Serial brand creator George Davies spoke with excitement ahead of his new partnership with Fawaz Alhokair, who runs the Alhokair Group in the Middle East.
The Alhokair Group is one of the biggest names in the Middle East and franchise virtually every brand including M&S, Gap and Zara.
FG4 – derived from ‘Fawaz, George, For…’ - will initially offer ranges for baby, toddler, and boys and girls aged 3-9 and 10-14. In the spring George plans to launch a range for women within the brand.
George and Fawaz met by chance around five years ago when George had Per Una, and Alhokair had Per Una and M&S as franchises. Fawaz contacted George and asked if he would like to form a new partnership in the Middle East.
“Because I have been an innovator all my life, it was a fantastic challenge”, George says. “Although I had traded overseas, I haven’t done anything on this scale.”
George has spent around three months in the Middle East researching the area and speaking to women about what they want.
“My trademark is to create collections. I don’t just sell items, I make sure the whole thing works together. If you buy a skirt and it’s beautifully made with a lovely print, you want something to go with it."
“I have an amazing command for detail. For every garment I release, I am involved in the design and development.
“A great artist doesn’t become a manager, they keep painting. I see myself, without sounding arrogant, as a great painter in the retail world.”
The fashion guru says all aspects of a brand should be totally integrated so you don’t get a diminution of quality.
“It’s not only about the quality of the garment”, he says, “it’s the packaging, the fabric, the labels, how you take it to the till, how you say thank you and how you keep in touch with the customer.
“You need to please and serve the customer in every direction you can think of.”
For the full article, please see the March 2011 issue.
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