Promising to “spice up the shoe” world, the new footwear brand, LookMyBabouch, fuses urban, occidental culture with oriental tradition. We sat down with Founder, Nacim Ben Moussa, to discuss how he is reinterpreting the ancient Bedouin shoe and taking it from the desert to the streets of Tunis to Tokyo.
Tell us your story. How did this all begin?
The idea to reimagine the babouch was born out of the Tunisian Jasmine revolution. Fueled by the dynamic energy surrounding this event, I started thinking about concept designs based on Tunisian traditions, but mixed with elements of urban streetwear and sneaker culture. I soon came up with the idea of LookMyBabouch and after creating a team of friends from various backgrounds we started working on turning this project into reality.
LookMyBabouch fuses the concept of traditional leather slippers from the Maghreb region and urban fashion sneakers. The classic pointed toe shape of the babouch is retained and fused with features of classic canvas sneakers, reimagining them as street style slip-ons to be worn anywhere. Playing with classic Arabic themes, juxtaposed with their level of familiarity in the West, we draw inspiration from this cultural melting pot.
How should we wear the babouch? How would you style it?
LookMyBabouch’s Babouch should be worn as you feel like. The idea behind fusing this North African icon with one of urban streetwear was to create a shoe that would feel at home on the busy alleyways of the Medina, just as well as on New York’s concrete sidewalks, and the cobblestone pathways of Paris. It can be worn casually, to the beach or a barbecue, getting groceries, or on your everyday commute, just as well as be dressed up when you go out at night. The Babouch’s strong visual character means it can even work with a suit—preferably without socks, though.
What is your online strategy?
We focus on three main points: our website, fashion blogs and social networks, mainly Facebook. We don’t really want to be “everywhere and nowhere”, though—it’s easy to get lost on the Internet. We want to focus on things that we know, do those well, and make sure that everything matches our identity.
How do you think social media will help you build your brand?
For different reasons. It’s so easy to pass on a link and anybody anywhere with Internet can simply see our latest models. I would say that websites such as Facebook are always helping small brands like us be known. Before you needed a big marketing budget or hope to be in newspapers, or you had to be huge to be on TV; social media changed this significantly.
And it is also connected to the history of LookMyBabouch, to it’s earliest inspiration. The Spring revolution in Tunisia and following revolutions around North Africa and other Arabic countries have been helped a lot by social media.
Describe your ideal customer.
I think that the Babouch can be universal. That being said, we see educated and open-minded young women and men that care about the identity of a brand and are interested in fashion. They are definitely not afraid to try something new and don’t mind making a statement with their outfit.
