5 Minutes with 52Degrees

October last year saw the 'official' soft launch of a 'first-of-its-kind' concept store in the heart of Kuwait. 52 Degrees is the new place to be for everything from fine food to clothing & accessories to furniture and interior design. The interior decor of this multi-brand store was the brainchild of Kuwaiti artist Ahmad Al-Baghli. It revolved around the idea behind the name 52 Degrees, so called because of the high temperatures (in excess of 50 degrees) and the 'next level 2 training' the designers receive, expanding the skills they already have.

Ahmad Al-Baghli

From the moment you enter the store, AC blaring in your face, melting chairs and tables, you realise just how unique and imaginative this place is. Really taking it to the next level, visually demonstrating everything in the name. They Even have a Mexican elephant bashfully fighting the Kuwaiti stereotype under the slogan "I'm not lazy, I'm just Kuwaiti".

I got the chance to have a 5 min chat with Bibi from the PR team at 52 Degrees who explained the company's aim of establishing a standard footnote, locally first, then hopefully on an international level, receiving acknowledgement from peers.

Who is the target audience? They're young and old, fashionable and attracted to unique products. The items available are as different as the store itself. It can almost be regarded as an art gallery of usable consumables.

What can we trendy men expect from 52 Degrees? There are t-shirts and sweatshirts, polo shirts and laptop cases by His & Hers, slippers and funky shoes, all mixed with a liberal dash of pop culture and pop art. Elvis print chairs by Dania's designs are available alongside custom made, long lasting paintings (which happen to be best sellers) by Talal and Emad featuring Arabian calligraphy, water resistant, of course.

clockwise from top The People's Factory - Mexican elephant - HiS

Ezgirty

(below) Dania's designs

Talal and Emad featuring Arabian calligraphy

52 Degrees is establishing something great for Kuwaiti business, as it's difficult for new and upcoming designers to display their art in most shops. Well, now they can all be presented under one roof, receiving expert guidance in developing their very own businesses through media campaigns, workshops and advanced marketing. In a nutshell 52 Degrees has style, substance, quality and excellent food, and lest we forget, they're also available online! Now that's ticking all the right boxes, and then some. All we can say is "were rooting for you guys".