A Letter From Emily
"I felt called to go down a different path. I wanted to start a business that could change the system, that could set a precedent, and show others that there is a better way. From that idea, Nazeerah was born."
EMILY MIKHAIEL
Co-Founder and Creative Director
The concept for Nazeerah began over 10 years ago. I was in my second year of law school studying environmental law. There I learned that most environmental laws in the US had not changed since the 1970s when they were first enacted and served as a bandage for a much bigger problem. I felt called to go down a different path. I wanted to start a business that could change the system, that could set a precedent, and show others that there is a better way. From that idea, Nazeerah was born. At the start I set a goal to address four key pillars:
- To support regenerative agriculture, a real solution for restoring our ecological systems and sequestering carbon.
- To consider the end of life of the garment first, therefore, working towards creating a truly circular and biodegradable brand.
- To respect and honor every human being that is part of the complex system of clothing manufacturing.
- To be fully transparent to you, the consumer, about what goes into each garment and who is making them.
For the first two pillars I looked to the past, before modern agriculture and the introduction of synthetic materials. I turned to my father’s roots. He grew up in a small village in the south of Egypt. This was before any modern amenities had reached that part of the country and they were still living in a way, not much different from our ancestors in ancient Egypt. They worked in tune with nature, relying on the yearly floods from the Nile to bring nutrient rich silt, further augmented by making compost. Nature took care of agricultural pests. Native birds, such as the aptly called Sadiq al Falah, which translates to “the farmer’s friend”,
were able to keep crop damaging insects in check.
Plastic hadn’t found its way into the country yet, so everything was biodegradable and metals were either repurposed and recycled. Even old clothing was cut into strips and woven into rugs.
Thankfully, I was able to partner with an organization, right outside of Cairo, that is working with farmers to train them in the ways of biodynamic farming, a type of regenerative farming, that works in tune with nature and restores ecosystems.
"By putting the teachings of my father’s upbringing into practice, we’ve been able to create a clothing collection that is made out of 98% biodegradable materials."
"We promise to make decisions according to what makes the most sense for the environment and the people making your clothes. In return we ask that you remain open and patient with us."
For the third and fourth pillars, I got very lucky. I was introduced to my now business partners, Mahmoud and Eissa. They had been working in the clothing manufacturing industry for over 20 years, for large brands like Calvin Klein and PVH, and had developed a close network with all of the suppliers and factories in Egypt. Through them I was able to navigate the complexities of the world of manufacturing, build a close family of trusted suppliers and manufacturers, and develop alternative biodegradable trims, such as our regenerative cotton shoulder pads, when we could only find polyester options. Because of them, I am able to provide full transparency of what your clothing is made from.
Although we are very proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, we are still not perfect. We’re still learning, and evolving, and striving to do better. However, we promise to make decisions according to what makes the most sense for the environment and the people making your clothes. In return we ask that you remain open and patient with us.
It is my hope that with your support, we can together work to shift the industry for the better and at the same time look damn good while doing it.
With lots of love,
Emily