Cheb Moha, 23, is the creative behind Shebab
Shebab means “youth” in Arabic. It’s also the name of a new, conceptual streetwear brand made in the UAE. Stealth launched with a trickle of strategic clothing drops by 23-year-old artist Cheb Moha, the brand aims to shake up the burgeoning streetwear scene in Dubai come 2016.
“I was born in Baghdad, spent my childhood years in Libya, and then moved to Canada. Now I’m here in Dubai,” Moha said. Inspired by Moha’s East meets West upbringing, Shebab offers a brainy, nomadic worldview that references global urban street culture, ranging from the bodegas of Bangalore to the b-boys of Brooklyn. Think sarongs with oversized hoodies and kuma and massar combos worn with graphic tees.
“In certain neighborhoods in Dubai you’ll see people wearing a cloth around their waste, and that’s streetwear here. In the west, that’d be considered a conceptual piece. Moha told us.
Streetwear should be practical to your environment, not just jeans and sneakers. I try to put elements of both worlds—the East and the West.
Every Shebab item is produced in strictly limited quantities of 50 or 100, and once it’s sold-out, it is gone forever. An e-commerce site is soon-to-come, but in the meantime, look for Moha on his Instagram—it’s easily one of the best in the Gulf: @chebmoha
By Christopher Joshua Benton
