This New E-Commerce Platform by a Filipino-Indian Entrepreneur Brings Global Indie Fashion to the GCC

Shopping in the GCC just got the breath of fresh air it deserves, and its name is 222 Ave.

Launched only a few months ago by founder Jaymee Jamaji, the multi-brand online retail platform brings together independent and contemporary fashion brands from around the world for a Middle Eastern audience that is looking beyond the obvious. Its debut edit features 19 handpicked labels from Barcelona, Ho Chi Minh City, London, New York, and Australia, spanning women’s clothing and accessories.

Home, for Jaymee, has never been one place. Born in Dubai, she moved to the Philippines around age nine, where she spent her formative years, studied, and built the family ties she still returns to, before heading to the United States for university.

Always a little bit of a fashion explorer herself, Jaymee got first lessons in style from her mother, who dressed her and her sister in matching Burberry dresses and Juicy Couture sweats. The colorful, style-saturated world of Barbie and Bratz followed, and it all eventually found a more sophisticated language on the streets of New York. “I think it was just at such a young age, and then it really blossomed, of course, as I got older and as I got to travel a lot more,” shared Jaymee.

It was amidst the creative buzz and infinite shopping landscape of NYC that her curator’s eye took its very first form, stating, “The U.S. was really what injected my love for fashion. And in New York, more than anything, when I was studying there, there’s just no place like it for fashion. So, that definitely inspired me to start this business as well.”

In this METRO exclusive, we chatted with Jaymee to dive into the story behind the number, the Gulf’s appetite for discovery, and why her next chapter is all about giving regional designers their flowers.

Fresh off graduating at 23, Jaymee hit a classic crossroads of starting over as a young professional. Moving back to Dubai after years of living in New York’s fashion capital came with a distinct case of culture shock for her, specifically in terms of wardrobe.

Jaymee lives for the thrill of a good find. While Manhattan pulsed with niche boutiques and independent labels at every turn, the Gulf appeared surprisingly limited in choice. Spotting a gap in the market, she seized the opportunity to bring that missing link to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.

“You know, I love to shop in New York. There was just an array of selections. But when I was in Dubai, I felt like I was struggling for choices. I think that’s where I kind of came up with this idea of like, ‘Okay, I know so many brands that I already shop from—from different parts of the world’—and there are clearly individuals seeking that more niche independent group of brands to shop for in this Middle East region,” Jaymee recalled.

“I just wanted to come from personal experience. So, it just came from a personal problem and then realizing that this was something the whole region was looking for as well, as the market is really opening, expanding also,” she added.

Out of that ambition was born an elevated e-commerce destination: 222 Ave. Yes, two-two-two—as it rolls off your tongue. You’ve probably caught it already on your lock screen, on a house door, or on a passing car. For Jaymee, that three-digit number had already been following her around, saying: “222 has always been a lucky number for me. I feel like I’ve always seen that number when things are in alignment for me in life, and things are going well. It’s kind of like a good luck charm to me, which is something I wanted to pass on into my business as well.”

There’s also a clever branding tactic at play. Jaymee spoke about the psychological consumer behavior where repeating digits act as mental hooks. Once you hear it, your brain starts registering it everywhere: “222 is obviously an angel number. 1O1 is like 222 also. Since it’s a repetitive number, it kind of sticks in the brain.” Noticing the phenomenon in action, Jaymee noted how the people who hear about the brand begin telling her that they suddenly see 222 everywhere.

As for the second half of the title, it’s an homage to the concrete jungle that sparked it all. “I lived quite close to Fifth Ave when I was in New York, studying there. I remember I could go for hours walking there from Fifth Ave to SoHo and back. There was just something about that whole street that I guess revived my love for fashion. I mean, you would see Fifth Ave, and you would see all the beautiful stores. It was an avenue, a lane, and I guess I’m bringing my version of it to the Middle East as well,” explained the founder.

One fun footnote: we had to ask if the numbers tied back to her birth year. Not exactly, as she arrived in 2000, on August 4. Two has just simply always been her favorite number.

