Shirts with graphics and Arabic calligraphy are not new to the fashion scene, especially in the Middle East. What makes the shirts from Horooj.com unique and noteworthy is the Hijazi essence that the founder Mashhoor Baeshen has infused into each design. Each shirt is amusingly designed based on a Hijazi saying. With inspiration from his mother, his humorous designs, his distinctive style, and encouragement from his wife, this proud “Jeddawi” has created a way for himself and others to actually wear this pride.

Baeshen took the time to tell Arab News about his creative venture, how it started, and the future of Horooj.com.

First, please tell us about yourself.

My name is Mashhoor Baeshen. I am 28-years-old. I was born and raised in Jeddah. Designing to me is what they call a ‘newfound’ interest; it has nothing to do neither with my academics nor with my work experience. I was actually so disinterested in art at school to the point that I delegated my art homework to my dear mother. I did my bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering at KAU. After graduation, I worked at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) in the Economic Development department. I recently earned my Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.

When did you start with Horooj? And what motivated you to start this project?

The story behind my first T-shirt started in September 2014, when I participated in an event and wanted to stand out. One of my close friends had started a calligraphy-based business in which the word is embedded into the image, which translates it. With his calligraphy and my designing, we were able to come up with a few designs. From those, we chose one T-shirt which helped us to stand out in the crowd, it did the job perfectly! After the event, I started discovering my newfound talent and playing around with a few T-shirt designs for myself to wear. Everyone who knows me well knows that I am very picky and I like to be unique. Designing my own T-shirts helped me maintain that image. It started off with the “Hajara Hojonjor” T-shirt that you can see on Horooj.com. I printed that one T-shirt and wore it. During that day, I got so many funny comments on it from both friends and strangers on the street. That encouraged me to come up with seven more designs, along with a few designs for the Saudi Association of Toronto, where I used to work. Then, my wife suggested that I start sharing my talent with the public and establish an online store. With her support and the encouragement of friends, I decided to launch the Instagram account @Horooj and the website in December 2014. During these three months, I learned the differences in printing techniques and the uses of each one. From that knowledge, I kept altering the quality of printing until it reached the quality that satisfied the customers.

How do you choose the Hijazi sayings you use? What is your process in making a shirt?

I have a very strong Hijazi accent and I use a lot of quotes and sayings in my daily life. I believe I got this from my mom. The T-shirt is a small canvas. In order not to make it look busy, I try to find short and funny sayings, which can be translated into funny cartoons. Honestly, this is a big challenge for me as I am very bad at drawing. Yet, I am pretty good at computer skills. So, instead of drawing pictures, I edit them. I search for images online to get ideas, then buy the pictures, edit them and combine them. I then add the phrase to the images to complete the design.

Tell us a little about your customers. Who buys more, men or women?

So far, most of my orders are from men. All of them were students. However, I expect to get more orders from ladies when I start shipping to Saudi Arabia.

What has been people’s reaction to Horooj?

They always laugh when they get the joke; it’s a good thing! Humor, after all, is the selling point of Horooj!

Do you plan to have worldwide shipping? When will shipping to Saudi be available?

Shipping in Saudi Arabia is a big challenge for all e-commerce businesses. I explored several options and I’m currently negotiating with a worldwide courier service to handle the shipping for both Saudi Arabia and worldwide.

Are there any future plans you can share with us?

Regarding Horooj, I’m currently focusing on Hijazi and modern sayings. However, I do want to cater to more cultures in the future. Other than Horooj, I am also interested in e-commerce businesses in general. I have seen a few services here in Canada that can be replicated it in Saudi Arabia successfully that would increase accessibility and make life easier.

Horooj.com shirts will be available in the Kingdom soon. However, if you’re in Canada or the United States, don’t miss out on adding some of these brilliant and unique designs to your wardrobe or even just to show off some Hijazi humor.

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