Flair Magazine When it comes to swimwear, we know that the ladies get all the attention. But what about the men? Whether you can’t find fun swim trunks to wear this summer or you’re a girl who is not happy with your boyfriend’s swimwear, KAI Collections has got you covered. The recently launched Egyptian brand boasts one of the most vibrant, not to mention affordable, variety we’ve come across in the Egyptian market so far. We spoke to its young founder, Karim Safadi, 20, about his motivation to start the business and what sets KAI apart.
How did the swimwear business come about?
The idea came to me over a year and half ago after the devaluation of the Egyptian currency. Everything became so expensive especially since we depend so much on foreign imported goods. I wanted to buy a pair of swim shorts at the time for vacation and all the available swimsuits were for a couple thousand pounds. I realized that there were no local brands that produce Egyptian-made high-end swimwear. That is where I saw a gap in the market and wanted to be able to deliver a brand that provides top quality stylish swimwear, but at the same time be more affordable for Egyptians. I naturally had an ambition to start my own fashion brand, and with a long family history and personal experience and knowledge in the textile industry, I was able to innovate what I already knew and launch KAI Collections.
What does Kai Stand for?
KAI stands for and represents three main things. In Hawaiian, it means beach and ocean. It is also a short acronym for Cairo, to emphasize the roots of the brand. Lastly, it starts with the letter K, which goes with my name Karim.
What sets you apart in the market?
Our diverse collection of iconic, tailored swim shorts that can cater to a wide set of tastes. Not only that, but our quality is by far what sets us apart from other brands in the market. We feel that we’re able to provide the same, if not better, quality than the top swimwear brands at much more affordable prices without sacrificing that high standard for quality. A lot of time and dedication have been put into the development of our products, and even the tiniest of details have been focused on and perfected to set us apart from other brands.
Why do you specifically target men as customers?
I have experience in men’s fashion and design, so that’s what I feel is my strongest point. Based on that, I’m able to convey my own personal taste and fashion and target people like myself.
Who designs your swimwear and what does the design process look like?
We design all our prints from scratch. Some of the designs are designed by me personally and others are created by our in-house designers. Our designing process takes a few months from drawing sketches to transforming the sketches into digital designs to sampling and color coordination etc. It’s definitely a long and hectic process as we can end up designing up to 40 pieces and only select 15-20 of them at the end. But it’s by far one of my favorite processes within the business.
What challenges have you faced so far?
Manufacturing in Egypt is not simple at all. It’s a very long and hectic process with many speedbumps along the way. Another challenge is trying to break the Egyptian user’s mindset that Egyptian-made equals bad quality or that local products are inherently worse than foreign-made products. It obviously takes time until the users start trusting your brand name and quality, but so far, we’ve been successful.
How do you manage quality control?
We develop our fabrics from scratch in our own textile factories. Therefore, we’re able to customize the fabric according to our standards and qualifications. At the same time, we’re able to monitor every step of the way to ensure the quality of each aspect is top notch. However, we obviously still faced some issues in our first year and not everything turned out as perfect as we hoped but we learned a lot from our first experience and are very optimistic that our next coming season will be even better.
How difficult is it to find materials and manufacture in Egypt?
Definitely difficult, because our local production mostly relies on the local mass market that focuses on mass production with cheap prices for consumers. Therefore, when it comes to high-end brands, manufacturing is something that workers and factories are not accustomed to. However, I would say that in the last few years, as more and more high-end local brands emerged, there has been improvements and increased experience in designing and manufacturing very high-end clothing in Egypt.
What are your plans for the future of the brand?
In 5 years I hope to see KAI Collections as one of the top international swimwear brands in the world. We plan to start expanding into the international market and shipping all over the world very soon. We also plan on one day expanding our brand to include a women’s line and swimwear for kids, as well. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. We hope to build a well-known brand that will bring pride to our beloved country.
You can order your KAI swim shorts online at https://www.kaicollections.com/ or buy them at the following stores in Cairo and Sahel: Pop Up Shop in Downtown Mall, Hype in Zamalek, The Lemon Tree Boutique in Telal, Rituals by Lemon Tree in Ghazala, and in Pop Up Shop at Kiki’s beach bar in Hacienda White.
By Sarah Guirguis
