Yazeed Ahmad: More Than Just a Gift Shop

by Alexandra Mansilla

Yazeed Ahmad: ‘We Are Not a Gift Shop Brand. We Are a Creative Brand’

17 May 2024

Yazeed Ahmad was born and raised in a small town in Saudi Arabia. At 18, he moved to Tokyo, where his fashion brand, Unas Tokyo, was born. We are fascinated by his journey — why Yazeed chose Tokyo, how the city inspired him, how his granny influenced the leopard print seen in Unas Tokyo's collection, and the critical situation that preceded his award-winning movie. So, let's dive into Yazeed Ahmad's world, filled with captivating stories.

— Hello Yazeed! Let's start with your past. Can you tell us more about your childhood?

— Okay, so I am now living in Riyadh, but I was born and raised in Najran, a small city in the south of Saudi Arabia, part of the desert. I lived there until I was about 18, before I moved to Tokyo.

I am originally from Aseer province, an area with mountains and very interesting nature. My grandmother lived there, so we used to go to her and spend a lot of time there on every vacation we had. To give you an example of how diverse Saudi Arabia is, sometimes I couldn't understand her accent, so I used to ask my father, “What does that mean?”

My grandmother had a significant impact on me because she was a very powerful woman. I remember when I was a kid, we were watching a TV show about animals with her. She saw a leopard and said, “Oh, we used to see this attacking our sheep.” It was interesting for me because I didn’t know we had these kinds of animals in Saudi.

Since then, I have been in love with the shape and skin of the leopard. This inspired me for our last collection, where we made a leopard shirt, and for the new collection, we made another one.

— And what did your granny do?

— Before I was born, she had her own sheep. She was a shepherdess; she used to move the sheep around with my dad, my grandfather, and others.

I remember her very well; even my father was afraid of her. He had so much respect for her, and the people in our neighbourhood felt the same because she had this powerful personality. It makes sense — she went through a lot of things. Like, she saw a leopard in front of her!

Photo: Yazeed's personal archive

— And who are your parents?

— My father was in the army, and my mother was a teacher. I think I took a lot from my father because he is disciplined.

My father has an interesting story. He joined the army when he was 14. The main reason they let him in was because he could write and read Arabic. That was crucial. He had to move away from my grandmother's house because he needed to provide food and money, so he travelled to another city. He did it in a truck that was used for transporting animals. There were two sections, one for humans and one for animals, and they travelled together. He was only 14. Now, when I look at my problems, they seem trivial compared to his.

My father always pushed me to read books. He even spoke to us in the old Arabic. Because of this, my Arabic is very strong, and sometimes people even ask me how I know such words.

— And what subject did your mom teach?

— She was more like a principal. When I was a kid, I studied in her school. My mom was very strict. But I think that strictness shaped me into what I am today, and I am actually grateful.

I think my childhood, growing up with my dad and mom, was lucky. Even living in Najran was culturally enriching. It is a tribal city filled with different cultures. The way people spoke and their dress codes were really interesting to explore. And everyone had great respect for others. I didn't realise it at first; it took days to see all of this.

— Are you the only one in the family?

— I have five sisters and two brothers!

Photo: Yazeed's personal archive

— Parents usually want their children to become doctors, engineers or something like that because they want to ensure their children will earn money. How was it in your family? Did you face something similar?

— That is true. I mean, of course, their generation didn't have concepts like freelancing or making money from your talent. They weren't familiar with that.

My parents wanted me just to finish my school. After high school, I went to university, but I had to drop out after a few years because my scholarship ended and the tuition fees were too high. So, I felt that investing money in my own creativity, my designs, and my own path would be better for me.

When I dropped out, it was somewhat annoying for my parents, but they weren't upset with me. I think I was showing them that I was still progressing — the movie I won, the exhibitions I participated in, the designs, and the brand I was building. My parents weren't strict in that sense; they just wanted to see me successful and make money. Also, I think for any parent, the most important thing is to see their child taking care of themselves. My parents saw it!

