One and Four is no more— it’s now more. The ready-to-wear label founded by Egyptian-Kiwi designer Engy Mahdy has rebranded into One of More Studio. The eco-consious label, which launched in Dubai in 2018 with a collection of ultra-wearable, unisex pieces, is now your one-stop-shop for competitively priced, elevated basics like a great sleeveless top or cozy trousers. The decision to relaunch was made with the person whose wardrobe relies heavily on a rotation of knits that might all look the same to the untrained eye, but all play an equally important, and slightly different, role in the closet in mind. The debut collection, dubbed “Elemental,” also features matching tops and trousers in vibrant summer colors to take the guesswork out of getting dressed. For the brand’s relaunch, Mahdy unveiled two playful campaigns that capture the carefree essence of One of More, inviting some of her closest girl friends to step in front of the camera, because for her, building a sense of community is simply second nature.
Below, MILLE caught up with Mahdy to learn (one of) more.
What initially sparked the decision to relaunch the brand?
The essentials launch back in 2020 did really well and I always wanted to create a larger range with more variety, it was just a bit of a tricky time to be doing things at the time. When relaunching the brand, I realized I wanted to fully take it down the essentials route, because this so something that’s actually needed right now. A reliable place for essentials that our people can also trust from a sustainable and ethical perspective.
How would you describe the rebrand?
As Mindful Innovators, we personify the spirit of a caring and creative artist, renowned for our distinctive style and moral decisions. Our ethos centers on curiosity and authenticity, blending avantgarde thinking with an approachable, friendly attitude. Conscious of our core values, we strive to make thoughtful fashion appealing and accessible. Catering to both the style explorers and the admirers of meticulously crafted, enduring fashion.
Why did you choose the name One of More?
I wanted it to feel like a natural progression or almost a spin off to One and Four. One and Four at its essence was about One and the four corners or pillars in their lives. One of More is bigger, it is about being part of a larger community.
I love the online campaign with all of the girlies. Can you talk us through the roll-out process?
So far there are two campaigns for the collection, the first one in the form of six videos titled “A Tale of Six Colors” features Lana Albeik as she acts out the persona of each color. The idea behind this was to highlight the colors of course, but also to show how different archetypes can fit this into their lives. We has a cheeky moment in the “Lime” video where the calendar she checks off actually has moments from all the characters lives. We are all multiple personas at once.
The second campaign is reminiscent of the launch series we did in 2020 where we had several girls from the community style it their own way. This series was very similar— a way to show the pieces on different sizes and body shapes and a way to show it styled differently. Since this is an essentials brand, the purpose is to include it in your wardrobe.
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Tell us a little bit about the Elemental collection.
The Elemental Collection focuses on viscose knit essentials. The aim was to create a range of pieces that would cater to different needs. The fabric on every piece was designed individually to follow the lines of the body and enhance our natural curves. The fabric is made of viscose yarn, which is a wood based material that feels like a combination of cotton and silk. It is breathable, lightweight and holds color really well. There is a misconception that “knit” means that it will be warm or a winter item, however, much of what we wear is knit! Including t-shirts, tank tops, leggings—basically anything that stretches over your head or doesn’t need a zipper to pull up. The Elemental collection will ideally be a core collection, seasonal colors will be added, black and white will always be available.
What are the key differences between One and Four and One of More?
One and Four focused a lot on experimental design pieces. The pieces were always made with interesting cuts— many described it as being similar to some Japanese designers. The brand took many shapes and forms, as I developed as a designer, I quickly understood this is not necessarily what customers want. They want reliability, and the ability to understand what the brand offers, but as a designer I needed a space to experiment. Since then I have shifted the experimental design to private clients or editorial work under my own name. Seeing how the essentials performed when launched in 2020, it felt right to relaunch the brand fully for essentials. Which is also why we decided to rebrand to One Of More. Of course, this was a bittersweet decision. But I wanted to respect One and Four for what it was, and start something fresh. Rebranding helped me reconfigure the brand in my head as an essentials brand. When I say essentials, you can always expect that there will be something elevated about it whether it were the fit, the fabric, or clever use of the branding.
What can loyal clients as well as new shoppers expect from One of More?
Quality and reliability. With One Of More. We want to make sure our community always has a place to come back to for essentials. We aim to be accessible and offer a premium product that has a bit of an edge. It is an essential, but it can also be a main part of your outfit.
I know that sustainability is an important value for your brand— what are some of the sustainable practices you employ?
I really believe sustainability is a two way street. From our end as a brand, we will always aim to be sustainable with the materials we choose as well as packaging. For example, our packaging currently is made of a biodegradable “not plastic” slip, which we encourage you to use again for packing things in luggage, bag inserts, etc. We have also opted out of excessive bit and pieces like the “thank you” card which we understand is a great touch, but we also know it gets thrown out a moment later. We thank you via Email instead. We have also opted out of swing tags which carry the brand name and logo, however this is visible on the packing slip as well as on the garment itself. Waste reduction is really important. In terms of fabric, the beauty of custom knit is that we can choose whichever yarn we want to work with, this time we used viscose, for the men’s pieces coming up we used organic cotton, we can also use recycled yarn. The perk is that they can calculate exactly how much yarn there is for each piece and produce only enough yarn, so we don’t end up with leftover, unused material, which is a huge problem in the industry.
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Going back to your university days, or maybe even before that, when did your personal journey with sustainability begin?
My personal journey started quite young! My parents have always encourage recycling and mindful consumption. I have memories of my mother telling me to respect any paper in the house, as an architect herself, she would use the backs of printed paper to sketch on. We wouldn’t throw anything. We also always would repair clothes, giving things away was a final resort, and only after they’ve been repaired. Even when it comes to upcyling, old dresses and jackets would turn into cushion covers or tissue box holders. Living sustainably is something that I grew up with and I’m grateful for that.
Is there one specific pain point that frustrates you most about the fashion system?
The constant battle between trend, hype, and sustainability. Of course, hype serves any business well, but there is always the risk of a fall after hype, it is also something that as a brand, we do not want to encourage. We encourage being part of the community yes, but also individuality and making conscious choices about your purchases. With creating this essentials brand, ideally we surpass the trend and hype and skip straight to the sustainable, mindful consumption aspect.
Do you have anything exciting in the pipeline that you can share with us?
The first thing you can expect is a men’s line! We didn’t launch both at the same time to make sure each gets it’s own attention initially, however moving forward, there will always be both men’s and women’s pieces in every collection— and let’s be honest, menswear is basically unisex, so more for us. Expect a fun campaign for this too!
