Fahad Al Jomiah and Khalid Aljammaz on Streetwear Innovation, Overcoming Local Skepticism, and Building a Visionary Brand

As part of our interview series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Fahad Al Jomiah and Khalid Aljammaz.

Fahad Al Jomiah and Khalid Aljammaz are the two young founders behind 1886, the first streetwear brand in Saudi Arabia. Established in 2016, 1886 aspires to create urban and contemporary clothing for men and women looking for comfort with an edge. The duo, originally from Riyadh, met for the first time in London, where they were both studying.

Their friendship and shared interest for music, art, design, and street-style movements gave them the idea of incorporating these elements under one label and launching a brand appealing to the millennials and gen Z-ers in a fast-transforming world.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

We met in London for the first time when we were respectively studying marketing (Khalid Aljammaz) and business administration (Fahad Al Jomiah). Being both from Riyadh we shared a common background and we immediately clicked. Soon enough we discovered our common interest for fashion, street movements and for mixing and matching different styles, and from there our dorm rooms became the creative studio to share ideas and draft the first sketches. We started to hang on the walls paper clippings, styling pictures, inspirational graphics and anything that grabbed our attention. Our rooms became our creative incubator and once we returned home, we launched our label,1886.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

We started out of passion as we have always been attracted by the creative industry and the personal way everyone can style its own look in a unique way. There was a gap when we launched, but at that time we were driven by an idea, a brand concept that represented us and our generation in the era we were living in. Little we knew about the hurdles we had to overcome: first and foremost, proving that a Saudi brand could deliver quality and style on par with other international brands. This was the most challenging hurdle for us. There was a lack of trust toward local brands and their product that was hard to break. It took us time to overturn this belief and prove them wrong. Also, finding the right manufacturers and apparel makers was not easy, we went far and wide to find the right materials and the right manufacturing company that followed all the standards of ethics and sustainability in line with our values. Our goal always remains to improve the quality of our products by the use of durable material and new technologies.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

Persistency and positivity are key in business as they are the main elements behind success. When you are doing what you are passioned about, you are motivated to continue pursuing it no matter the hurdles. Often the biggest hurdle in business is yourself and your mind-set rather than external factors. It is crucial to keep negativity away and maintain the right perspective at all times.

So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

We are proud to say that we have filled a a gap in the Middle East market, and we are humbled by the rapid success we witnessed. When we launched, streetwear was practically absent in Saudi Arabia. Fashion was dominated by traditional clothing and the international high street brands. We, somehow captured the desire of the new generations to express themselves in their own way, far from set rules. It is all about feeling free and true to yourself.

Resilience played a big role in the process, being the first in everything comes with a lot of drawbacks just because you don’t have a beaten path to follow.
But the reward is tremendous.

Today we have multiple point of sale in the Kingdom, a running pop-up store in the most iconic shopping mall of the region, set dates for events and, most of all, an incredible crowd who follows and supports each step of our journey. We are incredibly grateful for it, and we will keep working to do even better. The sky is the limit.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It was that time we commissioned the production of one of our collection in a manufacturing facility in Turkey. We made a large order of goods and the day it was delivered to our office, as we opened the boxes, we realized that something was wrong. The entire collection batch was in the same size. Although the inside tags suggested otherwise, the garments had actually the same measurements across the whole category. We kept looking at each other in astonishment. It was a complete disaster. From that experience we learned to thoroughly assess the professionalism of the manufactures that work with us and never give anything for granted.

Today we laugh about it but at the time it caused us a lot of troubles being two young founders. Needless to say, we never worked with that manufacturer again.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

1886 is a brand that aims at bridging fashion to the future and that unites the tradition of urban wear to tomorrow’s innovations. In our collection there is always strong research on new technical material that are durable and versatile.

We look at incorporating technology and progressive design to offer a product that is contemporary and inspired. This alone makes us stand out as there is nothing as such in the Middle East.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

When you are a founder of your own company it is quite common to work long hours; this is something that we have done many times because we are passionate about what we do, but when you’re chronically overworked, you can start to lose focus.

