Forward Magazine @ UCLA

Los Angeles, March 2024

Written by Claire Saul

MISFIT TO MSFTSREP

(Hamzah Sawari & FWD Interview)

Rejected from UCLA’s swiftly leading fashion club in 2019, Hamzah Sawari, found himself a misfit from the collegiate fashion scene. Stunted with perplexity, Hamzah was left to question, “Does this mean that fashion is not for me? Does this mean that I can't be in the fashion industry?” Nonetheless, fated by chance or destined by the stars, the 2021 UCLA alumni now succeeds as a valuable figure working closely with Jaden Smith for MSFTSrep.

Los Angeles, March 2024

Written by Claire Saul

(Hamzah Sawari & FWD Interview)

Los Angeles, March 2024

Written by Claire Saul

MISFIT TO MSFTSREP

(Hamzah Sawari & FWD Interview)

C: How did it feel getting rejected?

H: I thought I knew something about fashion or that I had an interest in fashion. Does this [rejection] invalidate that? Why did I not get accepted into this organization? I was thinking about that. Then I realized, I can't let any single club or organization dictate what my future is going to be. I think that stayed true throughout my college experience. I was very lucky to have opportunities open up for me at MSFTS that actually had nothing to do with the clubs that I was involved in, but just more so, me as an individual. And I think that's what I learned, so long as you're growing and working on yourself as an individual. Sure, these clubs might help you and propel you forward. But that's not a requirement to get into something. And I mean, that trickles even getting into UCLA, people will have this expectation that, oh, I'm gonna get a good job because I got into UCLA. But I very, very quickly learned that that's not true.

C: Yes, the world is filled with abundance. I'm glad those opportunities found you. So, I'm curious, what were the steps towards MSFTSrep coming into your life?

H: It'll just be difficult to put into words. I found out about MSFTSrep when I was 12. So very, very early on. How I got to my current place at MSFTSrep was just completely by chance. I was actually on a photo shoot for an Italian men's fashion show. Funnily enough, this was happening very close to the UCLA campus.

The assistant of the founder and creative director was like, “Wait, you go to UCLA? What are you studying?” And I was like “Yeah, I'm doing linguistics and computer science.” And he was like, “How are you here, with us, going to UCLA and having these skills, but not telling us about your skills? Why are we not using the skills that you have?” And I think that made me realize that sometimes you just have to advocate for yourself. Let people know, I am capable of doing this. I was so lucky that he took a second to just ask me a little bit more about myself. That completely shifted everything for me. He then scheduled a meeting with Jaden, like, right away, and allowed me to present some more additional background about myself.

C: I love how you emphasize advocating for yourself because I feel like that's also a common issue among UCLA students– feeling like you’re not good enough.

H: No one ever starts as an expert in something. There are always things to learn more about. And if you have that mindset of “Hey, I want to learn more.” You're gonna be so valuable, because the world is always changing. New technologies are always emerging. And if you're always like, oh, I want to learn about that, then you're just always gonna stay valuable.

C: So with our newfound technology and expansion of AI, how do you think that will impact the fashion industry?

H: I think in the fashion industry, there are so many different ways to take advantage of AI. It will allow people to moodboard a lot easier. With generative AI, different iterations keep forming until I find something close to what I like. There's just so much possibility. At the end of the day, you still need to be the one who puts in the prompt, right? So AI is not gonna fix everything for you. But you can use it as a way to push yourself forward. You have to be receptive to change, and you have to have a positive outlook on it. Even if you don't understand it, even if it's scary, that can make or break you. Being change-adverse can end up being one’s downfall.

C: MSFTSRep is all about emphasizing the uniqueness of individuality, while also emphasizing the necessity of a supportive community. This community seems to be going nationwide with bases in New York and LA, and even global as there are MSFTReps up in London. And so I'm curious, what are you guys able to achieve collectively that is difficult to achieve individually?

H: We take a lot of pride in identity. It's a big part of who we are. We understand that we're built on that community. And the importance of that community is you get to gain new perspectives. I only know what it's like to be me and have my experiences but through conversation with other people, you can have the ability to see life from their perspective. And you can understand the struggles that certain people are going through. It's kind of like solving a puzzle. Puzzles are just different bits of a bigger picture. And you have to be fully aware that you are just one part of the bigger puzzle, and you have to accept that. There are other people a part of the puzzle, and you guys need to come together to create a bigger picture, and you guys need to share knowledge. And I think that's the biggest thing– sharing knowledge, perspectives, and information. And you can never do that individually. Because if you just stay alone, you can't learn new things that way.

C: Did you grow up in a fashion-oriented upbringing or did your interest come innately?

H: I didn’t come up with a fashion-oriented upbringing. I just always wore what I thought was cool.

