Designer Nawed Elias hope's to shed a new light on Afghanistan using fashion.
It is 1993, Kabul, Afghanistan when Nawed Elias is born as a descendants of proud ancestors from the remote province of Paktia. This versatile scenery with its endless mountains, dry desserts and green forests is home to the Pashtun tribes, with their colorful, sun bleached robes. Here we find the village of Zazai, where Nawed finds inspiration for his designs.
Against this beautiful background, however, Afghanistan is a country torn by conflicts. Hate towards foreigners grows, jihad groups are flourishing and at the same time there is mutual distrust and corruption blooms. Afghanistan, not immediately associated with fashion and creative liberty. Nevertheless, this world of extremes provides Nawed with inspiration and the beauty, tradition, intractability and folkloric costume of this unique territory form a foundation for his original style.
At the age of fourteen, Nawed comes to the Netherlands where he is introduced to Western culture and fashion. Divided between the two extremes of his roots and his new home, he finds inspiration for his designs. His first collection unites both cultures, on one side the familiar, on the other side an encounter with the unknown.
I want to show the world that Afghanistan is my very beautiful and special. I want the world to introduce you to another side of Afghanistan, no war But the beautiful culture. and the colorful culture of Afghanistan
-Nawed Elias-
Clothes: Zazai Design Designer: Nawed Elias Make-up: Yaramin Dila Modellen: Robert Matthew Dawe Location: Amsterdam Photography: pippilotta yena
