L.A. Weekly*Brand Partner Content*
Los Angeles is a city that never sleeps. A Mecca for creatives, dreamers, and entrepreneurs, the energy of the L.A. begs for an outlet.
Meet Bluemoon. An innovative, family run company operating out of this beautiful city. Their mission? To capture the vibrancy and culture of the city, channeling the grandeur into several creative outlets for those who crave them.
Like the moon itself, the company has many faces: five star jeweler, hookah lounge, kitchen, apparel and more. It is best known, however, for the handcrafted and state-of-the-art wearable pieces their jewelry shop produces. Some of their notable clients include, Blueface, CJ, Lil Mosey, 6lack, NLE Choppa, and many more.
A business run by six brothers – Anas, Omar, Anwar, Wisam, Mohammed, and Malik Jibawi – we sat down with one of the brothers, Omar, to find out more about the company that’s taking over L.A.
What is Bluemoon?
Omar – Bluemoon is a culture for the hip hop community. We’ve been around since 2014 and collaborated with artists, fashions designers and many members of our community all over L.A..
How did you come up with the name?
Omar – We started out in the nightlife business where it’s always nighttime and the moon was always out. One night, we saw a blue moon and we loved its significance. “Once in a blue moon” was always a saying we loved.
Were all brothers originally involved, how did they all come on board?
Omar – I originally started my gold shops and after opening a few of them, I had to hire people that I trusted. My brothers were those people.
How did you decide who is in charge of what?
Omar – Everyone honestly found their place over time. We didn’t choose who did what, we just used each person’s skill set for what they were suited for and now everyone has their title.
Are you originally from L.A.?
Omar – Half of us were born in Chicago but raised in Los Angeles. Go Lakers! Go Dodgers!
How has it been running a business in L.A.?
Omar – It has been a blessing. We love it here. It’s home. There’s nothing like L.A.. All of our businesses are in L.A. for a reason. Our community has been everything. Without them we are nothing.
How have you chosen the businesses you have?
Omar – The hookah lounge was created based on our heritage. Smoking hookah was and is a tradition in our culture, and we wanted to open our own and bring out our friends.
The jewelry business came from pawn shops. When I was 19, I ran 13 pawn shops around the Los Angeles area. Most of my brothers ran a pawn shop by themselves and the other shops were being run by various friends and other family members. When the shops started to slow down, I used the money I had to open a jewelry company where we can custom make every piece. At first it was hard, but now 100% of the parts that make up our jewelry pieces are made in house.
Anwar’s Kitchen was opened on the heels of his successful YouTube Career. Anwar first started with Vine and eventually rose to have millions of followers. Once the Vine era ended, he transitioned to YouTube and Instagram. Fast forward to today and he has more than 30 million followers across all platforms.
What are the goals of each of your businesses?
Omar – The goals of all our businesses is to expand and for them to become household names. Not just in Los Angeles, but the world.
What are each of the brothers’ strengths?
Omar – Anas is humble and portrays a good image. Anwar is always ready for the next idea. Wisam is consistent and always gives you the same positive energy. Mohammed is strong; he is probably the biggest asset to the company for that reason. Malik is young and youth brings a different vibe to the company, making it more entertaining. And I’d say my biggest strength is my marketing prowess.
What are your goals?
Omar – My goals are to franchise Bluemoon. I want stores, kitchens and lounges in every county.
What does the future hold for Bluemoon?
Omar – More stores. More kitchens. More hookah lounges. Worldwide.
What do you want people to know about you?
Omar – We want people to know that we came from nothing. My mom was a single parent that worked three jobs, raised six boys and lived in a two bedroom house. People may not think we went through hardships, but with hard work and dedication we overcame the struggles and have become successful young entrepreneurs.
What is your advice for other entrepreneurs?
Omar – Work hard. None of this came easy. I walked the streets of Compton and South Central every day, knocking on every house trying to buy jewelry. And it worked. Without hustle and motivation you can’t really make it far.
If you weren’t working for yourselves, what would you be doing?
Omar – I don’t think I can work for someone else. It isn’t against other people but it’s just how my mind works.
Who in your family has been your biggest support?
Omar – Our mother. She raised us all by herself in Los Angeles. We’ve all been in trouble more times than we can count and she kept us on our toes. We don’t know how we could ever repay her.
To learn more about the fast-growing family business, visit bluemoonandco.com.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.