Mahmoud Sidani, aka “Mr. Moudz”, began his career in contemporary and luxury retail as a buyer at one of Dubai’s renowned luxury stores where his exposure to the international fashion industry led him to become one of the region’s most prominent male social influencers/ bloggers. His unique laid-back style and ability to take streetwear and turn it high fashion earned him a big following. During his men’s fashion week visit to Pitti Uomo, Mr.Moudz had breakfast at LuisaViaRoma’s Floret bar and talked fashion, his life in the industry and sharing a positive message.
Who are your favorite international designers right now?
Right now, Gucci for sure is huge for me. I’m also a big fan of Fear of God and Off White.
So what do you think of Virgil Abloh?
He is a humble genius. I’m friends with Lindsay Lohan and I got to attend a party with him. In terms of design, he’s pushing the envelope. The collection he did for Diana is super. Even what he did for Nike, something as simple as writing a quote on a shoe, is on point.
What were some of your favorite shows this men’s fashion week?
In terms of presentation, Etro and Santoni but Dolce & Gabbana and Fendi were my favorite shows.
What motivates you the most?
The people following me the thing that really keeps me going. Kids look to me for advice, inspiration, and guidance. I want to create change, something that changes someone’s life – that’s a driving force for me. For example with fashion, I want to inspire people to wear things in a new way. I got stopped today because it is not too common to see a guy wearing a double-breasted suit with a fanny pack. I want to think outside the box and push the limits to show people that its cool to be different and its okay to stand out…
How did your start your career as a blogger/influencer?
I started blogging 3 years ago, when I was a buyer at a high-end retailer in Dubai. Being a buyer, I got to travel and meet a lot of interesting people in the industry. I started posting photos of what I was doing, and people started to notice, they were like who’s this guy who is posing with designers?
I got to know a lot of big names in footwear design and became friends with Edgardo and Riccardo. We started summering together, then I also met Brian Atwood, Paul Andrew, Gianvito Rossi… They gave me a lot of visibility and vice versa.
What is the message you are trying to convey to your audience? You post a lot of quotes on your Instagram…
To be very honest with you, when I first started growing my following, I always had this hunger for fame because I got bullied in school, and I felt that this would be my comeback thing. Once I started being more in the public eye, people wanted to know about my life. It’s not like I thought it would be, it felt like an invasion of privacy. I felt like I could never let loose. But then I thought, hey… I still want to do this, and I want to be a voice to all those kids who never fit in like me. I reconnected with my spirituality and I truly believe in being good to others. I always come back to the thought of you never know what is happening in someone else’s life.
What are you hoping to accomplish this year?
In 2018, I want to be awake and aware to what is going on around me and in the world. Now more than ever we need to be kind, to love and accept that it’s ok not to be okay. A lot of times we feel like we are not good enough, and there is something wrong with us because of this internal pain. There is a lot of pressure from social media to look perfect. I try to be as honest as possible with my followers, like not everything I post I own. We have a social responsibility to be honest.
The one common denominator we all have on earth is that we all want to be loved. Love. Be real. Be good. Do good. Give love. Be kind. Help each other. Support each other. Share your blessings.
How did you find the LuisaViaRoma store experience?
I love that LuisaViaRoma was really the first store to move towards the digital direction. The fact that there are big touch screens and you can scroll, find something and then it’s there in the store is cool. It changes people’s shopping experience. LuisaViaRoma has turned into a lifestyle brand, a community, which I think is really important. I love the selection and they push the envelope. I think I really relate to the store the most because in a way they do things differently, that is what I want to do on social media, do things differently.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Special thanks to Mr.Moudz