C: What value does fashion hold to you?

H: I think that's a question that the answer changes a lot. I'm fully aware that fashion is a material thing. It's like an expression of oneself. It allows people to wear clothes that they think are cool, but at the end of the day, it is a privilege to be able to have the option to wear different types of clothes or to even buy an abundance of different clothing in our closets, when there are many people in the world, where fashion is the last thing on their mind. They have much bigger problems like their safety… they don't know what they're going to eat for that day. I don't think, you know, hey, does the shirt look good on me is at the forefront of their mind. So, I try and be cautious of putting fashion in a high place of value. Because I don't want that superficial material aspect of it to have weight in my heart. I understand that I have the privilege to work with clothes and to be in a space where we're making clothes and trying new things with clothes. But I think it's really important to understand how we can use this as a vessel to be thankful for what we have, and give back to those who don't have so much. But I guess to answer that, I value fashion but I can very much live a life where it means nothing to me.

C: Would you say it's easy to get stuck in the superficial aspects of fashion?

H: 1,000% I think you can very easily see people who have a disconnect with reality when it comes to fashion. There are things that are priced at a ridiculous amount of dollars, and people are still willing to buy. Especially with social media, it's so much more amplified when you see that, so constantly. It becomes normalized to spend so much money and, and to want these material goods, and to get sucked in by that. I can only speak for myself, but it's really important to understand that these are not necessities, these are just things that we want. I’m always trying to not let that take hold of me.

C: As you try not to place a high value on fashion, what is your purpose in fashion?

H: Purpose is what keeps you going. I have a purpose, but I'm also not trying to let fashion be everything in my entire world. Big picture, even beyond fashion, my larger passion is positively impacting people to educate and make someone's life easier. I don't think there's ever been a day that I went into the MSFTSrep headquarters where I didn't learn something new. And I'm so glad that I have that experience that makes me passionate about wanting to be in that space. As that happens for me, I wish that this can happen to other people too. And I'm very thankful for our community and our family that we've created eternally, and creating a space that promotes growth, and becoming a better person through knowledge. Because the more you learn, become knowledgeable, how to be a better person, and learn how to navigate life– that is reflected in your character. And I'm so happy that I'm surrounded by people at MSFTSrep that allowed me to do that.

C: What has MSFTSrep done to serve the LA community?

H: As a whole, we have our efforts with our sister and partner brands for events and things in Skid Row. [Such as] whether it's making sure that they have food, personal care items, or getting clothes. And I remember the most amazing memory that I have is when I was a member of a club here at UCLA called the Food Drive Initiative, we went to a Skid Row feeding event, and I saw someone wearing a MSFTSrep shirt in Skid Row. And that was so amazing to me because not many brands are willing to give their clothes to people who aren't paying.

So many brands are caught up in brand image or the target audience. And don't want [certain] people to be seen in their clothes. But it's so amazing that MSFTSrep, as a collective, has understood that clothes are for everyone. It's a necessity. People need it to stay warm and to stay covered. We've also given to homeless shelters, to foster youth programs, and we have a lot of partnerships to make sure that the clothes that are leftover from a past collection are being used for good… Going back to what I said earlier, we understand that it is a privilege to be able to use fashion as a way of self-expression. But there are people here in LA that don't have that [luxury].

C: How has MSFTSrep pushed fashion forward?

H: It's so hard for me to imagine fashion without MSFTSrep because MSFTSrep is that thing for me. I would say, MSFTSrep has helped move fashion forward, because it's allowed for us to open up a community that doesn't necessarily rely on the individual purchasing clothes. You can be a part of the MSFTSrep community and never own a MSFTSrep item. I think that a lot of the time in fashion, you kind of feel like you need to have a specific piece to be a part of a certain thing. But I think that MSFTSrep allows people to move forward in the sense that at the core of every person wearing clothes, is [the individual]. That’s the thing of value, not the thing that you're wearing.

C: So then, what is a misfit?

H: A misfit is someone who is always looking to learn more and to challenge the current things that they believe to be true. To either reaffirm their beliefs or to understand [ways they] fully could have been wrong and actually this thing is correct. I think a lot of people think that being a misfit means being different. But I don't necessarily agree. Jaden once said this thing that I still wholeheartedly agree with, “If everyone was themselves, there would be no such thing as MSFTSrep” Because everyone is so different individually. So if everyone was just themselves, then there would be no one that's different. And then there would be no misfits. But right now, we see a plethora of people that are trying to be different. And then that just causes them to be the same. And fun fact, at 17, the first shirt that I ever made had said, “In your attempt to be different, you became just like everyone else.”

Final question. What does your MSFTSrep summer ‘24 look like?

All I'm going to say is everyone's going to be looking at our feet.

"For the Future"