Sheikh Majed Al Sabah Was Born Into

Sheikh Majed Al Sabah was born into royalty. He is the grandson of the 10th Amir of Kuwait as well as the nephew of the current Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah. Thanks to the fashion entrepreneurship and style of Sheikh Majed, Kuwait has become a leading fashion capital of the middle east. His journey into the fashion world began with Villa Moda and brands like Gucci, Ferragamo, and Prada, amongst others and currently 21 Carrots and TFK (The Fragrance Kitchen). The Fragrance Kitchen is a fragrance house based in Kuwait that houses a mixture of scents inspired by Sheikh Majed's memories of his beloved grandmother.

With a nickname like "Sheikh of Chic," given to him by Times Magazine, one would expect a larger than life man with a big persona. When interviewing him, I could see that was far from the truth. Sheikh Majed is the most humble and down to earth person. He is brilliant and eloquent. His words are to the point. I was surprised he took the time out to chat.

His Instagram is @MajedAlSabahKuwait and is where I came in contact with him. His instagram account is filled with inspiring and beautiful pictures presented in an innovative and artistic way. His photos usually consist of fashion accessories and a more notable one of handcuffed kit kats. When asked about the kit kat photo, he said: "Why not, I love to show the possibility of things, the matching of unexpected avenues. Who knows, creating offbeat ideas can inspire someone to create offbeat fashion, which could end up taking over the world in a frenzy of trend and popularity."

When I saw Sheikh Majed for the first time, he appeared to be a tall, slender man. His fashion is always on point with velvet suits and cream or eggshell colored attire. When I setup the email interview, he mentioned how busy he was, working with his staff to get displays right on one of his TFKs. After all, he is founder of TFK and a member of the Kuwaiti royal family, making him always busy, all the time.

When discussing TFK, he told me how difficult it was to get started. "After a year of negotiations to get approval from Selfridges as well as rejecting a less desirable location beforehand, I was finally content with where my store will be. You can understand why I wanted to get everything right. I felt like it was my duty and responsibility to win back consumers who grew bored with predictable, routine shopping experiences. Retail has become boring dull. There has been an oversupply of concepts and product ranges that have been done to death. There is hardly any excitement. I wanted to change that."

Sheikh Majed made it clear to retailers the importance of considering unique strategies that offered different perspectives rather than more of the same. He believed distancing from general audience focus and instead attracting niche markets would be more profitable. He explained: "At the moment, the market requires abstract thinking, thinking outside of the box." He also shared that the tastes of the West and the tastes of the Gulf are different. Following Western trends will not yield success when it comes to the Gulf audiences. "The Gulf has its own rules as it pertains to culture, lifestyle, and tastes. One cannot expect what may be trendy or in the moment in the West to be the same here."

An example he gave was of online shopping. In the West, he said, online shopping proved to be increasingly popular because time was a priority in the West. It is the exact opposite in the Gulf, "People in this part of the world normally have a lot of free time so shopping in person, at stores, has integrated into their lifestyle," Sheikh Majed said. "Basically, people here wish to have an experience when they shop. They want to enjoy themselves, sit down, relax. Therefore, we are obliged to cater to their wants."

Sheikh Majed admits developers and luxury retailers often clash on demands. "I always clashed with real estate developers because I felt they were not attentive to my needs as a retailer. For that reasons, Villa Moda chose to develop its own real estate developments and retail destinations. "I wanted to create a grand experience for customers and I knew the only way to do it was through a change in development."

When asked about his family he had this to say: "I am a passionate man. I believe in forming a close bond to family. I also believe in respecting traditions." When asked how he came up with the concept of TFK he stated: "Wealthy Middle Eastern families occasionally mix and create their own unique perfumes. My grandmother used to always create and mix fragrances, making beautiful scents." Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah also shared his background with fragrances. He worked for Estee Lauder, Tom Ford, and then created TFK. "I remember my experience with Tom Ford. I was honored to have created a unique fragrance for them that became a bestseller."

When asked what his favorite fragrance from his collection, he replied: "Son of a Rose" Sheikh Majed added he doesn't want his label to be categorized by just one scent. He wants every scent to appeal to the consumer. With names like Gone with the Smell, Fly me to the Rose, and Pass the Amber, it definitely has its appeal. The latest addition to his artistic journey are watches. Specifically, the collection of Mr. Abbas Yacoub Behbehani. He is the owner of what some might say the biggest collection of complex watches in Kuwait. "I think it is time to make some time, do you not agree?" he asked.