A long-time partnership with Joey Cordina, a collaboration with Gareth Bale, and working with some of the biggest superstars in modern boxing, Imtayaz Qassim is flying the flag for Welsh fashion and design.

Where did it all begin?

Imtayaz originally studied computer science at university, until he realised that the course simply wasn’t for him just before returning for his third and final year. This is when he decided to pivot to a BA in fashion design at the University of South Wales. His time spent studying computer science wasn’t wasted however, as it gave him the skills in coding and web design that have been critical to his business’s digital success, as evidenced by his Instagram page, @bespokeboxing, which has over four thousand followers and where he receives many of his requests to collaborate from fighters.

Imtayaz graduated in 2013 before going on to earn his stripes at ‘Represent’, a high-end streetwear label based in Manchester, and then A-COLD-WALL, a luxury sportswear brand founded by Samuel Ross MBE. Imtayaz then decided to go it alone, designing one-off bespoke pieces for celebrities including Gareth Bale, Justin Bieber, and Chris Brown. Around the time Joey Cordina, a long-time friend of Imtayaz’, was preparing for his second fight. Imtayaz reached out to him via text asking if he could design the shorts for his fight. Cordina obliged, and the rest is history. Imtayaz has now designed shorts for Francis Ngannou, Terrence Crawford, and Tyson Fury to name just a few.

How does the collaborative process look when working with a fighter? Do they often have something in mind, or do they allow him free reign?

9 times out of 10 it is the latter. One of his career highlights was a pair of all-white shorts that he and fellow Welshman Cordina had discussed and planned since the beginning of their partnership. He wore for his first world title fight, which he won via a 2nd round knockout.

The freedom that Imtayaz is afforded by his clients has allowed him to design another of his favourites, the iconic fisherman outfit worn by Terrence Crawford in his fight against Errol Spence last year. He also credited Wales and its landscape as part of his creative inspiration. On the days where he’s suffering from ‘designers block’, living in Wales helps to alleviate this. Taking a break from his work and taking a walk behind his studio where he can see the whole of Barry and its beach clears his head and allows him to focus on his work. Some of this natural inspiration can be seen in the use of British beeswax for Crawford’s outfit and the fishing iconography that accompanied it.

Having already conquered the world of boxing design, what are his future plans?

He would be keen to collaborate with boxer Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, and perhaps designing a ‘wildcard’ third kit for Cardiff City FC one day.