Overall Score
Rating Overview
Rating Summary
A brand with a voice cooing in nostalgia, however, brings a sense of belonging to the city. At C-Town Chatter, we do have a keen eye when it comes to brands that are going to bring the noise to the fashion industry in Egypt, and Metropolitan certainly tops that list!
With a background in arts, the owner, designs all clothes herself, not only to turn heads but to leave a mark and send a message! Meet Gheid Ali, the one behind the fashion brand with a hell lot of statements “Metropolitan”.
Tell us about the concept around which the business was created and how you came up with the idea!
View this post on Instagram
The beautiful @malikahelalll wearing our “M-Clay” and “Equality” tees. #inmetropolitan #metropolitan
Being an artist I have always loved self-expression through unique things so I thought of creating designs that will target serious topics through creativity while at the same time celebrating my Arabian Culture. That’s how I reached my concept of merging trendy street-wear with a hint of seriousness.
Can you tell us about the name and how you came up with it?
It was a journey! I explored many different categories of names. Eventually, I landed on Metropolitan, which means “relating to a large city”. Because it gave me a brand name that is not restricted to a specific notion yet is still relating to life in the city. All of which gives me the freedom to create designs about different topics that not only triggers my creativity but also triggers topics that our societies can relate to. Something else that also made me stick with this name is that it reflects a part of my life, my identity. Being an Iraqi from Baghdad who spent most of their life in Cairo, Egypt then went on to study in London, UK, exposed me to different cities and generated a feeling of unity within me regardless of the city so I decided to pick a name that would bring all the big cities around the world together.
What was your mission when you first started Metropolitan?
I wanted to create a brand that is attractive to all social classes, and by that, I mean that I want to become “the” go-to brand regardless of the customers’ socio-economic backgrounds. In a nutshell, I want us to be affordable and stylish; all in an attempt to reduce the social gap.
How did you plan for it at the very beginning?
View this post on Instagram
BTS shooting for “Mohamed Ali X Clay” . . . #inmetropolitan #metropolitan
I have wanted to establish my own business for a while now but never settled on what it should be. It was only during quarantine that I had the time to think it through. I decided on the identity of the brand, established a business plan, and started right away! Since then, I’ve been taking it a step at a time.
How many employees do you have?
So far, it’s an establishment of one. I receive general help from family and friends.
Does the business have its own printing machines or is the printing done in collaboration with a t-shirt printer-owners?
So far, the printing is done in collaboration with a printing company, but I have plans of purchasing my own printers as I grow.
Your designs are out of the box and extremely creative, how do you come up with these awesome ideas?
As I mentioned I am passionate about self-expression and art. Therefore, I have a preset list of topics and concepts I want to highlight throughout my designs while looking for inspiration in everyday life. Once my creativity is triggered, I make the design and keep adjusting it until it perfectly reflects what I want the t-shirts to express.
At the moment, we’re aware that the business only runs online. Is opening up a store in your future plans?
Of course! Once I have established my brand online and dropped a large enough collection, I do plan on opening a shop.
Tell us about your future plans for the business in general.
Oh my, I have so many plans! For starters, I want to expand my product lines to include more pieces of clothes other than T-shirts, beginning with hoodies for our winter collection. Also, one of my main goals is to make t-shirts with Arabic designs THE trend. Finally, I want my business to become a community that people can relate to.
What, in your opinion, is unique about your product?
I believe its the authenticity in the designs. I saw a market gap in new designs and I aimed to use my creativity to fill it.
Can you tell me about the most used t-shirt materials?
In an attempt to support local products, I use Egyptian Cotton as the main material for the clothes. So far, reflective material is what I used most for my designs as I believe it gives a certain edge.
As a business owner, what is your top advice?
My number one advice is to not be scared of failing! We can miss so many opportunities due to the fear of failure. Enjoy the journey! The “ups and downs in your journey” is what forms a brand’s identity.
How do you measure your success?
Generally, a business’s success is measured by their profit. However, what we hope for at Metropolitan is seeing people wearing our designs because they can relate to it and express themselves.
Have you ever turned down a customer?
Nope! Thankfully, we are able to maintain a good relationship with our customers. After all, they are the community I am aiming to make.
Shrouq AbouOmar
The biggest animal lover ever, who cooks for fun, and rides around the city on a longboard. She's the one to do everything full-heartedly, from writing to organizing festivals, and is definitely the right person to drag along to a concert!
