Apr 30

Apr 30 AYO: Alexandria on the Rocks

It's been a minute since we spoke about local street wear on Radical. But this Alexandrian based brand has brought the genre back to our attention.

A lot of people preach concepts and culture as being the foundation of their brand, in a social media age where true novelty is rare and cultural appropriation is a controversial topic at large at the moment, this brand managed to extract something new and unique from their own minority city and made it their own.

AYO is named after an Alexandrian expression or saying that signifies an ultimate feeling of shock, awe, or elation. The brand's slogan emphasizes that their greatest value is placed on their ability to master "fit". The promise is that whatever piece you buy will "Fit You" perfectly.

"In Alexandria you say AYO, when you see someone you've missed after a long time, a shocking accident, a beautiful girl ... we're proud of our Alexandrian heritage and wanted to highlight it as the core of our brand identity." - Taher Agameya, AYO co-founder.

Taher Agameya and co-founder Ahmed Tayeh, combined their expertise in materials and fashion design respectively, and created a brand they hope will stand out for its unprecedented quality and cut. A basics label at heart, AYO is not void of eccentricity or deviant lines that showcase the duo's appreciation for art and photography.

The Hits is a capsule collection line that AYO comes out with annually with their summer collection. It is a collection of T shirts with slogans that are simple and to the point, the images placed on the shirts are taken mainly by Taher and/or Ahmed. They are manipulated to convey a message, moment or idea that is open for interpretation but always aspirational.

We got our hands on three of the shirts, and styled them in a way that reflects both high end street style as well as good old fashioned casual skate culture. This one's called "Alexandria on the Rocks" in collaboration with AYO, and featuring friend of the mag and artist Alia Nour.

Taher emphasized that AYO is not for the fashion obsessed male or female, neither is it for the hipster or eccentric dresser, it is for the person who seeks comfort, endurance and quality in their clothing and most importantly in the case of The Hits line, for the person who doesn't take themselves too seriously.

You can shop AYO products through their Instagram or Facebook pages.