The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August has meant “going back to square one” for the country’s fashion industry as freedoms enjoyed for decades were lost, designers tell SBS Pashto.
When the fundamentalist group took power following the evacuation of US forces, the fashion industry was among the first to be affected.
Highlights:
- Afghan-Australian fashion designers are supporting their colleagues who were forced to close when the Taliban took power in mid-August.
- Designer Maryam Oria's factory in Kabul closed its doors and 25 staff members are in hiding.
- She was among a handful of designers who took part in the Fabric of Multicultural Australia (FOMA) exhibition in Sydney.
Immediately following the fall of Kabul, TV and radio stations put an immediate halt to the playing of music amid fears of Taliban attack, and fashion houses were forced to shut their doors.
Local fashion designers working with colleagues based overseas, including Australia, were left jobless and many were forced into hiding.
Afghan Maryam Oria arrived in Australia 10 years ago, and restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic saw her lose her job in early 2020.
However, her passion for fashion saw her launch Sakena The Label, whose first collection consisted of upcycled Afghan vintage dresses and ethically sourced skirts, coats, bags and jewellery.
Mariam Oria (R) who founded Sakena The Label. Source: SBS Pashto
"I wanted my brand to have a very strong identity of where I come from and to be able to do something," she says.
With the Taliban in power, she says a cohort of 25 supporting staff members working for her brand in Afghanistan were forced into hiding over fears they would be targeted.
The factory Ms Oria opened in Kabul was among the businesses that immediately closed their doors, without hopes of reopening.
"In Afghanistan, with the help of other women, we opened a small factory to help boost their economy," she says.
“And I got supplies. Those women have helped me a lot, but unfortunately, after the crisis in August this year, most of them are in hiding, and their shop is closed. I am trying to get my team out of Afghanistan and bring them to Australia."
Going forward, she hopes to be a “voice for Afghan women” in Australia.
"I have a storytelling passion and want to show the Afghan culture and clothing through it, and I want to be a voice for Afghan women.”
She was among 10 designers from multicultural backgrounds who took part in the Fabric of Multicultural Australia (FOMA) exhibition in Sydney in early December.
Anjilla Seddeqi, FOMA ambassador. Source: FOMA
"Five months ago, I was given the opportunity to participate at FOMA,” Ms Oria says.
I had started working with cloth makers in Afghanistan for the exhibition, but due to the changes in Afghanistan, I haven’t received any product.
"I am planning to make a video portrait on Afghan refugees, just to tell Australians that they should not be afraid of the refugees or think they are a burden. The people who came here had their lives back in Afghanistan where they had business jobs etc."
FOMA founder Sonia Sadiq Gandhi says the organisation is a platform that “recognises and provides economic empowerment while fostering social cohesion”.
While the pandemic has hit the industry hard, Ms Gandhi believes cultural diplomacy has a part to play in its rebuilding.
Source: SBS Pashto
"There is even more reason now than ever to build and use cultural diplomacy as a platform through the lens of fashion and support the creative industry sector and support the designers.
“The clothes that you wear speak about the designer's journey; they tell the story of where you come from and the hardship and the challenges. They are all stitched through your work.”
FOMA ambassador Anjilla Seddeqi is a Sydney-based Afghan designer and founder of a label bearing her name.
She’s “grateful for the opportunities” that Australia has offered and says the cohort of Afghan designers are "flying the flag" for those in their homeland.
“When I sometimes stress out, I'm reminded of the women's situation in Afghanistan.
"Many women are widows and had worked [in the fashion industry] and were feeding their families, but now they are jobless.
“I am thinking about women in Afghanistan every day, and I am trying to do something for Afghanistan and its people. If we have nothing else to give to the world, we have a rich culture and hospitality and that we offer to the world.”
