Maria Munoz and Mohamed Tarek Tell us All About Slickr

You've probably seen the circular yellow arrow logo posing with a lot of people in the Egyptian fashion world lately. And, if you are as curious as we are, then you probably have been wondering what it is, the story behind it, etc. Well, we had a quick chat with María Muñoz and Mohamed Tarek, the two founders of Slickr, to bring you all the answers.

Before we get started, introduce yourselves to the world! What would you say to someone who has no background about you guys?

Hey world! This is María Muñoz and Mohamed Tarek, the two founders behind the next big thing: Slickr.

We have to ask, what is the story behind the yellow arrow, AKA the Slickr logo?

The circular, yellow arrow that you have seen everywhere on social media is Slickr, our very distinctive logo. The one that aims at representing the connecting character of our social network. We offer a new, online community where all fashion lovers - not only brands or influencers - can have a voice and an opinion; so that's what the sign represents: integration, union, connection.

Don't be shocked if you see the sign in unexpected places! This has just started; we want Slickr to be seen everywhere and followed by everyone.

We’re going to make this question a tough one. Describe Slickr and what it does, in just one sentence.

Slickr is a social network, tailored to fashion with e-commerce integrated. There you go!

Do you remember the exact moment you thought of developing the Slickr concept?

The very first idea was born around a year ago. We spent days and months developing what came to be the current concept of Slickr. Why so long? Because we are not just a social network, and we are not just an e-commerce platform. We are a new experience of social shopping.

As we all know, every aspect of our life is going online, including fashion shopping. At the same time, users demand to share their shopping experience with friends and influencers.

Let's explain it with an example. I want to buy a black dress online. So, in order to buy it, I want to have the biggest selection of stores where I can choose my black dress from. And not only that, but I want to follow a large community of fashion influencers that can inspire me to buy a certain dress. After choosing that amazing black dress, I want to ask my friends for their opinion and if I am convinced with my choice, I want to buy it just with a click. Slickr offers all this process.

Besides that, Slickr will be introducing new, unforeseen features progressively. We can guarantee that fashion lovers, brands, bloggers, and all the other representatives of the fashion industry will be more than pleased along their journey with us.

How do you think people will react to Slickr, especially since they are probably already using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & Instagram, Polyvore, etc.

Slickr is completely different from any other existing social media platform. We offer a very comprehensive experience for all the people of the fashion world as mentioned previously. Starting from the design of the site -highly visual, very sleek and attractive- to the practical functions that users will find, everything is dedicated and tailored to fashion. Moreover, it is the only social network where all elements from the fashion industry, highly benefit from each other. We offer the best platform for everyone to share, connect, find and discover.

We’d like to know a little bit about each of you? So, María, how would you describe Tarek? And, Tarek how would you describe María?

Tarek is a brilliant mind and an artist. He is the perfect definition of an entrepreneur. Although he is young, over the past few years he has built all this experience by himself to the point of having his work recognized by institutions such as Google or Harvard University. He is the creative mind behind Slickr, the one who came up with the very first seed of this idea. He is a talented, passionate, hard working person.

You can feel María's energy miles away. She is the kind of person that you really enjoy being around. She is smart, creative, energetic, and a hard worker, which is the perfect combination for any successful person. María can also do magic. She can meet a person for the first time and in a few minutes they become good friends. I don't know if it's a kind of sorcery or hypnotization, but no one ever complained; on the contrary, people love it, and love her.

María and Tarek, working together is…

María: Working together is a learning process. Everyday we feed each other with ideas and support.

Tarek: Working together is the secret to success! Also along with the whole team.

A typical day at Slickr office is…

María: The office is almost like home. We spend long hours there, so we have made sure of creating an environment where we feel comfortable and full of positive vibes. We have a community table where all the team usually works together, so the communication flows better. Our team is our main asset, so we appreciate everyone's efforts and work on a daily basis. They are the reason why we can be talking about Slickr today.

Tarek: A typical day at Slickr is not so typical at all! Except for the long hours in front of our computers, here are some key words to help you understand: pajama, ping pong, hoover, snacks, Instagram, Red Bull, loudness, pranks, melted cheese, debates, Spanish music, photo shoots, fresh food, kebda we mokh, Fairuz (the singer), and lots of couch time.

Tell us a hidden talent each of you has.

María: I cannot think about a specific talent; I am just a very curious person. So I try to learn as many things as my time allows me. I love knowledge and art in all its forms. You will always find me doing different things: writing, reading, singing, looking for new music, dancing, taking photos...

Tarek: I spot talents! That's my hidden talent.

Tarek, tell us a little about taking the jump into the fashion industry, what made you do it?

Well, my job is to spot opportunities and solve problems, and the fashion industry is full of both. We live in a time of revolutions and industries are evolving in an unprecedented matter, yet fashion hasn't been improving very much. I believe I found a key that could ignite a fashion revolution, and that key isn't just about the idea behind Slickr but also about the team, the implementation and the crowd that's hungry for change. So actually I would be crazy not to take that jump.

Maria, I am sure all the girls are wondering about this; how would you describe your personal style? 

I have never been very much into fashion! My style doesn't fit into a certain category or group; it's eclectic and definitely not boring. I love certain colors such as black, white and green so when I -rarely- go shopping, I am always attracted to these. I like fitted clothes and clean lines. Also, I appreciate clothes that enhance a woman's personality disregarding her body shape.

They say working with family has its challenges. What is the one piece of advice you can give to the people already working with their family?

María: The secret is "communication." You have to be able to leave personal matters aside and talk, talk, talk. Sharing opinions and listening is basic; without these two you will be lost.

Tarek: I believe any partners become family anyway, so being already a family is a head start. You just have to be careful not to hurt the family when things don't work out as expected at work.