— Okay. But why did you move to Tokyo? How did this city come to mind?

— Actually, there was no specific reason. My brother had moved to Tokyo when I was about 15. He told me all about the city — how nice it is, the creative scene, the skateboarding scene, the music scene, and so on. At that time, I was living in Najran, and I really didn’t like it. I just knew I wanted to move out, I didn’t know where exactly, but I wanted to leave. I think going to Tokyo seemed like the easiest way out.

I wasn’t into anime or manga (and I still am not), but I wanted to go to Tokyo after hearing my brother's stories. So, the main reason was that I just wanted to start something new, a new experience. And honestly, I was lucky to end up in Tokyo.

Photo: Yazeed's personal archive

— In one interview, you mentioned that the path of your journey was very difficult for you and many artists from your social class in this industry. Can you tell us more about that?

— Actually, that is what inspired the “Middle Class Kids” name of our second collection. I never lived in Riyadh permanently. I was visiting it from time to time and I observed the fashion industry there. It was full of people making art because they had money. They could set up a runway show and have production ready by tomorrow; money was not a problem.

But for us, when we started making clothes, it was never about the money. It was about creation, and the idea of making our designs into a business came later. I realised I wanted to tell people that I am a middle-class kid. I was not doing this to get interviews or to be famous; for us, it was about enjoying our creation.

I think the act of creating makes life better. Creation is like a chemical process. You bring different backgrounds together to give you a new perspective on life.

— Do you remember the moment when you became confident that you were doing everything right? You faced a lot of difficulties, and no one noticed the creative things you were doing. Can you recall the day, the moment, or the year when you felt that it was your time — when someone noticed you and you started gaining recognition?

— Yeah, I think that happened when we launched our first collection in 2019. You know, in Tokyo, you meet a lot of creatives. That is the problem — there are so many of them, and everyone wants to gain attention.

For instance, I remember one guy who was the stylist for Kanye West. He and his fiancée saw me wearing some of our pieces and were like, “Wow, where did you get this? Our clients might be interested in having this.” I realised then that I was initially very shy about my art, and that was a mistake. Now, I always tell younger or upcoming artists not to be shy; it is your creation, so be proud of it. Be the one in front of people saying, “This is mine. Don’t care.”

We stayed in touch to give them our clothes, but I didn’t try my best to showcase my designs, and I remember regretting it. But being noticed at this level in the fashion industry was actually reassuring to me.

Also, what made me more noticeable is that I am the only Saudi who started a clothing brand in Japan.

Photo: Yazeed's personal archive

— Unas Tokyo. What is the story behind the name?

— “Unas” is an Arabic word that means “people”. For us, it was our community in Tokyo. Tokyo is the place where my brand existed; it came about because I lived there and was inspired by the people, the streets, the clothes, the community, and the culture. Some people misunderstand me, and this is the first time I am saying this: after my previous experiences showcasing my brand on some platforms, people think we are a gift shop brand. No, we are a creative brand.

We dive into the subcultures that we experienced in Tokyo and Saudi Arabia, and that is very important. I don't design stuff for people to say they got something from a brand from Tokyo. We are not a gift shop brand; we design because we are creatives. Some people were asking me where the Saudi or Japanese identity is in my brand. They were expecting to see Arabic or Japanese letters, but that is not how I see my Saudii-Japanese identity; it is more like a concept, an experience, a new identity you rarely see.

— So, Unas Tokyo was strongly inspired by Tokyo’s streets. Can you describe the streets of this city for those who have never been there?

— I will give you a short story about why I started in fashion. As a student, I was always looking for the cheapest clothes I could find, so I used to go to the second-hand store. Back in 2014 and 2015, second-hand stores weren’t as commercialised as they are now; they were simpler and more about the clothes.

