Erin Sokolowsky
September 2025
This year, at 39, single, no children, I left behind New Zealand and launched myself – two companies in tow – into the bold, fast-paced tapestry of Dubai. As founder of my own digital agency, Lowsky, and co-founder of Feimso, a fashion ecosystem, I now lead with a vision that catalyses connection and challenges mine, and the general status quo.
My drive? A deep-seated belief that innovation isn’t reserved for unicorn startups – it belongs to every woman brave enough to leap, learn, and build with heart. It’s about small moves, with a big mindset.
I often remind myself: innovation doesn’t always start with a grand strategy; it begins with a bold decision. For me, that was deciding to learn photography and graphic design in 2018 which grew into Lowsky Media. It was saying yes to my co-founder’s initial great idea, in 2020, which became Feimso. And this year it was trading my whole life in New Zealand for the dynamic unpredictability of the UAE, to expand both.
When most people hear ‘innovation’, they think about technology. But innovation begins with a mindset. It’s the willingness to question established patterns, to see opportunities where others see obstacles, and to act decisively. In my journey of business, innovation has shown up in two ways.
First, through Lowsky Media, where we have helped brands move beyond their standard branding to build entire online worlds of presence through the power of digital design, social media, and more recently, AI. Strategy, content, web, branding – all integrated so businesses can thrive in an online-first economy. We’ve expanded to collaborating with other agencies, uncommon in today’s world, but effective.
Secondly, through Feimso, which takes innovation in fashion beyond just buying and selling into a platform where creators can be booked, brands can launch authentically, and consumers can access fashion not just as shoppers but as collaborators – with tools, access and opportunities to create brands and dictate how they interact with the industry on their own terms through our application.
Skills can be monetised, classes and events can be hosted, booked and paid for all through the same profile as anyone else’s. It is both ecosystem and economy.
Innovation, then, is not a buzzword. It’s about rethinking value creation, taking bold action on ideas that don’t yet have a blueprint, and trusting that courage precedes clarity at times. Innovation is as much about the method itself as it is about action. Lowsky taught me that immersive digital experiences – branding, content, and storytelling – could still be innovative through having the courage to create in my own style and be brave enough to share it and stand by it. Feimso emerged from the understanding that fashion doesn’t need to be hierarchical. It can be accessible.
Collaborative. A shared path to empowerment. The innovation? Noticing opportunities in places and having the courage to act. Facing self-doubt and risking failure.
Here in Dubai, things move fast. Relationships build quickly, ideas translate into execution within weeks, and growth happens at pace. I’ve learned two truths: Vision matters, and speed matters more for true innovation. We can’t wait for ‘perfect’ – we have to move fast, adapt, and be agile. And the team matters.
True innovation often comes in partnerships that perform to provide acumen, skills, unique perspective, ideas. A good idea can become a brilliant idea with the right people.
Feimso’s innovation is simple, but extremely powerful. Fashion has long lived in silos: creators, brands, consumers – each operating separately. We flipped the model. Levelled the playing field and connected the industry. It’s exactly the kind of ecosystem the UAE is ready for. The democratisation of fashion – changing the way we consume it and interact with it forever.
We of course learn along the way. Choosing to pursue innovation is challenging. An idea takes true grit to be realised and there has been many a lesson:
Begin Before You’re Ready
If I’d waited for perfect timing, or flawless planning, I’d still be… waiting. I act, and learn, pivot, as fast as I can.
Create Ecosystems, not Empires
Success isn’t about solo performance – it’s about finding and enabling others to flourish with you.
Move with Integrity
Bold vision loses its power without values behind it. And innovation is meaningless if it doesn’t serve a purpose in every decision, partnership, product and story told.
Innovation never waits for age or role – it responds to vision, and courage. At 39, I’ve chosen uncertainty over comfort, carrying two companies across countries, and in the process, I’ve discovered that bold action is often the most radical form of true innovation.
Lowsky continues crafting digital narratives that unite brands across borders. Feimso is laying down a new fashion ecosystem in the heart of the Gulf and I’m now looking to create a life and family here in Dubai. Beneath all of this, the heartbeat is the same: Big vision – innovation – requires brave steps.
An innovation mindset isn’t reserved for tech giants or billion-dollar founders. It belongs to anyone who chooses courage over comfort, values over shortcuts, and momentum over perfection. This is how women lead today – with boldness that’s equal parts heart and hustle. And this is how we flourish and rise.
Name: Erin. Sokolowsky
Professional Title: Co-founder
Bio: Speaker, Student of Life and Entrepreneur specialising in Fashion, Tech and Marketing
