Djibril Gibson Kagni: From Star Maker to Pop Culture Architect
Its a sunny Atlanta afternoon, we meet up with Gibson who always knows how to make an entrance. As he hands the keys of his Mercedes S63 AMG to the valet at a swanky Buckhead hotspot we see him waving at us with one hand while pressing an iPhone close to his ear and speaking to someone about some new international deal. Gibson rose to prominence as an award winning music producer and entertainment executive and has sustained a successful career at the pinnacle of showbusiness for well over a decade.
His work expands across continents and includes numerous projects and collaborations with household names such as: Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Kat de Luna, Hardwell, Timati, Dj Antoine, T-Pain, Jason Derulo, R City, and many other A-list stars.
As we sit down and begin talking, we can’t help but notice Gibson is wearing a two piece sweatsuit with the logo of his apparel brand MMA.
We enquire about the brand, its story and its future.
Gibson is happy to share with us some revealing insights into what has grown to become a fully functional fashion label sought after by some of the world’s elite athletes and celebrities.
“Spending so much time working in the music industry I was able to quickly identify the style and preferences of the biggest artists on the planet, then I set out to create an apparel brand that would capture these qualities and make them come together in a perfect balance of class and power” explains Gibson.
And that he did. Since inception less than 48 months ago, the brand has grown to boast large sales numbers in multiple countries while remaining independent and enjoying a cult like status amongst its followers as people know getting your hands on a piece of MMA apparel or one of its iconic hats is no easy task, that of course only adds fuel to the fire of what has already become a status symbol across many strong factions of the hip hop industry, its common to see megastars wearing MMA branded hats and clothing items and even featuring them on music videos.
“Everyone from Wizkid to Jason Derulo loves this stuff! I’m constantly getting personal requests for shipments from some of the most relevant people in today’s pop culture.” Gibson says.
This has effectively enabled MMA apparel to become a trendsetting force in today’s democratized fashion world, one that even has private investors and venture capital firms looking at it closely, although for now Gibson isn’t fixed on a particular option.
“Its very similar to music in that sense, if you keep doing great work consistently and supplying people with a product they love, growth and success are inevitable.” Shares Gibson, who is also a proud father and an avid soccer enthusiast.
Undoubtedly, a new movement is making waves and we can tell its only about to get bigger.
Follow Djibril Gibson Kagni and MMA Apparel for an inside look at the life of a successful international entrepreneur:
@gproduction / @mmashops
