Soccer brought them together in 2016 when they used to play on the same D1 team, and four years later, their shared interest in fashion led them to found their brand, Joshua Mohamed. Having connected on their African origins and love for art, in December 2020, when the global pandemic was hitting hardest worldwide, they dared to launch their luxury streetwear fashion brand. Today they unveil their new Summer Release 2024, which is aimed at building on elements of their signature pieces while adding their take on trending styles. It's already available for purchase on their website!
“We pulled from core elements within the brand such as athletics, vintage aesthetics, and elegant design,” the brand's founders, Joshua Fawole and Mohamed Abdourahman, tell us when we ask them about their just-released collection, which draws inspiration from a rich blend of culture, lifestyle, sports, and streetwear. This is the latest step for the brand with which these creatives found a way to tell their stories, channel their creativity, and turn their ideas into an entity they could grow.
Joshua Mohamed was the tool with which they responded to their needs. “Our first contact with the industry was the most challenging; we had to find a manufacturer that would not only take on a new brand and meet our quality standards, but one that was willing to grow with us,” they say about the difficulties they found in one of the hardest stages of the brand when it was essential to find their place in the industry, make themselves known to their audience, and strengthen the values and identity of their project. “We choose not to overproduce, as we maintain exclusivity to our pieces.”
Not only do they promote exclusivity and sustainability, but also quality, which is one of the fundamental pillars on which the brand created by Fawole and Abdourahman is built. “Every step in our processes is meticulously held to the highest standard, from the production of the piece to when it arrives to the customer.” In these processes in which they create from their own inspiration, although they speak openly about having gained knowledge in branding and different creative processes from the likes of Virgil Abloh, Rhuigi, and Jerry Lorenzo, authenticity is always the most important. “These individuals did not have a formal education in fashion yet still achieved immense global success. We are inspired to do the same.”
“Even though Joshua grew up in the States and is originally from Nigeria, and I grew up in France, originally from Djibouti, we've found deep-rooted similarities in our upbringing that have healed the relationship we have today,” Mohamed responds when we ask them to tell us more about their diverse cultural backgrounds, the starting point of their collections, and one of the hallmarks of Joshua Mohamed, which is targeted to individuals who value expressing uniformity and diversity through their garments while challenging the status quo.
For their Summer Release 2024, which is on sale on their website starting today, they pulled from core elements within the brand. “The black and green mesh jerseys pull inspiration from vintage high school jerseys with the print and font style used on the logo, while having a cropped look. On the other hand, the denim shorts build on design elements from existing signature pieces with the subtle embroidered cursive JM logo in a monochrome colour thread, exemplifying our focus on blending modern and vintage design.”
And who are they targeting with this new collection? “As of Summer 2024, our main audience is primarily young adult men, although our pieces are unisex and we are actively increasing our offerings for women.” We also asked them what the star garment of this new launch is, and they seem to be clear about it: the Striped Short Sleeve Origins Shirt. “It’s an iteration of one of our bestselling pieces, the Origins Shirt, but this style is short-sleeved with a change in print colour and design details. It has a slight crop and a boxy fit, which we have been introducing into more of our garments to emphasise proportions when styling.”
Now that the brand is not far from its fifth anniversary, it is time to think about objectives for the next five years. Do they want to reach new markets? Or maybe they dream of working with an artist they admire? The entrepreneurial duo responds. “In five years, we want to have established a global presence in world-renowned retailers that align with our brand and will have opened a flagship store in New York City. Most importantly, we plan to expand our global impact by hosting community events and sponsoring projects that give back.
