Some people are born with wanderlust. They are always curious and ready to explore new places, try new things and dip their toes into new streams. Their bags are always packed, ready for the next adventure. Nour Abou Abdou doesn’t think of travel as just a way to physically visit other countries. For her, it is the way she connects with the world. She wants to meet the people from all walks of life and then find a way to tell their story by sharing their unique handcrafts with her customers in Kuwait. And that is how her boho lifestyle brand was born.
Nour studied Marketing at university then completed a postgraduate degree in Graphic and Web Design. She started working in the private sector, first in Advertising in the Telecommunications industry then Brand Management in retail, but she always dreamed of being an entrepreneur. Every time she had an interesting or entrepreneurial idea, she would save it on a “vision board” folder on her computer to manifest her dream.
In 2014, Gypsy Soul was born. The brand is an independent lifestyle retailer dedicated to support local business, boutique owners and artisans to inspire customers through a unique curated combination of products that are carefully selected from around the world. With a mission to bring customers hand crafted and inspiring pieces like jewelry, accessories, lifestyle products, stationery and more. “I am very passionate about travel. I’m very social and love connecting with people. I like meeting people [artisans] and learning about the inspiration behind their handcrafts/work. Then I carefully select collections that no one would be able to find in Kuwait and take them back to Kuwait with me,” explained Nour.
In 2020, Nour was ready to take Gypsy Soul further and quit her full-time job. Nour is currently located in Madrid, Spain after graduating from an MBA in an Entrepreneurship program. Since she is living in Spain it means she is even closer to artisans and designers, her current goal is to explore, source unique products and connect independent designers and local startups from European countries, namely Spain and Portugal who make unique sustainable accessories and jewelry with a global market of end customers starting with Kuwait and the GCC market.
Gypsy Soul is still very much a one-woman show. She does have a storage room, an office and local assistance for administration and deliveries. She handles everything else from product scouting and buying to marketing and managing the website and social media channels. Her years of experience in retail helped prepare her. “I think what helped me was the retail experience on how operations like this work and how it’s all connected. Like how you have to be in charge of everything, but not micromanage. The experience of brand management and understanding consumer behavior and brand positioning taught me a lot,” Nour told us.
Nour has a very clear vision and business strategy of what she wants to share in her store. Sustainability is the most important thing. If a product is not produced ethically, she doesn’t even consider it. She also prefers smaller local designers or startups; large companies and wholesale don’t make the cut. Finally, how unique the item is, matters. Nour thinks of herself as a personal shopper and a mediator, who visits markets, boutiques, small shops and independent designers to carefully select for customers that are longing to wear or gift a one-of-a-kind item. “I want to target customers that connect with unique pieces that tell a story. I stop and talk with the owner and get to know how it’s sourced, what the materials are, and if they’re interested in a collaboration. In the beginning, I call it a collaboration because I don’t buy in bulk. I will buy a few pieces, try them out, see if they sell and then I buy more,” elaborated Nour. Because sustainability is integral to Nour’s values she prefers slow-moving and carefully curated collections that speak to customers.
Stationery is another example of items that are quite near and dear to Nour’s heart. She was on a trip to Thailand where she saw stores selling vegan leather journals that are handmade and personalized on the spot. She was so mesmerized and thought other people might really appreciate them too. Nour tries to support independent designers and startup brands by displaying their products and seeing what works and which ones don’t. She loves the flexibility of her approach as well as being able to offer different makers the space on her platform.
Nour was ahead of the curve in terms of technology. She had launched her website when she first started the business, so while we’re missing Gypsy Soul at pop-up events and markets, the e-store website was designed to simulate in-person shopping, making the end customer’s online shopping experience more interactive, personalized and visual with videos and larger images, more styled photography and navigation links to products so they can better understand a product before they buy it. Gypsy Soul is an evolving brand, and Nour wants to expand the business itself by making it a marketplace to connect more artisans and startups with Kuwait and the GCC region and add more products like home décor, and we’re sure we’ll be seeing more exciting things from her very soon.
Follow @gypsysoulkw on Instagram or visit gypsysoulkw.com to see the entire collection.
