Life
A combination of remarkable leadership history, razor-sharp instincts, and exceptional vision make Nisreen Shocair an unstoppable force in the luxury, tech, and entertainment industries.
Here, Shocair gives insight into her success, touches on her time at NET-A-PORTER, and shares how she’s amplifying the brands of the future.
What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?
Of course, life is not static, so every day is very different. What doesn’t change is getting up with the light as it’s the calmest and most beautiful time of the day. I have my morning playlist on, no social channels for me in the morning as it’s a brain and time drain. I read and then get the kids off to school, walk the dogs, and I’m off to work.
You’ve had a prolific multi-hyphen career built around the fashion, retail, entertainment, and technology industries. Talk us through your career journey.
I started in the music industry in New York City because it was the 90s. It was the era when you could walk into a tiny club on the Lower East Side and listen to the best band you’ve ever come across that you’d sign up months later and the rest is history. But then the internet era came, and change was difficult. With a sense of responsibility towards the artists, a lot of work was put into protecting their rights which led to digitizing their content and giving them rights to them. Those who embraced it became acclaimed designers and creators in their own right and used technology to amplify their reach. A fashion show is about the music as much as the fashion. A designer is a musician as streetwear is an extension of a genre of music. Artists are followed as much for their music as for their sense of style. Technology is simply an enabler for them to do as much or as little as they want to reach a larger audience. AI and metaverse is the now. Imagine what the future holds. I cannot wait.
Common theme: embrace change and work your hardest in what you love and bring purpose and love into it – and you’re all set.
“I hope to show that you can be a person (male or female) from the Middle East who can make it globally if you choose to accept the challenge.”
What has been the most pivotal moment of your career to date and how has it shaped your understanding of success?
Success: Having to shut down a bad business taught me how to build a good business.
Abundance: Starting my own business taught me financial management more than my MBA ever did.
Joy: Going through a divorce forced me to find my way to happiness and love.
Peace: Having a very clear sense of purpose in my personal and professional life gives me inner peace.
Tell us about the businesses you’re involved in.
In tech, Beyond One is a phenomenal business that I’m very excited to be a part of. The team is brilliant. We are a digital platform that offers community-led products and services. In fashion, Shocase is close to what I was doing at NET-A-PORTER. Launching brands globally and putting all the pieces together to ensure the success of the business for both the designer and buyer. In art, Art of Rare & Vintage is a circularity concept built around a concierge service for the collectors in the region. We’ve built the concept around events with exclusive access.
As a female in the tech industry, what have been the challenges you’ve encountered and how did you overcome them?
Beyond One is an incredibly empowering culture where over 30% of our C-suite are female, but the ecosystem around us is not the same. Does it matter? It does when you’re not being heard. Overcoming it by starting internally first with our own organization was important. We consciously hired females in key positions. Sponsoring companies and startups and pitches that are female-led, hosting events that openly discuss the topics we’re facing all help. But there’s a lot more we can do as the gap is wide and widens at the top.
How do you aim to amplify and shape the future of women in tech in the region?
Mentorship. Sponsorship. Returnships. Funds for females in tech are important. Training programmes to allow more women to cross over from other industries into tech. Lastly, programmes that actively maintain females in middle management, so they make it to the top.
What does innovation look like for you these days?
It is endless. We’re doing it with the tech platform, the content, the campaign creation, the compensation, and the way brands are being presented. We are building solutions around problems, and we’re doing it in a fun, young, and creative way that allows our users to benefit from the growth of the brand they choose to buy into.
What did you learn during your time at NET-A-PORTER?
We are a region with great talent and taste. We are influencers in our own right. We are major players in the global market if we choose to be. We need someone to open doors for our great talented designers, artists, and musicians as our market is too small to sustain them and allow them to grow. The next generation of artists has finally arrived, and I am so excited to see what they’re going to do with that talent that merges art, music fashion, and tech.
This is The Trailblazers Issue – how do you hope to support future trailblazers?
I hope to show that you can be a person (male or female) from the Middle East who can make it globally if you choose to accept the challenge. I hope to be a mentor and a sponsor to businesses, so they don’t suffer the pitfalls and lose faith in themselves or their ideas. I want to attract capital and good ideas to the region and from the region. And we need more vocational training opportunities to give every person with potential the opportunity to grow by learning and training.
