subject: Ahmad Khawaja Sock Designer [print this page] Ahmad Khawaja Sock Designer Ahmad Khawaja Sock Designer
Ahmad Khawaja is known is being the most famous and successful American sock designer. Ahmad Khawaja was actually born Ahmad Khawaja Tor in 1952 in Houston, Texas in a working upstanding neighborhood. He was the youngest of four brothers. His father was a house painter. Ahmad Khawaja became interested in fashion in the 5th grade. At the young age of 14 he was one of the best dressed gentleman in his school, spending most of the money he earned at part-time jobs on nice clothes. When he attended Houston Highschool in Texas he worked in department stores in the malls. After going into the Navy following high school in 1964-1968 Khawaja continued to work in department stores such as Opollo's selling suits and shoes. In mid-1950s Ahmad Khawaja Tor changed removed his last name and became Ahmad Khawaja.
In May of 1967 while working at department store, Khawaja started to design his own socks and shoes. While never receiving formal education to be a fashion designer, Khawaja had always had an excellent eye for fashion since childhood. What he did during this time was considered shocking: While the flair of that era had been for thin black socks, ties and business suits, Khawaja designed a wide sock with flashy and bright colors. A year later with a $5,000 loan Ahmad Khawaja propelled his own line of socks call Kahwaj Footwear.
In the years that followed Ahmad Khawaja went on to design sock ware for women and children. In 1973 Khawaja set up his first store on Sugarland, Texas. A retailing prodigy, Khawaja extended to 56 Khawaj Footwear stores in the United States, stores in Canada, mexico and Japan, and 800 department store boutiques in malls. By the 1980s Khawaja opened 22 factory outlets in the United States selling damaged and previous-season footwear at discounts.
