‘Paraphernalia evokes a story, social commentary, which I leave for interpretation’



Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette

There are a few men who dare to have a vision far beyond the present and detached to the obvious. Saudi designer Mohammed F. Khoja, is one of them. Guaranteed exposure can turn your life around, but it’s what you make out of moments and bring to life. Such is the story of an artistic mind: “My name is Mohammed, my friends call me ‘Moe’, I’ve lived in many different places, but I have always felt a strong connection to my culture. I am really proud of my country and strongly believe in its people and its future. I’m obsessed with the consumption of art and design. Having lived in Paris for five years became a perspective changing experience for me. From attending lunches hosted by influential figures such as Azzedine Alaia to frequenting museums such as Centre Pompidou; I was privileged enough to have experienced living there. It was nonstop inspiration.”



Bridging the gap between privileged affairs, the young Saudi designer leads by example and dreams that many are afraid to follow.



Mohammed went on to create Paraphernalia, a unisex street-wear brand inspired by the concept of creating wearable art. He said each piece evokes a story, a sort of social commentary open to interpretation. Paraphernalia is a story about a young brave soul from Al-Khobar who indulged in fantasy and removed barriers surrounding fundamentalist dogma.



“I started more than a year and a half ago. I never approached it with the intention of just producing retail, I really wanted to create a unique concept and an identity. The term Paraphernalia (prounounced: Pay-ruh-fer-nay-liya) literally means accessory in Latin, which is exactly how I view my pieces; they are made to compliment the wearer. The only tip I can add to make the T-shirts work for anyone, other than adding their own sense of style, would be confidence.”



Looking at his collections, it is hard not to ask, if we have found our own Tisci. During his years in Paris, he shared some of his ideas with a friend who owned a concept store and sold to well-known celebrities such as Kanye West. “He persuaded me to design a few pieces for him which turned out to be a success. I felt very encouraged as a result, I knew right there and then that I wanted to translate more of my vision to reality; and when I moved back to Saudi Arabia, it just seemed like the right place and time to do it.”



Mohammed’s dream is to open a flagship store in a global city and to be able to create a concept that exceeds his brand.



The designer behind the contemporary brand gaining momentum within the region said he draws inspiration from a mixture of surrounding elements. “I’m really inspired by old ornate objects that tell as story and elements from our own culture, as well as contemporary art pieces by artists such as Damien Hirst. I also always try to push myself to draw inspiration from the beauty of Middle Eastern aesthetics. Ideally, I would like to take elements that people tend to overlook and re-invent them through various compositions in efforts to create something progressive and contemporary.”



Paraphernalia, allows him to connect with the concept of urban street wear and youthful experimentation. “I’m greatly inspired by masters such as Riccardo Tisci and Alexander Wang who have successfully turned street wear into high fashion. We’re witnessing much more of a bubble up effect these days where we see big fashion houses drawing more inspiration from the streets rather than the latter, which I find very refreshing. With Paraphernalia, I really want to be able to create wearable art that people can use and enjoy.”



Discussing the status quo of the fashion industry in the Middle East, Mohammed said the scene has really developed over the last decade. “I am really proud to see designers from the region crossing borders and showing their collections in Paris, Milan and New York. I strongly believe it will continue to improve. This region is often overlooked globally, which is ironic due to the fact that the Middle Eastern audience is one of the biggest consumers and early adapters of fashion. However, I also believe there is much more of a spotlight on the Middle East in recent years. Many influential figures in the industry are starting to keep an eye out on what’s happening in the region.”



Despite being creative, Mohammed felt suppressed for a very long time. “I used to often paint and in my family home you’ll find a lot of my earlier work. Style has always been ingrained in my DNA ever since I can remember. I drew a lot of inspiration from confident people who have their own signature style, as eccentric as some of them were, they were equally inspirational.”



His new season consists of cultural content with the eccentric soul of Arab youth. “I am pushing myself to draw inspiration from traditional Bedouin culture and the current mood of the modern Arab youth, in an effort to tie tradition and modernity, and to make them very contemporary and relevant to today’s audience. I also want to be able to provide a social commentary that’s applicable to both my Middle Eastern and Western clients. Expect a lot of bold metallic elements, algebraic symbols, tartan plaid, all over prints, vintage Bedouin portraits and American Football jersey numbers.”



He is currently expanding his brand to include more street wear inspired pieces such as printed bomber jackets, printed sweaters and shorts. “I am also in talks to potentially stock Paraphernalia at LuisaViaRoma in Florence, which would be a huge step in my career. I am also working with one of my close friends with whom I studied with in Paris, Lama Mansour, on a very special project that I will reveal soon.”



Producing abroad propose a list of challenges for the contemporary designer. His designs are made in a factory in Turkey that also produces for Etro and Mcqueen. “I do mainly everything myself until this day, so lots of emailing, excel sheets, and visual merchandising. It is often frustrating as you really hope to see your creations being translated exactly the way you envision them but it is never the case. My advice is to never give up or compromise your initial idea and your dream in general. The reward of seeing your work being worn compensates for everything.”



When asked about the regions development in contrast to the West, he said he felt it is still at a relatively elementary stage in comparison. “I speak on behalf of myself, when I say that I am still trying to find my identity as a designer from Saudi Arabia. I think many Saudi designers are often easily distracted by what’s happening in the West which is very natural, but I’d like to see more of our own culture being re-invented.”



This is where he distinguishes himself as a leader and not a follower. Considering emulating trends in Saudi has become secondary nature, he said: “I think it is pretty significant but it’s also very tough not to. The fashion industry more or less dictates who and what should be worn each season, which we all follow to a certain extent. But, think it is extremely important for an individual to first find his/her own signature style and to know what suits him/her best before following any current trends



And as challenging as it is, I hope that the region is able to create trends rather than emulate them in the future which I see is beginning to happen.”



He said he feels the excitement in the air, as there is much more of a hunger to create and be creative and hopes to see designers create more of their own with a personal twist. “I really believe in the Arab youth and I realize all of our challenges and opportunities. The advice I would give anyone who would like to pursue a career in the fashion industry is to really think of which area in the industry they see themselves in and what they hope to achieve from it in the next 10 years.”



His vision is to make Paraphernalia a global brand that represents the region and builds positive perception. “I want to be able to create work that excites people and merges both East and West in a highly contemporary format. I am also really focusing on stocking outside the Middle East and communicating more with the media for the next collection. But my ultimate goal is to create a concept which isn’t just limited to fashion, I’ve always been interested in everything visual, and my hope is that I can expand into making entire collections as well as designing products or even producing short films.”



His list of must-haves:



Some of my must haves would include a plaid tartan shirt with maximum two colors (from any brand, but if you want to make an investment then go for Saint Laurent), a traditional black thobe and I recently tailored a black shumagh which I feel is an edgier yet subtle reinvention, slim black jeans or biker style jeans from Acne, high top sneakers for both men and women (some of my favorites include Gareth Pugh and Givenchy), a tailored black blazer (we are lucky enough to have an abundance of tailors who are relatively inexpensive in our region) and if you’re in a cooler climate, I would definitely invest in brand name bomber jacket or a leather perfecto. And last but not least, a Paraphernalia T-shirt!



You can find over 17 styles of T-shirts from Paraphernalia’s ‘Visionaire’ line collection at Rubaiyat stores in Jeddah, Maison Bo-M in Riyadh, Al Riwaq Art Gallery in Bahrain, Sauce Stores in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Walk-in Closet in Kuwait, mooda.com online store and www.para-phernalia.com that ships internationally.



www.para-phernalia.com

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