For Middle Class Kids is a ready to wear clothing brand established in 2011 for ambitious kids relishing the journey of life by Hatane Hatane. Abbreviated as FMCK, it was created in midst of high end or genre/culture specific brands in scene to cater for middle class kids and strike a balance in the Kingdom wear scene. FMCK products encapsulate clothing, headwear and accessories, design inspiration range from stylish old school fonts/typography and graphical designs inspired by day to day life. They aim to be the ultimate brand for savoir-faire fashion fans, catering mostly to the fashion forward consumer looking for a combination of sophistication and glamour through this-season trends mixed with classy pieces. Their market consists of a wide age range, from young club-goers to established professionals to everyday fashion conscious.
There’s always an inspiring background from brand directors, as for FMCK designer Hatane recalls collecting and drawing characters in comic books to sell to his friends back in secondary school inspired by art and music he grew up to. When one thinks of influential couture brands, most people think of the likes of Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton, however his inspiration comes from sports figures, MJ23 being on the top list, Tiger Woods and Sadio Mane. Pioneer brands like Basutoland Ink dominated the scene from 2005 but also paved the way for a lot of brands that came after such as Cuts On Raps which was a represent for fresh Hip Hop heads, ethnic Miles Ahead and this regenerated For Middle Class Kids which was side-lined for the middle kids who did not belong.
Challenges in business are inevitable; he mentions that they had a misunderstanding with his partners until they parted ways. Also following trends nearly made a rookie downfall for the brand. Businesses have hiccups in their operation that lead to business failure or a jam for a while though some people survive it. Even in critical times FMCK stood out because of the originality of the brand. Besides all this challenges there are incentives in running a clothing brand as Hatane states that… “The favourite part of owning a brand is seeing someone I have never seen or met before rocking the brand, I always make it to the point to compliment them.” This proves the brand’s motto enjoying the journey.
It’s been a rollercoaster journey for FMCK for last 10 years but vision 2020 gave them a glimpse of hope even in covid-19 pandemic season. In summer 2020 they made it to the Top 30 of Local Brands and Threads Competition , they also released the trendiest Journey t-shirts and recently celebrated a decade in the game. Their merchandise is now available at a prime distributor Shipa. Credit goes to designer Jeff Hatane and FMCK fans who have been supporting and enjoying the journey with the brands.
