Today, after more than two decades of pushing forward its agenda, its contagious effects has transcended everything related to it, either directly or indirectly, from the movers & shakers of the music industry, marketing & advertising campaigns and multicultural relations to jewellery, fine automobiles and yes, even fashion on a global scale.

With Hip Hop going global with its infectious appeal, its influence on fashion can literally be seen everywhere from Los Angeles to Paris, Doha and even to Tokyo!

In France, the movement is a strong one. To further it are several Francophone designers and fashion houses doing their part to guarantee that French Hip Hop - urban wear has its proper voice. Among them is B. Young, the truly chic, ghetto-fabulous brand by Douma for all races and ages.

FW caught up to Douma and his communications director, Mansour, on a hot spring afternoon for a chat. And boy, was it ever an interesting one!

FW: Where do you find inspiration for your brand?

DOUMA: I see inspiration in all that I see and in everything that I hear. You go to the clubs and if you ‘listen’ carefully, you’ll see that women and men have a way of telling you exactly what they want. You just have to be attentive and listen because they will let you know.

Every continent has its specifications. In a multi-cultural society, they mix and become a source of inspiration for B. Young. We use this to inspire others.

FW: It’s amazing how urban wear has blossomed in France, and particularly when you think about it not having a long history…

MANSOUR: Four years ago, we created a demand in France that did not exist. We have created partners that can help us meet these demands. The promotion goes through different levels. Self-promotion of the individual through all levels of society.

FW: Let’s talk about your first sales points...

DOUMA: We knew that we needed sales points in order to get our product out to people and to make money. We all need money in order to continue. That’s logic.

MANSOUR: I made a deal with a boutique. I left 10 of our garments in a boutique. I asked the manager, ‘Do this interests you? We are not asking you for anything, no money, nothing…’ So they accepted our deal. And they called us less than one hour later asking for more because they had already sold the samples that we left! The boutique owner comes to us to buy now. We had so many calls that we had to unhook the phones.

FW: How did this affect your moral and business?

DOUMA: All the large makers came towards us, and we refused to work with them.

FW: Really?

MANSOUR: Obviously, we made some errors along the way. But we also learned more from them.

FW: And what of B. Young’s current reality?

DOUMAS: B. Young is made in Asia. Today, we are distributed in France. In two years, we’ll be in most of the major European markets and in Asia…

MANSOUR: The product is conceived for cosmopolitan markets. That allows us to inspire ourselves from their ethnic diversity and to progress and move forward.

We are trying to take advantage of the diverse savoir-faire resources of the individuals working with us and to channel them into teamwork. This is atypical because everyone over different age ranges and cultures can identity with the product.

FW: Why the name, ‘B. Young’?

MANSOUR: B. Young is for all races, all ages, etc. It is a mixture of cultures. That is the sign of the times. Everyone is in search of the eternal youth factor. That factor makes for a feeling of liberty, youth and good health. We liken our product to the MTV culture. It liberates spirits. And what’s B. Young is all about.

FW: And your marketing?

MANSOUR: Our ads are urban and aggressive. That allows us to created for the people. For example, it shocked a lot of people that we were making faux bullet proof vests. Our thing is to create and let others decide for themselves.

DOUMAS: We try to take people by surprise when they least expect it.

FW: What can we expect from the next collection?

DOUMAS: Fall/Winter is more glamour inspired. It features fabrics and materials that people are not really used to seeing.

FW: What motivates you?

From the moment a person wears our clothes and feels proud in them, that motivates them. That in turn motivates us to create for the new generations in France. We are overworked but the work itself makes us happy.

CONTACT:
Vincent Varache
Studio 3čme Droite
16, rue du Faubourg St. Denis
75010 Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 47 70 10 23
Fax: +33 1 47 70 10 73
Email:
vincent@s3d-paris.com
studio3emedroite@noos.fr

B. Young

B. Young

B. Young

B. Young