The best tip we would give to the readers is to take short break far from the work routine and fully recharge your battery. A week in a relaxing location or even a weekend staycation would do magic for your inner balance and it will improve your productivity once you are back. It is incredible how many great ideas come up when you step away from the routine for a day or two.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

1886 is about community so there are many persons we are grateful for. First and foremost, our friends and customers who have always supported us and believed in our vision. They are the ones who have been encouraging us at every step of this journey, attending store opening and pop-up launches along the years. We would not be where we are if it wasn’t for such a wonderful community who share our same values. Secondly, our team. Each of them contributed greatly to the launch of 1886 through their talents and experience. Especially, we like to thank Mateb Alzaidi, Partner and brand Co-Owner. His contribution to the realization of our label is tremendous. He was there since the start and, always going the extra mile to achieve our objective. His ability to overcome challenges and adapt to our ever-changing business landscape was, and still is, a great asset.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

During the pandemic, like everyone, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia went through a long lockdown and enforced strict safety measure to control the spread of the Coronavirus and protect its population. Many co-nationals living abroad were repatriated and underwent a period of quarantine. In that occasion. as a gesture of encouragement. we donated over 4000 t-shirts to those facing temporary isolation. It was a memorable moment and a great way to connect with our community.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Always have a plan B and possibly a plan C: it is of the outmost importance to be cautious and consider that your main plan may not work. There are so many variants when planning a strategy, whether it is for a small event or an annual business plan it is crucial to have a safety plan to fall back on. Alternatives will help you approach the business world with confidence, be flexible in trying various approaches until the coveted success is achieved.
2. Follow your long-term vision: one of the most visible and essential elements of being a leader is to create an exciting, unified vision of the longer-term future for your company. This means that you must have in a structured yearly planning process that connects the long-term vision to short-term action. Looking ahead and putting our company into perspective helped us to make better and wiser decisions. Always consider the repercussion of your choices in the long run. Look far, always.
3. Always have written contracts in business: everything should be clear and signed black on white as this will prevent misunderstandings and give everyone clarity on the terms and conditions, including work to be performed and all deliverables. When we started, we were overwhelmed by the many tasks that a start-up business entails and despite our best efforts things have gone wrong sometimes or professional relationships went downhill. Having everything in writing prevent any disputes up front.
4. Identify the right people wisely: A business can’t get far without bringing in the right people onboard. It’s imperative to include your expert onboarding in phase one of your business, not only to lay the foundation, but to also divide and conquer in the most efficient way to impact the bottom line. With time we learned to recognize value and tap the right person for the job. Surrounding yourself with the right people means more than hiring someone “good” at their job. It means having someone with the right energy and outlook, one that complements the overall business vision and challenges it to be the best it can.
5. Have an accountant: this role is crucial to maintain accurate and complete record of all financial transactions of your business, while helping you budgeting and making important decisions that impact the solidity of your business. Things can quickly get messy. Think about invoices, employee’s payments, supply orders, corporate trips, company’s costs etc If you don’t have a person that can track income and expenditures there is a high chance you won’t be able to control the company performance and, ultimately, lose money.

Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?

We are fortunate because before being partners in business we are friends which means that in times of difficulty we can stand up for each other. It’s easy sometimes to get frustrated when things don’t go the way we expected, but when you have someone next to you who understands your state of mind and knows how to encourage you it makes everything much easier and bearable.

In general, you need to be able to keep your eyes on the goal and not be discouraged by small mishaps along the way. Often, we focus too much on the negative aspects of the business and we are critical to ourselves, but it is a good practice to remember our own successes and remember that we have overcome many obstacles to be able to be where we are at now.

You are both people of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The flying monkey club, the graphic reproduced on our sweatshirts and T-shirts encapsulates the idea of today’s youth movement whose purpose is to unite people by overcoming differences and allowing everyone to express themselves without fear of judgment, without following a mere canon in complete freedom.

Our brand itself does not follow precise rules or preconstructed aesthetic canons, if you see our advertising campaigns you will notice that we always tend to choose models of very different nationalities and beauties. We would like to create a broader movement that can break all prejudices and allow everyone to express themselves with respect for others and without fear of having to fall into a certain category

How can our readers further follow your work online?

@my_1886 on Instagram

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!