Wisconsin Life

[rhythmic rubab] - Art is like an international language.

I choose this fashion industry just to enhance my culture, my traditions, and I want to empower not just women in Afghanistan, but across the world.

I'm Sarwat Najib.

I'm a graphic designer, I'm a fashion designer, and I'm a woman advocate.

I founded my own Atelier fashion design outlet in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, 50 years of war, mostly women are not educated.

There were a lot of women, they came to my factory, and they told me that we are not allowed to go outside and work.

What about us?

You are empowering women and we need your help.

So then, I decided to give them projects, home-based embroideries.

There are a lot of different embroidery techniques, so I use them into different, like, a contemporary style.

I draw sketches by myself.

Usually, I sketch illustrations on my sketchbook.

From fashion, my inspiration is nature.

I designed a fish mermaid dress and it was like a hand embroidery.

It was a 50-meter tulle, a big train, and it was, like, my last design.

I never showcased that, and Kabul collapsed that time.

We were in the factory, we were working there, and we have a news that Taliban are, they-- they-- they are just taking over the Kabul.

And it was so fearful that they, we all... we even never hugged each other.

The scissors were on the table and the cloth was, and the fabric was there and everything.

And even my pattern master, she decided to cover the fabric because she said, "This is expensive fabric.

I don't know when we will come again."

[voice quivering] We never go again.

So, we never went back, we scattered.

After that, we call each other, "Where are you?

Are you safe?"

So, I can say if your home, like, unfortunately, caught fire, what would you do?

So, you can go, leave everything, right?

So, this happened to us.

[tense piano and woodwind] Taliban came to our Atelier.

They destroyed everything.

They destroyed everything just because we are doing a Western fashion.

They think we are pro-Americans.

So, they destroy even the, like, mannequins and because it's a female figure-type sculptures.

So, it was a big loss for us.

[sorrowful ney flute] I must say that 50 years of war, if it happens to a mountain, it would be collapsed.

If you hit a mountain for 50 years, it would be smashed.

But I must say the people of Afghan-- Afghan people are so brave.

They are like seeds.

Like, even if they are buried, they again grow.

[funky and jazzy rubab melody] When I came to Wisconsin, I started my work with the local people.

And now, I want to set a good example for my generation, my other generation, other people.

Then they came and they think that after migration, they people were disheartened and they stopped.

I want to send them a message.

Don't stop!

It's a phase.

It's a phase of life.

If you are alive, you can do more, more and more.

And you are in a good place.

I am happy that I'm here.

I'm safe.

And I am happy in the community here.

This is the platform that I can raise my voice for my Afghan women.