers since day one because we truly care about the customer and take care of every little detail.

What was your biggest fear when going out and starting your own business? I think when starting out I was actually fearless. I was so motivated and was just focusing on the end goal.

Did you face any difficulties at the initial stage of setting up your business? As a very young expat female doing everything by herself there were a lot of challenges along the way. It takes a very strong personality to stay determined as I did to keep the business going all these years.

How do you tackle challenges that arise? I am fortunate to have a very resilient character so for me challenges are just part of the journey and I don’t dwell on anything. I just keep things moving.

How do you source the items to be sold at your store? Before setting up the store in 2012 I had spent the year prior doing my research and visiting various suppliers locally and abroad. So, I have a good list of suppliers. What role do you think social media plays in your business today? Social media plays a massive role in my business today and I can’t even imagine how the business would survive without it.

What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work? I’m very much fascinated with beauty and wellbeing so, I incorporate monthly blogs with self care tips on the website. What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company? The biggest lesson I’ve learned in these past 8 years would be to listen to people’s advice and not be too stubborn with decisions.

What would you like to achieve before the end of the year? With this year being the year of uncertainty with Covid, it’s difficult to set goals. So, I set my goals for daily and weekly basis currently to not put too much pressure on myself. What’s your motto? Confident walking is more successful than confused running. What are some of your other hobbies? My hobbies include working out, dining out and I am a big nature lover and so when the weather is pleasant I love to be outdoors.

What do you do to relax? I love to be at home so to unwind from a busy day. I would definitely be chilling at home.

How would you describe your own fashion style? I have a very eclectic fashion style so it all depends on my mood, where I’m going or who I’m going with. Your message for CiiN magazine. Thank you for the honour of being featured in such a stylish publication!

THE TEAM: Photographer - Art Director: Mauro Portoso (@mauro.portoso) Models: Malich Cissè (@malikcisse5) Jean Modeste (@jean_modeste_kouman) Carola Brunetti (@zaaaazuuu) Simona Taiano (@simonataiano) Anna Sara Napoli (@annasaranapoli) Make Up: Stefania Mastroianni (@stefania_mastroianni_mua) Dress: Cecilia Parisi Location: Minervino Murge - Bisceglie