From early mornings fueled by intention-setting to bold strides on the running track, Alice Bugeja is redefining what it means to merge passion, purpose, and performance.
As the solo-female founder of mileoff, a Dubai-born activewear brand built to empower women runners, she has turned personal frustrations with the industry into a mission-driven movement.
In this conversation for Emirates Woman, she opens up about her journey from a corporate career at Dyson to building a community-led label, the challenges of designing performance-first pieces, and the power of manifestation when paired with action.
What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?
I am trying to build better habits as my default is to grab my phone and start scrolling or working, especially since I wake up to messages from my suppliers in China because of the time difference. So, before I look at a screen, I will write down one intention for the day, one lesson I learnt and three achievements from the previous day, and one thing I am grateful for. It sounds cliche and I have never been into journaling but it’s really helping me to not begin the day at a million miles per hour. I’ll then go on a run and have a good breakfast, my favourite meal of the day.
Talk us through your background?
I’m originally from the UK, but spent a few years in the US growing up, which sparked my desire to live and work internationally. I studied Business and Spanish at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, then went on to a five-year corporate career at Dyson, working across the UK, Spain, and UAE in sales, marketing, and e-commerce. Moving to Dubai changed everything. I truly believe it’s a city full of opportunities and being surrounded by people chasing big dreams encouraged me to go after mine. I took the risk of my life, quit my 9-5 and went all in on mileoff.
Can you share the defining moment or experiences that inspired you to launch a brand focused on empowering female runners?
After identifying the problems with women’s run clothing (shorts with no pockets, unisex hydration vests that chafe) I began researching the industry and discovered it was extremely male-dominated, the majority of giant legacy sports brands were all founded by males and even amongst emerging running brands, there wasn’t a single solo-female founded one. My obsession to build this brand grew stronger because I wanted to prove that as women we can run successful businesses in this space, in the same way we had to prove, just 60 years ago, that we could run marathons when we weren’t allowed. From this, the mission of the brand was born, daring women to dream bigger, not just in their running, but in every aspect of their lives.
What goes into your design and development process? How do you balance technical performance with aesthetic needs?
I first think about the ideal collection for the season, I then focus on each individual piece, starting with the problem that needs to be solved, and I write a list of non-negotiable features. This turns into a sketch which goes through multiple iterations until we have final CADs and tech packs ready for our factory to produce a sample. We do months of sampling and testing, running in the pieces to ensure that the fit, functionality and fabrics exceed our expectations. Technical performance always comes first since running is our core DNA, but we develop the aesthetics and style at the same time. Our hero piece, the hydration run vest, displays this balance perfectly, a sell-out garment which everyone loves aesthetically, while also having the utmost functionality.
Have you engaged with UAE-based running groups or female athletic communities since launching? Any notable collaborations or feedback that shaped your strategy?
The UAE running community has been integral to building mileoff, every single girl you see in our campaigns is from various running clubs across Dubai and volunteered to be a part of our shoots. Similarly, the photographer, videographer and stylist, I met through running communities, as well as key contacts like the Saucony team. This was an interesting collaboration with a global brand who provided shoes for the shoots, and we are hoping to work together on events in the future (a little manifestation here. I felt like the entire city was behind mileoff at launch, everyone in Dubai wants you to win and will help in whatever way they can. The two biggest supports have been Humantra Run Club and Jumeriah Johns with whom I have led runs and have the best network of women runners who are purchasing our pieces and providing feedback so we can keep improving, with the aim of one day, making the best run wear in the world.
What sets it apart in Dubai’s and the broader regional activewear scene?
Our product is a major differentiating factor, we create them from zero, a lot of new brands will take leggings for example, off-the shelf from the manufacturer and simply add a logo, we are detail-oriented, engineering our pieces to work for women runners. Furthermore, the way the brand and community has grown is through a unique lens of my founder journey, I have been transparent documenting every step of the way on social media from visiting our suppliers in China to packaging parcels, this has invited everyone to be a part of it and hopefully helped other aspiring entrepreneurs. I receive kind messages daily from women who want to see us succeed because they have been following the ups and downs and have in some way been inspired by mileoff, there aren’t many brands with a solo-female founder, completely self-funded, showing up in this way. Our story sets us apart.
This is ‘The Manifestation Issue’ – what advice would you give to anyone wanting to craft their dream life?
Manifestation only truly works when you meet it with action. I spent a year dreaming about mileoff, sketching, researching, designing the branding, telling people about the idea, however, until I started to do the hard work I had been putting off, like finding a manufacturer, I wasn’t taking the steps towards realizing my dream. So, on January 1, 2024, I vowed to myself every single moment of the following year when I wasn’t working my 9 to 5, I would tick off small goals, one step at a time. Make a list of all the elements you need to make your dream happen and don’t stop chasing them. There will never be a perfect moment, you will never find enough time until you make it. Dream big but then actually do it.
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Images: Supplied & Feature Image: @yaraalnamlah
