Except we start with the why.
During my summer internship at Nordstrom in 2013 I fell in love with fashion, but not for the reason why many would assume. I fell in love because I witnessed people putting their value and self-worth in a brand name (identifying with it in every sense of self).
I was a personal shopper for many affluent women in California. I'd notice they would only shop with specific brands and exclusively those. Many would brag about wearing a brand as if they were valued more when people knew they could afford such thing. This ignited a deeper thought in me. Did our community ever have such thing to identify with? Not in a vain and self-glorifying way, but in an inclusive and belonging type of way. Did we have a brand that represented Middle Easterners? Middle Eastern first generation diaspora that came from immigrant parents? Or actual immigrants themselves?
Beginning in the 90s and trickling into all of the 2000s until present, we have seen an enormous influx of migration out of Iraq into "Western" countries (even if many aren't actually in the West, we consider them all western due to societal issues). And now there is an urge or curiosity to return or visit. Even for the ones born in the diaspora, there is always this deep itch to want to see what life is like back home. Maybe from all the stories we grew up hearing so we feel a sense of nostalgia that was passed down to us or to get out of this limbo feeling (i use the term limbo a lot and will continue to because it's the only way to truly describe the feeling immigrants have being ripped apart from their homeland and forced to flee to another country).
Now for the ones stuck in limbo, where do we fit in? And now we have a community of western born or raised diaspora who have migrated (reverse migration) back to the motherland. How should we identify? In the West we are too Middle Eastern and in the Middle East amongst our own we are too Western. We find ourselves stuck, fighting for a balance, trying to belong. Again, let me emphasize the limbo here.
So where do I see myself helping in this reconnection to the disconnection? Through Ancient. Something that has only started with T-shirts will become a platform for all Mesopotamians (however you identify present day) to connect, collaborate, heal, grow, network, and build. Build a community to belong. And how do you do that? With each shirt I sell I get the opportunity to continue for a next collection which will lead to more items and will expand to programs. Programs set up to build our youth and ourselves. It seems as heavily effected Iraq has been in the last 3 decades, it doesn't get enough attention or the love it deserves (and when i say "it" i mean the people and the land). We need to build the resources/channels to create these connections in whatever industry available.
So when you rep an Ancient tee - feel the depth, feel the rebirth, feel the growth and know that you are supporting something bigger than just a t-shirt. You're supporting the foundation of a community through a brand.
Always remember, We are Ancient. And never forget to carry that with weight.
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