Unlike their parents, Tunisian millennials and Z generations grew up following the “Dress to Impress” dress code. The post-revolution Tunisia we live in, as well as, the rising interest of Tunisian Youth in urban and underground culture has turned fashion into a powerful form of self-expression. In fact, a random white, printed tee-shirt might indicate one’s belonging to a certain community or tell you more about one’s favorite quote or music band; which makes fashion a huge part of our identity. Unfortunately, few Tunisian clothing brands are working on reflecting an accurate image of today’s unconventional fashion as perceived by both of the Tunisian Y and Z generations. Bey&Bey, is among the few local fashion brands, that is offering the Tunisian youth a platform where self-expression has no limits. Our Breakreate team has recently met Bey&Bey’s founder! Scroll down the screen to find out more about Bey&Bey’s story!
Bey&Bey: Behind the Brand
Bey&Bey is a Tunisian streetwear label, launched in 2018, in the neighborhood of Bouhsina located in the governorate of Sousse. Mohamed Ajmi, aka Midos, is the creative genius who stands behind the Bey&Bey streetwear brand. Through its thought-provoking designs, Bey&Bey aims at providing Tunisian youth with modish and seasonal capsules that feed the imagination of generations Y and Z. As we interviewed Midos, we were eager to discover the full story behind the name of the Bey&Bey label.
In fact, the word Bey has long marked the Tunisian history, as it used to designate the position of Tunisia’s governor during the Ottoman period. However much this highlights the brand’s Tunisian identity, Midos seemed to have more than one reason behind including the word Bey within his streetwear brand’s name. As we wanted to find out more about what links Bey&Bey’s vision to the word Bey, Midos took us on a journey through time. His storytelling skills let us picture a Bey entering his court, stealing the show as he was, as stated by Midos, the ‘hypest’ one in the room. According to Midos, Bey&Bey designs’ main purpose is to make its community feel as admired and as respected as a Bey.
Style and Decode: When Fashion Becomes an Experience
Since its release, Bey&Bey has stood out from the rest of the Tunisian streetwear brands through its provocative designs. Wearing a Bey&Bey item turns fashion into an experience; it empowers you, challenges your friends’ minds while making your mom question her understanding of your generation’s trends and culture. Moreover, a Bey&Bey design offers you a multi-stage experience: At first glance, the eye-catching, psychedelic colors of Bey&Bey’s prints will instantly lead you to give a second look at them. You will then start decoding their different components. During this second stage, you will feel confused and you’ll automatically go check Bey&Bey’s website and social media to find out more about the meaning behind your favorite design. Hoping to find an answer on the brand’s Instagram captions, you will be astonished by their appealing teasers and photoshoots. Yet, you will find no explanation regarding the design that has just sparked your curiosity; all that you will get is your favorite item’s enigmatic name.
Changing the Game
Innovation
Looking at the bigger picture, innovation seems to be at the core of Bey&Bey streetwear label; starting from the design process to the production and promotion ones. Moreover, Bey&Bey chooses unique ways and channels to reach its targets. In fact, collections are seasonal, are usually released as a limited edition and are only available for sale on the brand’s online store:
www.beyandbey.com
Inspirations
During our interview, Midos has revealed the international brands that highly inspire his; describing them as “brands that take risks”: ASSC, STÜSSY, and SUPREME are among the list. Midos has also highlighted that Tokyo was actually his main muse when starting Bey&Bey. On his first trip to Japan, Midos was hugely impressed by the city’s flashing lights and its different culture. Therefore, Bey&Bey’s designs have always been marked by the places he has been to, such as Kamata and Akihabara. In addition, Hiragana characters, which represent the Japanese alphabet, are usually noticed on Bey&Bey’s items.
Notoriety
Despite being a newly-launched streetwear label, Bey&Bey has quickly gained notoriety among the Hip-Hop and gaming communities as well as social media influencers. Midos expressed his gratitude as many people have been encouraging him; stating that A.L.A, KASO and, 2TWO were the first rappers to wear Bey&Bey’s tee shirts on their music videos.
Collaborations
As we discussed Bey&Bey’s future projects, Midos revealed that he is currently collaborating with the local brand, Fichier Caché, which is an experimental atelier based in Tunis. The spread of the Coronavirus throughout the world has sparked the idea for a limited edition of a made-in-Tunisia face mask. The exclusive collection has just been unveiled; four different products with only 50 pieces available for sale. Get yours HERE.
According to Midos, Teletext is one other local brand that is shaping the Tunisian street fashion scene. Bey&Bey’s founder also seemed very interested in working alongside luxurious brands. Such collaborations, where streetwear fashion meets the luxurious one, are very common internationally; Midos named few of them: Versace x Kith and Louis Vuitton 1854 x Supreme 1994.
Bey&Bey’s Tips on How to Start your Own Streetwear Label
The last minutes of our interview were dedicated to those who want to launch their own streetwear brand. Midos highlighted how important it is to define one’s personality and build one’s identity before starting designing a brand, which greatly helps in gaining loyal followers. Midos also recommends starting a brand for other reasons than just making money, while emphasizing the importance of consistency and perseverance as key factors that will determine any brand’s success. In fact, what determines Bey&Bey’s success is not the amount of money invested in developing the brand; as the brand’s initial investment was only around 2000 DT. According to Midos, the initial unconditional support is way more important, such as the one he received from his older brother.
Make sure to stay updated about Bey&Bey’s next summer collection by following the streetwear label on INSTAGRAM.
Get your Bey&Bey outfit, HERE.