Afghan Fashion Designer Safia Tarzi — #sshadoow #afghan #afghanistan #afghanfashiondesigner #safiatarzi #kabul #history #vogue #style #war

During the 1960's was an era in Afghanistan where women's rights were heavily advocated throughout urban areas. Early 1970's, over 60% of women made up the student population in Kabul University. The attention to women and moving progression within the 60's gave way to the boom of women in education and industry in the coming years. 1965 started off a steady increase in the number of women. The enrollment rate for girls in primary school increase to 8% by 1975 and then 14% by 1987. During my studies I came across an Afghan Fashion Designer named Safia Tarzi, I fell in love with everything from the design to the choose of fabrication and most of all the ambience of Buzkashi. I told myself one day I’ll make an inspirational design and I finally did. The ‘60s allowed Afghani women to pursue professional careers, practice design and marketing, and share their hopes and dreams today and with the world.

During my studies, I discovered an image on the internet that inspired me as an Afghan-American pursue my dreams. I’ll never forget that day, in the library listening to Afghan music on my cd walkman, talking out load saying “I’m going to make this one day, Zinda Bad Afghanistan” fortunate it was before 9/11 and Laguna Beach High School didn’t even know where Afghanistan is located, I was safe lol, Safia Tarzi modeled her own creation in for vogue magazine 1968. I SSHADOOW Afghan Fashion Designer Safia Tarzi in her creation. In 2016 I was employed by Louis Vuitton (LVMH) Nicolas Ghesquiere Spring/Summer 2016 show launching a bubble skirt, the day we received in inventory I had to try it on see how the pattern was made. I’ll never forget sending a mass email, globally (intended to store only) and got corporates responds in how inspirational it was, I’ll never forget replying to emails stating Afghanistan Fashion, nothing feels better then representing Afghanistan through fashion. 

Reflecting  back at the 1960s, before the Taliban came along, Afghanistan had a very different life and name.  History reveals unique cultural identity, Afghanistan was an exotic destination during the early 1900’s, vibrant, quite, life and traffic. Men and women attended movie theaters, Shopping bazaars to sell home goods, furniture and fashion, today known as consignment stores. Even the ruling government at that period had a traditional sense of law and order, which helped the development of art and architecture. People of Afghanistan lived in hope, believing that through education and technological advancement there will be opportunities in the near future. Today corruption has our people not only losing hope but losing lives. 

Women in Afghanistan now have a dedicated Minister of Women’s Affairs based throughout the country at provincial levels. There also exists a chairwoman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Dr. Sima Samar. She has also stated that women should be a part of the Afghan Peace talk. In a conference in Kabul, she explained that women have a fear that they will once again be forgotten if the Taliban come back. She said women serve an important role at the peace talks because of their special concerns. She included that women have overwhelmingly been the victims of war, but have been excluded from the conversations on how to end what they have endured.

Sara Assefi