He makes an active choice to preserve the environment, pay fair wages, and produce art in a sustainable way. They help me improve the product by working with the fabrics and details.вЂќ To produce ethically or unethically is out of the question for Anwar. They are creative people, and you canвЂ™t just see them as manufacturers. He says, вЂњIвЂ™ve learned that the artisans are also designers. In our interview, Anwar explains how these artisans are an integral part of the design process. His brand further evokes change in the community by relying on the work of Moroccan artisans, restoring quality craftsmanship to an industry that notoriously capitalizes on cheap labor and environmental destruction.

For example, Anwar designs his clothing to be genderless, drawing attention to the taboo concept of gender in the MENA region. Not only do Anwar and Meera use their work to depict progressive images and styles artistically, but their impact is crucial to their communities as well. Anwar Bougroug, owner of the fashion label, Bougroug, is paving the way for Moroccan youth to transcend traditional gender norms. Meera Albaba, a Palestinian fashion designer, uses her work as a designer and entrepreneur to reclaim the artistic liberty of Palestinians living under siege in Gaza. We became more comfortable speaking about the intersectionality of politics and art, and how fashion can be a tool for social justice. Our third guest, Mariia Melnykk from Ukraine, gave us insight into the emerging post-Soviet Union fashion industry.ДЄs our network continued to grow, our conversations evolved. Our second guest, Rafhael Castro from Brazil, talked about how his brand ZYPER combines colors of the 90s tech boom with the playfulness of Brazilian beaches. Our first guest, Loyiso Ndlondo from Cape Town, explained that their resourceful youth rely on thrifting and re-purposing to express themselves. The original aim of My BrotherвЂ™s Friend was to show how culture infiltrates fashion, and how different brands reflect their community. We called this podcast My BrotherвЂ™s Friend, which represents how random mutual relationships are the primary way people discover new brands, music, restaurants, and artists. Nostalgic for these experiences, we hopped on a call, and together, we started a podcast that would allow us to discover all the worldвЂ™s creativity without stepping foot outside. This past spring, during another mundane day in quarantine, we were left longing for the days of study abroad in Cape Town and MadridвЂ“full of great food, great art, and great fashion.

Art justice sketch fashion design