So, we went there to get clothes and met a lot of people who had similar reasons for coming there — like students and young artists who didn’t have much money for high-end brands. We met a lot of interesting people: designers, skateboarders, rappers, and so on. We kept exchanging experiences and going out a lot. And I think these creative people were the reason behind my urge to start my own clothing line. We started exactly where we met — there was a skateboarding park where we used to hang out. That was our community that inspired us to start.

— Now, let's talk about your first collection and then move to your latest collection, “Suns’ Sons.” My question is about the name because I truly believe that when you create something, you pay attention to each detail, and the name is deeply connected with the entire creative process. There is a concept behind it, right?

— Okay, that is a great question, actually. You know, as Saudis, the sun is something we see every day. It is a part of our lives, an element of our culture that simply exists. Moving to Japan, the best part of the day for us was the morning. Seeing the colourful city of Tokyo gave us the energy to go out.

We weren’t night guys; we enjoyed the sunny days. I think that even affected the brand itself; our first collection was colourful because of how we saw life in Tokyo. If you go there, you will realise how colourful the city is. That influenced our perspective on fashion. So, that was basically the main reason for the theme or the name of the collection.

Suns' Sons collection. Source: @unastokyo

— Also, in your latest collection, I noticed a sweater with a spanner print. Is it a reference to the USSR?

— Haha, no! I don’t want people to misunderstand this; we have nothing to do with political messages or anything like that. We are just artists and creatives who like creative stuff.

So, for this collection, I collaborated with a publishing studio. We met, and I told them that I was trying to focus on the phrase “middle-class kids” — I wanted it to be in a picture, a logo or whatever. They showed me this interesting research about logos they found from the 60s and 80s. One of them was this logo that had a hand with a spanner. And I was like, “Okay, that’s it, guys. That’s the thing that symbolises the middle-class kids because, you know, the spanner with the hand is a symbol of hard work and self-independence.” So, we were inspired by the logo they showed us — that is how our piece was born.

— And now you are working on a new collection, right?

— Yeah, it is for Fall/Winter 2024. It was inspired by martial arts because I do kickboxing and I love it. I am working on the research about it — the clothes, the aesthetics — and I want to turn it into everyday fashion wear, to make it usable daily. I haven’t finished my research yet, but I will definitely share the details with you later, hopefully.

— How long have you been doing kickboxing?

— A year and a half, actually. I have an orange belt now and hope to get my green belt next.

— Why did you choose this sport?

— Since I was a kid, I did karate for a bit. Also, I was really interested in watching martial arts movies, like Van Damme and Jackie Chan, probably because of my brothers and our childhood at home. We were always trying out some kicks.

So, I had this chance when I found a gym near my place. I started, and it actually changed my mindset. We do a lot of sparring, fighting each other but in a friendly way. You know, feeling this pressure, like someone trying to hurt you for two or three minutes — it makes me stronger in terms of controlling my emotions, and even my body got stronger, more flexible. It taught me a lot of principles in life. Now I am more confident and more aware, and I can manage difficult situations better.

— Okay, so you are also a filmmaker. You have a film, “A sand grain in the middle of the snow.” Can you tell me about the whole process — how you decided to do it, and is there a message that the film conveys?

— So, I will tell you what made me do this movie. I was in a certain stage of my life, and this is maybe the first time I have told someone about it. I was totally broke. I was in Tokyo and couldn’t pay my bills. I had to stay with my brother for a couple of months. Then one day, I got an email about a movie competition in Saudi, and there was a mention of money awards. I thought, “Alright, I need to try. Even if I take fifth place, they will give me around 10K.” I had zero experience. I knew nothing about filmmaking. I liked films but had never even made short videos with a camera I had.

So, I talked to my brother about what we should shoot, and I remembered the story of my closest (and also my teacher; I have learned a lot from him). He moved to a small village in Japan called Iizuna.

