The studio will also serve as a “more affordable entry point,” Mohammed says. Tees that commemorate Juneteenth, the annual celebration marking the end of slavery in the US, will release soon at $195.
If Khiry Studio sounds remarkably broad, that’s exactly the point. Mohammed pitches it as “the forward-looking arm” of his brand, which, since launching in 2016, has been stocked by Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Farfetch. The designer is excited to see what he discovers through the projects, without the pressure of “line plans” and other white-collar performance measures. “Who knows, maybe I will decide I want to become a ceramist!”
Mohammed’s voice crescendos as he speaks about developing stickers, wax candles, music videos, and, “then, like, okay, now the album’s coming!” These are not pie-in-the-sky dreams and aspirations, he assures me. “They’re all things we’re working on right now,” he promises, unflinching.
Diversification makes sense. Fashion designers employing a fluid, multidisciplinary approach to creativity is increasingly common. Building vibrant communities and worlds for shoppers is more important to young designers than aggressively putting themselves at the center of the narrative. The late Virgil Abloh was known to dabble in everything from DJing to architecture to car design. American designer Tom Ford has written and directed the acclaimed films A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals. Casey Cadwallader, creative director of Mugler, recently co-directed a Megan Thee Stallion video. Mohammed wants a similar degree of freedom. As the Phillips Exter and UPenn alum explains it, “I’ve been surprised by how often people are like, ‘No, this is your thing. Why don’t you stick to that?’ The studio is the antithesis to that. I have an idea for a painting—let’s try it!”
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