{"id":5935,"date":"2022-04-14T09:48:07","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T05:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/?p=5935"},"modified":"2022-04-14T09:48:09","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T05:48:09","slug":"dubai-based-brands-launch-fashion-collection-to-aid-refugees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/dubai-based-brands-launch-fashion-collection-to-aid-refugees\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai-based Brands Launch Fashion Collection to Aid Refugees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While the fashion industry might mean luxury for many around the world,\u00a0it has become part of the solution for the\u00a0over 16 million refugees in the Middle East and North Africa. A number of clothing\u00a0companies have recently popped up in Dubai and decided to share their revenues with\u00a0refugees in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched by Arab millennials in December 2021, Ducklife Collection <\/em>is <\/em>a start-up online fashion line with a unisex streetwear brand that produces T-shirts in nine different designs. About 25 percent of the revenue generated by the clothing line sale goes to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur core mission and purpose is to have a positive impact on the society that we participate in,\u201d said Christian Eid, the founder and CEO of Ducklife. \u201cFor us, the global refugee crisis is even more critical in the Middle East and we\u2019re determined to drive the conversation and awareness about the impacts it\u2019s having on the region\u2019s people and communities.\u201d To maximize benefit for refugees, the brand delivers its collection globally through its website. According to Ducklife\u2019s estimations, the company has supported more than 300 families through this program.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization has faced obstacles while launching the collection since the team had little to no experience with apparel. \u201cSourcing fabrics, learning cuts, tailoring, packaging was all new to us! But like most things in life, when you care enough, you can learn anything,\u201d Eid said. As Ducklife develops more collections, they hope to become better at it.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ducklife, as a brand name, was inspired\u00a0by an American musician of the\u00a090s, Tupac Shakur, who coined the\u00a0term \u201cTHUGLIFE,\u201d\u00a0which stands for being unapologetic and action-oriented. \u201cTHUGLIFE, for him and\u00a0us\u00a0[the team],\u00a0means to stand up for what you believe in, even when\u00a0nobody else will stand with you,\u201d Eid said. The team replaced \u2018thug\u2019 with \u2018duck\u2019 since a duck\u00a0symbolizes\u00a0refugees. \u201cDucks\u00a0constantly migrate\u00a0and go wherever they please. No visas and no approvals\u00a0are\u00a0needed. Total freedom of mobility, which we believe is a human right,\u201d he\u00a0explained.\u00a0\u201cFor us, the region\u2019s growing refugee crisis is something we\u2019d like to\u00a0support and raise awareness for continuously.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to UNHCR 2022 figures<\/a>,\u00a0the population of refugees and displaced people is\u00a0rising\u00a0in the Middle East and North Africa. There are 12.4 million internally displaced people\u00a0and 2.3 million refugees. In the Middle East, Syria has the largest number of refugees, exceeding 7 million. The UAE has around 10,000 refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Reborn\u2019s models showcasing the collection. Courtesy of Zeynab El-Helw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to create a brand that I love and also\u00a0be able to give back to society,\u201d said Zeynab El-Helw, founder of Reborn Society.\u00a0Established in 2019,\u00a0Reborn Society is a Dubai-based fashion brand that has also partnered with the UNHCR to support refugees. With every item sold from the collection, 3 USD (11 AED) is donated to the UNHCR. \u201cThe idea of the donation is to have each item serve a\u00a0meaning as a\u00a0purpose,\u00a0and\u00a0remind us\u00a0that there are many different ways in our day to day to contribute to people who are suffering,\u201d El-Helw\u00a0said. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reborn Society\u2019s collection is currently available through its online site, showcased in Tryano Shop (Abu Dhabi), and has recently launched in Egypt. \u201cI\u2019m half Egyptian, so it means a lot to me to have it there,\u201d said El-Helw. \u201cI recently created a bigger vendor ground, and it was highly successful.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

El-Helw described Reborn\u2019s collection as \u2018a laid-back, comfortable clothing line which can be worn in a very relaxed environment.\u2019 \u201cWe are available for women, men, and kids. Many other styles overlap, which lets us give a gender-fluid style,\u201d she explained. The collection offers dresses, hoodies, shorts, socks, tops, and sweatpants. Reborn is an eco-positive brand \u2013 all items are produced from 100 percent high quality certified organic cotton. Prices range from 54 USD (198 AED) to 136 USD (499 AED).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, El-Helw\u00a0is\u00a0in the process of potentially partnering with refugees\u00a0on designs to give them a chance to express themselves and their talents.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Nadia Jbour explaining over Zoom UNHCR\u2019s initiatives in helping MENA refugees. March 1st, 2020. SANDRA EMAM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nadia\u00a0Jbour, Head of the UNHCR office in the UAE, is proud\u00a0to partner with some of the world\u2019s\u00a0leading brands. These actions\u00a0help the UNHCR\u00a0make a difference\u00a0to millions of refugees and IDPs.\u00a0\u201cAs the number of people forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, and conflict is reaching\u00a0the highest levels in recent years, we believe that partnerships from the private sector are essential to support our\u00a0efforts in providing humanitarian assistance\u201d\u00a0Jbour\u00a0added.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the years, we\u2019ve been working with many different partners\u00a0in the UAE who are committing\u00a0and helping us in advocating for the displaced populations around\u00a0the world, and we invite more supporters to join our humanitarian efforts,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jbour\u00a0said the\u00a0UAE has supported their\u00a0efforts in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Bangladesh\u00a0and other UNHCR operations with total contributions of US$ 168 million both from the government\u00a0and the\u00a0private sector based in the country. \u201cWith the logistical support provided by the government of Dubai and the UAE,\u00a0we are able to deliver life-saving support within 72 hours,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the fashion industry might mean luxury for many around the world,\u00a0it has become part…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[48],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5935"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5935"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5939,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5935\/revisions\/5939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}