The Influential: MMA Couture Releases Exclusive New Collection and Celebrates Anniversary

As urban culture continues its expansion across every major market in the planet, one brand in particular stands out due to its groundbreaking creative direction and high quality manufacturing.

Founded by Gibson Kagni, an award winning music producer and fashion designer based in Atlanta, MMA Couture has become synonymous with unapologetic style and freshness. Celebrities like Jason Derulo, Akon, Gucci Mane, Didier Drogba, Sean Paul and countless others have championed this independent brand which has recently announced an exclusive 1-year anniversary celebration for its flagship Atlanta boutique.

The collaborations cemented by Mr. Kagni have been one of the main driving forces for his brand´s success, as he has worked with different artists from around the world, particularly Russia to develop a series of unique designs and patterns that have become some of the most sought after in the world of urban apparel.

When going out to a club or high end restaurant in Atlanta, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Moscow or Dubai, people seen wearing MMA Couture clothing are perceived as fashion forward individuals, and even though the brand is smaller than some of its competitors, it has managed to build a passionate following amongst key target demographics.


Mr. Kagni recently granted us an interview, here´s what he had to say:

What was the inspiration behind this new collection?

The inspiration of the new collection happened when I was discussing a collaboration with Maria a young very talented Russian painter who said to me how about making something with a tiger since it’s the year of the tiger, I found that very inspirational to blend the MMA logo with the tiger and the diamond being the nose.

I know it’s sounds crazy but all my collections are created around painters and Russians. Why? I don’t know. Uli Kraft and her boyfriend Odintriii one of the best calligraphers in Russia… that’s what I call inspiration because they are not fashion designers but creative.

The fashion world suffered a blow with Virgil Abloh´s passing, what do you think about his legacy?

Virgil´s death was a big surprise and shocking to the world, to me he was misunderstood by the urban culture after joining LVMH, people often forget we never know what someone is going through, therefore let’s stop celebrating people when they are no longer here.

You have built MMA Apparel into a household name with multiple celebrity clients, what is the secret of your brand's success?

There´s no secret to hard work, best believe even with less support than I expected I still believe in me after God and I know one day I will carry the legacy of urban fashion like many are young blacks who are the main designers of high fashion brands.

We know your flagship boutique is located in Atlanta, where else can customers buy your products?

Well, the online store works all over the world and we´re trying to revamp the marketing to a different level to be able to reach higher sales it hasn’t been easy but with this collection I’m hopping we can reach better goals.

What are some of your best selling items?

Honestly everything sells. People love the collaboration I have going with the Russians but recently I’ve acquired great designers who just joined the team such as Ally, a recent graduate student in fashion from SCAD and Ruby also a Chinese student who also recently joined the team. Times are very rough for many businesses but the future of this brand is very bright. Persistence, motivation and challenges make me never want to stop, even if I have to sell my house I’m still gonna keep going.