based fashion designer and retailer of international fame joined hands with young Saudi businessman Fawaz Al-Hokair to create FG4, an entirely new brand launched at Riyadh Gallery last week DUBBED a “serial brand creator”, the “King of the High Street” and “a leading fashion visionary”, Davies was awarded the Drapers Record Life Time Achievement award in 2003 and the prestigious “Designer of the Decade” award by Prima in 2004. The Financial Times, in its recent issue, has estimated that Davies has been responsible for the sale of over £54 billion worth of clothing since he created Next in 1980. Davies said he decided to take the initials of both names ‘F' from Fawaz and ‘G' from George to create a new brand name that becomes FG; the number ‘4' symbolizes target customers: men, women, children and young people. “When I was approached by Fawaz Al-Hokair with a proposal to create a new brand, I decided to include his name in the new creation,” he said in his speech. Davies headed Next from its creation in the 1980s, before moving on to start the fashion label ‘George at Asda' in the 1990s. Leaving Asda in 2000 following their acquisition by Walmart, he launched the Per Una fashion collection at Marks & Spencers. Davies' latest venture with the Al-Hokair Group seeks international attention by opening 300 branches across the world at a total investment of over $100 million. However, the first 120 chain of FG4 stores will be opened in the Middle East and Central Asian republics like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and George including 51 outlets in Jeddah, Dammam, Al-Kharj, Qassim and other Saudi cities. FG4 claims to be a new, fashion forward and experimental children's clothing brand and looks set to take the Middle East by storm. It is currently focusing on children's wear catering for ages 0-14 years. Willing market According to Davies, the Saudi fashion market is not different from other countries in the world. The fashion retail tycoon said that for the past six months he has spent time in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East and received an encouraging response from the people. “I have the greatest respect for the culture and out of all brands that I have built so far, I have found FG4 the most exciting,” he said. “The response to the brand from social networking sites has been out of this world. Launching the FG4 brand has opened many doors to a new retail experience and I have high hopes for its success.” Having known and worked alongside Fawaz Al-Hokair for over five years, Davies is delighted to be part of one of the most successful and well-known property and retail groups in the Middle East. The group currently owns 11 shopping malls in Saudi Arabia plus interests in Egypt, he said. Simon Marshall, CEO of Fashion Retail in Al-Hokair said Saudi Arabia is the first country in the world where FG4 was launched. “Within the next three-year period we will open a huge FG4 store spread over 2,000 square meters in Riyadh. There, customers will be able to find all FG4 products under one roof,” he said. However, he added that this will happen once FG4 completes establishing 51 stores for each category of targeted customers in major cities across the Kingdom. Keen fashion sense “What we have found after launching a number of design outlets here is that the average Saudi women is highly fashionable, making her sense of fashion second to none in the world,” Marshall noted. One consequence of this kind of knowledge is that Saudi women are keen to acquire designer clothes the moment they spot them on catwalks or magazines, in Paris or anywhere else in the world, he added. “My understanding of Saudi Arabia is that Saudis have access to fashion television channels and they understand fashion and know about a variety of brands. The international designer stores here cannot be found anywhere else in the world,” he said. Marshall stated that FG4 will launch designer clothing for young Saudis based on this awareness. “Once young Saudis travel out of the Middle East, they usually opt to wear Western clothes. This is one reason why the men's fashion market here is growing quite aggressively now,” he said. However, Marshall was quick to add that this does not mean that the traditional dress will be replaced anytime soon. “Saudis are very traditional and truly adhere to their cultural values. “We chose Saudi Arabia as the first destination for FG4's children wear store because Saudi families have between four and six children on average and a very high population of those under the age of 18.” Asked how much success he thought FG4 would have in the world of fashion, Marshall responded: “If you want to know what the international ranking of FG4 is, come back after three years and ask me.” Much of this confidence is based on FG4's strategy. Marshall said George will design each season's offerings each time anything new is seen on international ramps. “We will strive to have the same fashion in the Kingdom within three weeks of it appearing on the catwalk,” he said.