The current lineup is a global map, with Vietnam having a moment on the platform. Bupbes and El Sol, both from Ho Chi Minh City, are seeing what Jaymee calls “hot demand,” as their pieces are popular with the K-Pop community. Cocosin is another Vietnamese label she said makes “the most beautiful dresses.” “Vietnam is just growing in creativity. When I visited there recently, I was just in awe of the quality and the craftsmanship of their pieces,” she shared. 

Sunglasses are another success story: Shevoke from Australia and Lexxola from London. Emi Jay, the Los Angeles hair accessory brand, does well too, and its clips and ties have been spotted on the likes of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. Completing the rotation, U.S. label Nana Jacqueline supplies the lineup’s signature dresses.

There is a savvy trick in this model, and Jaymee is upfront about it. “It’s almost like I don’t want to say, but what’s so amazing in this business is it’s like a cheat sheet to bring these brands that are already established, and just introducing them to regions that have yet to really discover.  The brands that we carry just do such an amazing job in creating their own identity and their own audience that it’s really much easier for my business to bring it into this new region,” she remarked.

If 222 Ave had a mission statement, it would fit in three words, and Jaymee has them ready. The first is curation, which she calls “the heart of the business.” Nothing gets onto the platform by accident: “We’re very thoughtful and intentional with what we do in the business. So the brands that we onboard are very specific. The pieces that we bring in, the individuals that we work with, the way in which we present the brands and the business to the region as well.”

The second is aesthetic forward, a promise of a “fun, fresh shopping experience” for the cool girls who are already fashion-aware, many of whom first encountered these labels while traveling or scrolling.

The third is where it gets interesting: global discovery, paired with regional relevance. The brands are international, but the vibe is Gulf-first. “Although these are global brands, [we make sure] we introduce them into the culture in ways that we can celebrate with the region as well. So, there’s a highlight and an homage that we try to pay to the region that we’re catering to,” she pointed out that the local lens matters, given the GCC is a mosaic.

With 19 brands live and more waiting to onboard, Jaymee’s big plan is to turn the spotlight on the region itself. “I want to highlight regional designers now and give them their flowers. There are just so many creative minds in the GCC, so I really want to work with them and champion them and add them onto the platform,” she pressed.

Of course, the Philippines is part of the story. Having grown up in Manila surrounded by family and completed her early education there, Jaymee’s connection to her heritage runs deep: “Very much proud to be Filipino. I always come home to visit. There’s just no place like home.”

For her, the opportunity is not necessarily about establishing a Filipino branch of the business just yet; it is about using the platform as a bridge—to introduce Filipino creativity and talent to consumers in the Middle East and, potentially, beyond.

Filipino brands are in the works, and though there is nothing firm on a Philippine launch of the platform itself, she leaves the door ajar: “I want to share their talent also with the rest of the world, especially in the region. In terms of my Philippine plans so far, it’s just introducing some Filipino brands onto the platform. But let’s see. You never know.”

As of now, the focus stays firmly on the GCC, where she sees “so much potential” and a niche the retail giants are not filling. “I guess in a way, I try to stick in my lane a little bit. Obviously, I am catering to the GCC women of this kind with these niche independent labels,” she thought, since 222 Ave is fairly new.

What about her own label? It comes up a lot, and the answer is a polite no, or at least not yet. “I would call myself a bit of a shopaholic, but I don’t have any design experience. So I don’t know if I would dive into that, but I’m very much open to helping individuals through my space,” admitted Jaymee. She sees herself as business-minded, and she is more excited about mentoring emerging designers who need a platform.

Jaymee is particular about who the 222 muse is. A Gen Z and millennial shopper, with appeal to older, style-conscious buyers, too. “She is definitely very trend-aware, discerning, intentional with how she shops, prioritizes quality, versatility, and refined aesthetics. She’s digitally savvy, because obviously, a lot of these brands kind of took off because of social media and influencer marketing. She invests in versatility and longevity, aesthetics and not logos,” she illustrated, highlighting the entire premise of the business.