How did the meet-up with the late Virgil Abloh come about in 2021?

Meeting Virgil was very special to me. I met him when he visited Doha for his Figures of Speech exhibition in 2021. I was told that Virgil wanted to tailor a thobe, so I brought the tailor to him at the Qatar National Museum. He was with architect Samir Bhantal of OMA, who worked with him on the exhibition. Samir knew that I wanted to get a pair signed. As soon as I was there, Samir looked at me and I knew it was time to take my basketball out. Virgil saw it and instantly knew it was rare. I got the Jordan out as well and that’s how it became so iconic and sentimental. To me, it’s an art piece. 

What was the significance of wearing a thobe to Louis Vuitton’s runway show in Paris and how was it received?

At first, I thought I couldn’t take the risk because I didn’t know how people would react to it, but I decided to just do it. When I saw how they liked the thobe, it inspired me more. Wearing the thobe to the Louis Vuitton show was an opportunity for me to represent Qatar and our heritage in a high-fashion manner. It was a moment that I would never forget. 

How do you shop and collect sneakers?

When I shop for sneakers, I don’t go for hype. I shop and collect what I like. In total, I think I have around 1000 pairs or more.

What are your top three all-time favourite sneaker styles?

It would be the Air Jordan 1 High on top, Air Force 1s in second place, and finally, the Air Jordan 4. 

What is your dream collaboration?

My dream collab, if I do one, would be an Air Jordan 1 High X JBR, of course.