JEDDAH: Sultan bin Mohammad, a 33-year-old entrepreneur, co-founded the fashion brand Galag with Talal bin Mohammad.
Galag started off as a merchandise store and from there developed into the clothing brand that it is today.
“In 2017 we just kept on launching different collections,” Sultan said.
Sultan believes that what makes Galag stand out from other clothing lines is that it is always striving to find something new, with experimentation a core part of the brand.
“Every time we create something we try to elevate the previous pieces, we are always trying to expand the brand image by using better fabrics and better manufacturing.”
The entrepreneur loves fashion and it is the prime source of his motivation. “I keep my eyes open and look at all kinds of fashion, whether it is originating from Korea, Japan or Europe, and then figure out how do I put my own twist on it. When the product comes together, the satisfaction of looking at this new product is what keeps me going.”
The business venture has not been without its challenges, Sultan said.
“The first challenge is getting eyes on the brand when so many people are starting brands and many are doing a good job with it as well. The challenge is to put your brand through and see if it connects with people.”
Another challenge that the entrepreneur has experienced is the financial side of the business. He said that people investing in a startup needed to be OK with it not returning profits for a few years. “A lot of the clothing brands in the first couple of years don’t continue because they aren’t seeing the return.”
The brand was not originally sold in Saudi, but the co-founders wanted to release it in the Kingdom as a pop-up. “Our designs weren’t necessarily similar to what a Saudi brand is, it was different, and we had to explain to them that we are a Saudi brand. To my surprise, people were amused by the details and they understood the style and what we were trying to portray.”
People buying their products was all the motivation the brand needed to start selling in Saudi Arabia, he said, and now there are plans for further expansion.
The future will be built on attention to detail and creativity, Sultan said, with each piece designed with precision.
“I want to create such products that the customers will have a product for each day, my aim is to create clothes that look good on their own but also add personality when incorporated in an outfit.”
