Oil Barrel, a reference to the oil production of Saudi Arabia, is a concept created by two up and coming Saudi entrepreneurs based in Jeddah and operating in London, UK. The two cousins Mohammed Awlia and Omar Naseef, both 21 years old, have put their creative minds together and created a clothing line based on the Kingdom’s natural resources. They found inspiration in the dark substance extracted from Saudi soil, combined with the wealth and luxury it generates.
Naseef is a student at SOAS, University of London, majoring in International Management and minoring in economics with a focus on the MENA region. His cousin and business partner Awlia is a junior at King’s College London, majoring in International Politics with a focus on political economy.
Both young men are majoring in fields far from the fashion design world yet were able to pull off a line of clothing suited for a stylish target group.
Where did you get the idea to create the brand Oil Barrel?
Mohammed Awlia: “The name was definitely the stepping stone that created the framework for our brand. We brainstormed, explored the oil industry and thought about how to start up a clothing line with Gulf roots that would also be recognized internationally.”
It seems that you and your cousin have had a knack for entrepreneurial work for quite some time now.
MA: “Ever since we were young there was always a sense of entrepreneurship; whether it was taking part in small business projects, social entrepreneurship back in Jeddah or reading about successful stories, for example, Richard Branson (founder and chairman of Virgin Group) and Mark Cuban (American businessman). We feel the idea behind a great project always exists, but the really tough part is to actually take action and translate it into reality.”
Why exactly did you choose Oil Barrel as your brand name?
MA: “We were thinking of a symbol that had connotations of identity and at the same time we looked for a brand name that would sound interesting. Not to say that oil is the only way to represent us, but the industry plays an important role and has colored our upbringing and our way of viewing of the world. The name was inspired academically. I was specializing in the politics of energy and was exposed to a realm of intellectual theories, the economics behind the industry and the conflicts that arise from it. Omar was also researching Rentierism (deriving a large part of a government’s revenues from one source, such as oil) and its impact on structures, stability and diversification. Oil Barrel has an edgy texture with an industrial feel while maintaining the idea of the black gold form of luxury.”
What is the correlation between Saudi oil production and your concept?
Omar Naseef: “The oil industry is international; it is the largest industry in the world. It generates an abundance of wealth, a certain life style but also it drives social and political instability. We tapped into this project with a creative outlook and high ambitions. It plays a pivotal role in forming the identity of many of the citizens of oil producing countries. Each country – whether it be Saudi, Russia or Nigeria – has a story.”
How does it feel to have a clothing line at such a young age? Did you both have mentors or someone you looked up to?
ON: “We personally believe there is no specific age for business. Starting up young makes it possible to take risks and learn. It started as hobby at first and quickly grew into a project. It is definitely a learning experience and a long process of trial and error. We are positioning our product against that of competitors, and we are promoting the brand. We had many mentors who think innovatively, are risk-takers and visionaries.”
Family support is plays a major role in our lives, what hardships have you faced and how were your families involved?
MA: “We’re extremely thankful to our family and friends who have supported the project ever since it was a mere idea. We definitely faced exciting stages and slow processes but we got through them with, first and foremost, the blessing of God, moral support and by keeping our goal in mind. Our launch event turnout in London was extremely interesting as our guest list included people from all over the world: Saudi, Kuwait, Emirates, Spain, Italy, France, Morocco, Armenia, France, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon, Thailand and Nigeria.”
Omar, you were able to meet David Cameron, Prime Minister for the UK. How did that happen?
ON: “We met the Prime Minister at Downing Street 10 and we were able to offer him our first T-shirt and a little oil barrel stress ball. It was a spur of the moment decision as well as a great coincidence. Let’s just say we were very lucky.”
You are managing the clothing line from Jeddah and London at the same time. How do you feel you’re doing?
MA: “We are always going back and forth to keep up. In today’s globalized world, our Oil Barrel team is scattered all over. One of the artwork designers is based in Bosnia and another is a local in Saudi. This makes it interesting as it does not limit creativity to a certain region, we provide the framework and we’re very pleased with the results.”
Where is the clothing line currently selling? Are you planning to expand it throughout the UK and Europe as well as the Middle East?
ON : The Oil Barrel Collection, at the moment, is only retailing in London’s historically trendiest street, King’s Road. We also have our own online store on the website that displays the collection. In terms of the Middle East, we are currently in the process of tapping into the region. It is very exciting and we will soon announce the location where the Oil Barrel Collection will sell.”
What are your future plans with the clothing line?
MA: “We have high aspirations and the current collection can be seen as a teaser. We leave the element of surprise flowing and we work meticulously to create a collection for stylish people.”