Basically, the story is that in Iizuna, young people are moving out to big cities like Tokyo. So, if you go to the village, you see a lot of old people. They needed help to improve the village, so they started to hire people. They still do the old-school ads on the streets in Japan, like “We are hiring,” and he saw one and thought, “Alright, I want to try this.” He moved to the village to help it grow. I talked to him, and he told me he was on a mission to clean a house where a family had lived 20 years ago and then left for good. Even when we went inside the house, I found cans that expired in 2002, you know. It was very emotional for me.

I made this film about his story, about how he moved from his life in Japan — not just from Tokyo but also Saudi — to go to this small village where the weather was very challenging and so on. I did the movie, submitted it, and after a few months, they said, “Hey, you won.”' I think the guy had to say it again because I didn't react at first. I was just like, “Okay, thank you. Nice.” I didn't know how to deal with the situation. And I won a good amount of money. I used that money to launch my first collection, to pay for my school, and, of course, to pay my bills.

I think that changed my life. It was a new beginning, blending life, photography, fashion, and film. Since that moment, I know I have this creation inside me that I need to get out.

Photo: Yazeed's personal archive

— That man moved from the city to a small village and it changed his life. You moved from a very small town to Tokyo. Do you remember that time? Moving from a small village to a big city can either help you grow or break you. How did you feel?

— It is a very interesting question. You know, as a kid I didn't have this concept of change in life and soul. I was always just happy with what I loved. Later on, I realised that was an advantage for me. My perspective on fashion, film, photography, whatever, it was pure. I wasn't influenced by, for example, the internet. I started from zero and that helped me to have this pure approach to fashion in terms of design.

I think it was definitely an advantage for me to move from a small, tribal city to a really big city like Tokyo, with limitless resources, knowledge, and experiences. It has made me what I am today.

— Have you ever felt lonely?

— Sometimes, I did feel out of place. Of course, my brother was in Tokyo, too, but he was living in his own area; he was in one part of Tokyo, and I was on the opposite side because of our universities.

Tokyo feels like my home. I lived there for seven years — I was 18 when I moved there, and I kind of grew up there. I really found myself in Tokyo. Now, I have moved to Riyadh, and it is my current home, but I still feel unsure if this is the right place for me compared to Tokyo because I miss it a lot. I am still trying to go back if the chance comes.

— Okay. What do you like the most in Tokyo?

— The resources — that is something very important. I know what I want to find, and I will find it. In Tokyo, for example, I remember there were a lot of used bookstores where you could find books about art, fashion, and other subjects. Maybe those don't exist anymore, or only a few people have access to them. I think I miss that kind of experience with resources that improved my ideas and gave me new ideas.

Photo: Yazeed's personal archive

— Can you explain how Japanese culture influences Middle Eastern culture?

— Oh, that is honestly a very difficult question to answer; it requires someone who would spend time doing research. But I will tell you one important thing I learned about Japanese culture: when they do something, they do it with 100% commitment.

For example, I remember when I was in my neighbourhood, I would wake up in the morning, and there was someone in charge of maintaining the garden near the station. Every morning, this person would redesign the area. He was responsible for trimming the trees and taking care of the place, and he wore a very cool uniform.

He had all his scissors, and he looked sharp and nice. You could see his equipment was well-made, and he took his job seriously. It wasn't because he was jobless and just given this job; no, it was because he was passionate about it.

I can give you thousands of examples, like the workers in stores —the way they engage with you and their knowledge about whatever they do is very impressive. It made me think about how everyone should respect whatever job they do, give it 100%, and be humble about it.

Take Yohji Yamamoto, for example. If you watch his interviews, he is very humble. It is normal to hear him saying, “I don't know.” A name like his admitting “I don't know” is interesting because... if he spouted any nonsense, people would believe it even if it wasn’t correct. But he keeps it real by admitting when he doesn’t know. That is a very interesting thing.

by Alexandra Mansilla

Yazeed Ahmad: ‘We Are Not a Gift Shop Brand. We Are a Creative Brand’

17 May 2024

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