A little over two years ago, Ross Mackay, 23, had an idea to start a luxury streetwear brand in Dubai. But ideas, as they say, can often end up as just a multiplier of execution. The model-turned-entrepreneur from Scotland wasn’t going to let that happen.
So he quit his full-time job eight months ago, posted a job for a logo designer, and after finding a match, launched Kings Ambition, a lifestyle brand inspired by street culture, art and music.
After months of hard work, Mackay and his design partner Farouq Samnani are ready to show the world what they’ve been cooking up. Following teasers on social media platforms, pre-orders for Kings Ambition’s debut collection, featuring T-shirts, sweat pants, sweaters, jackets and accessories, will open on February 5 and the items will be fully available online from February 15.
The Directory caught up with Mackay to talk about his journey from idea to execution and what he’s planning for Kings Ambition.
Q: Take us right back to the time you first got the idea.
A: The idea came to my mind about two and half years ago. Living in Dubai I didn’t feel there were many good shops for young guys, apart from the malls where you had high-end fashion that would bankrupt you, or cheap poor quality stores. It was amazing to me that Dubai, being such a vastly emerging hotspot for fashion, really didn’t have much of a fashion culture. Being a fashion enthusiast I was ordering my clothes online and having them shipped here constantly, therefore I decided to use my passion to solve an issue and become the first luxury streetwear brand from the Middle East and Dubai.
Unfortunately working on other things at the time, the idea never really went beyond ideas in my head. Eventually I decided that it was time to do something with the idea. I posted a job on a design website for logo designs, where I met my now design director Farouq Samnani. It started off slowly as we were both preoccupied with other jobs. Around eight months ago I realised that my designs were unique and I was receiving positive feedback from friends and fans of the brand. I then decided for this to work on the level I wanted, I needed to work on this full time.
Q: Has it been difficult to start it up?
A: Yes, it has been extremely challenging. The biggest issue I faced, and I believe all designers face, is sourcing production to meet the levels you want. I must have sampled everywhere and every place possible until I met the level of quality product I believed was good enough. Finding high quality fabrics and other products takes quite a lot of time, and money. It can be very frustrating when samples arrive that are not at all what you expected. Fortunately a good friend put me in touch with his production team and now I have a great team working with me. (Have to give a shout out to Hussain from Amsterdam brand Daily Paper for that link).
Q: How did the name Kings Ambition come about?
A: The name came to me when I was thinking of the concept of the brand. Streetwear has to be relevant to its audience and the name Kings Ambition I believe does that. Without stating the obvious, it represents ones hustle mentality and mastery of life. A philosophy embodied in our motto L•O•A•K (Life of a King). Kings Ambition was founded on the notion that from a vast desert landscape arose a kingdom. And this kingdom was due to the “ambition” of its people.
Q: Why were you so convinced the UAE was ready for a streetwear brand?
A: I’m not 100 per cent sure they are ready yet. Many people locally in the industry have actually said we need to “soften up” the image to fit to the local demand. But that’s my issue. I want Kings Ambition to be a catalyst for change. I do, however, believe the culture is emerging. Events such as Sole DxB showcase this demand for street culture. Looking around the clubs and hangout spots, you see that fashion is changing. If you compare Dubai to Paris or New York, where street fashion is extremely prominent, you realise here it’s hardly scratching the surface. I think in two to three years I would like to be able to look back and say I had something to do with the change that occurred.
Q: Your T-shirts start at Dh240. How did you decide on the pricing?
A: Pricing is always a difficult one especially for a new brand with very little awareness in the market. First of all you need to know your customers and market and you need to know your competition. When pricing my items I always ask myself: ‘What I would pay for this?’ Then I look at what my competition is doing, and I try to provide my items for less cost but better quality.
Q: Tell us a little about your look book and campaign.
A: The look book was shot in December on a building site in Dubai. We wanted to step away from the conventional studio approach and do something more unique. Farouq shot it — he has a fantastic skill with street photography and he totally killed it in my opinion. As for the model, it’s a funny story: I was going to use a big name model from Paris, but just a few days prior to the shoot I ran into a friend of a friend from home, Billy Keddie (a.k.a Billy got Waves), and the idea of using him came to mind. He is a world class break dancer from Edinburgh in Scotland out here working on his craft, and he totally represented the whole ethos of the brand. After a few test shots it was apparent that Billy was our man.
Q: Is this going to be an online-only set up?
A: We will sell online worldwide and we will have stockists throughout many major cities, not only Dubai. One day obviously I would love to open a flagship store in Dubai and in other cities but for now we will grow organically, something I believe is very important for new brands.
Q: Will you only do menswear or are there plans to expand in the future?
A: Although it is a menswear brand, many woman are actually wearing the clothes. You see it as a common trend now that woman are wearing over-sized T-shirts and jumpers. Something we really want in our items is woman to be wearing them as well.
Q: Where would you like to take Kings Ambition?
A: Obviously I have huge plans like my own store, but to begin with, I would simply like to be received well by the public when I launch the site, build a strong customer base, and create enough revenue to do what I love doing… enough to create the next collection. In the near future, I will be showing at some trade shows in Europe and the US. Moving forward, I’d like to become known not only in Dubai and the UAE but actually making moves into big cities like London, New York, and Paris. For me these are the peak of fashion and to make a mark there would be a goal.
Go get yours
To keep up with Kings Ambition, go to kingsambition.com