Best and Worst: Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur Rae Joseph talks fashion and travel
DUBAI: The Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur discusses style and her favorite destinations.
Best TV show/film you’ve ever seen?
I don’t love anything too dark or too serious. I get too engaged, so if it’s something too heavy or emotional, it can really drag me down. So I avoid things that are intense or too dark. I enjoy shows that take me somewhere different. I love sitcoms like “Friends,” and shows like “Sex and the City.” I also like “Ugly Betty.” People make fun of me for that, but I loved it because it is just a happy show. It was a simple love story, enough to lift you up and keep the storyline going. Other than that, I do not follow a lot of series.
Worst TV show/film you’ve ever seen?
Like I said, I really don’t like dark things. I know it’s some people’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely not mine. I don’t like those.
Best personal style moment so far?
Whenever I feel most in my element and feeling the look. I love vintage. I have my own big collection of vintage pieces, and I love mixing them with modern pieces and with pieces from local brands. I love creating that fusion that I feel truly represents who I am, and kind of shows the possibility of translating different cultures, different realms, different eras, into personal style.
Worst personal style moment?
Let’s say my late teens. Well… maybe from 14 till my early 20s? I was very experimental — to a fault. I look at pictures and I’m, like, ‘What was I doing?’ I experimented with my makeup, with my hair — I dyed my hair so many different colors, so many different styles. But, honestly, as embarrassing as it was, I’m also grateful for that phase, because I feel like I got a lot of things out of my system. It helped me shape my own way of styling and enabled me to explore myself better without having any restrictions.
Best accessory for a little black dress?
Less is more. Adding just one simple piece of jewelry adds so much character. I love that kind of dynamic, and I think it says a lot about a person’s personal style.
Worst accessory for a little black dress?
Just over-accessorizing. You want to keep it chic — elevated and refined. You don’t want to overwhelm the look. You allow the dress to shine, and when the dress shines, you shine as well. When you don’t overcrowd the look, you wear the outfit, the outfit doesn’t wear you.
Best fashion trend of 2024?
I’m not really a trends person. I’m aware of them, but I don’t necessarily implement them in my personal style. But, I really enjoy that it’s heading away from loud, in-your-face fashion — the prints, the logos, all that busy style — and people are now opting for a more sophisticated, understated look. Simpler looks allow you to show your taste better, in my opinion. I think Gen Z are a big part of that change. They are dressing more true to themselves. They see fashion as a way of personal expression, as opposed to just following what trends are out there.
Worst fashion trend of 2024?
The worst thing is when you see people lost in their outfits, and you can tell it’s really them following whatever they read, whatever they saw on someone else, rather than personally expressing themselves.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
With everyone having access to everyone’s life and what everyone’s doing with all these different websites and apps, I feel like there is a lot of, sometimes subconscious, pressure, where people see everyone’s journey and then get overwhelmed. But, at a relatively young age, someone told me, ‘Don’t worry. Everything happens to different people at different times. Everyone has a different journey.’ I think that allows me to be more content and live life more peacefully. And have healthier relationships.
Worst advice you’ve ever been given?
Any advice that pushes you to be something that isn’t who you are. Some people give advice where they’re suggesting that you change the core of who you are — your values, what you stand for. I always think that never works.
Best book you’ve ever read?
I really enjoy Iraqi author Ali Al-Wardi. I find him quite insightful, especially his writings about social dynamics and society. He was such a visionary that even when you read his works today, you find parallels with our society. They tell you a lot about people and who we are as societies and communities.
Worst book you’ve ever read?
If I don’t like a book, or I’m not connecting with it, I’ll just put it down.
Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?
What I do if I am overwhelmed or feeling some kind of stress or anxiety take solo walks. I love just grabbing a cup of coffee then going on a walk by myself, and clearing my mind and allowing myself to settle. Even if you don’t resolve the things that are causing you anxiety, I think you’ll return from the walk feeling a bit more settled and you can probably make better decisions and think more clearly.
But if you mean you’re sad or depressed, then I think there’s nothing better than spending time with someone you really trust — a family member or a very good friend. There’s so much power and human communication, as long as it’s with the right people. It could also be a therapist. Just spending time with someone who can understand, knows how to listen, and could give you helpful advice based on them knowing you.
Worst thing to do when you’re feeling good?
I think our brains sabotage us. We don’t allow ourselves to fully immerse ourselves in whatever is making us feel good. So I think you just have to try to relish it, and not think about other things. Just allow yourself to celebrate whatever it is that is making you feel good. Don’t take away from that. And make sure you share whatever is making you feel good with the right people.
Best holiday destination?
My three favorite cities — which I will never, ever be bored of — are New York, Paris and Cairo. Those cities have personalities. If you walk on the street by yourself, you don’t feel alone. They have so much character.
Worst holiday destination?
You see some people that go to the same place every year and do the same thing, see the same people. They don’t explore or expand their horizon. I don’t think that’s ‘the worst’ — it’s just unwise.
Best subject at school?
It makes me sound like a nerd, but I really enjoyed math. I really enjoyed equations and breaking them down and finding solutions.
Worst subject at school?
Physics is something that I just studied to pass my exams and get the grades. A lot of things did not add up for me.
Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?
I feel like starting the day right — whatever that looks like for you … maybe working out, maybe meditation, maybe spending time with family — and starting relatively early, sets you up well.
Worst thing to do when you’re trying to have a productive day?
Have a lot of distractions around. I think we became so addicted to checking our emails or messages, that it really can kill productivity. But we can try to control it as much as we can by limiting the distractions.
