June 9th, 2005
Afghan Women Led On Citywide Design Tour
By MICHAEL REHAK

Laila (l.) rides the escalator with other Bpeace (Business Council for Peace) Associates from Kabul. They are on their way to do market research at Target. Photo © Paula Lerner 2005

In an effort to give women in Afghanistan the freedom and opportunity to take part in business ventures, senior executives from New York’s text ile and apparel businesses teamed up with a number of women’s advocacy groups to bring 15 Afghan women entrepreneurs to New York City.

The nearly two-month visit, titled “Style Road Trip,” began May 22 and concludes Friday. The plan, organized in part by the Flushing-based Women for Afghan Women, brought women who reside in Kabul, Kandahar and Herat to New York City to learn about fashion’s global marketplace through real world and classroom experiences. For the first time ever, these women saw New York City and took part in learning about business – something that would never had been possible had the Taliban still been in control in their country.

From what had been a male-dominated society in Afghanistan, where women were not allowed to work or go to school, Laila, one of the Afghan women, said she has been amazed with New York’s fashion district, its subway system and skyscrapers. “I like New York very much,” she said and added that classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology have taught her many things about fabrics and design.

Laila said she currently works with her husband in the gold jewelry importing business and now is legally allowed to work alongside her husband because the Taliban has been forced from power. In New York, Laila said she was able to meet many different types of people in the fashion industry and hopes to become more involved in clothing design.

“Clothing is not something I am doing yet,” she said. “Currently I am involved in packing and
importing jewelry.” She added that along with classroom experience and meeting many clothing designers, visiting shops in SoHo was also memorable.

The Style Road Trip was hosted by the Business Council for Peace and Women for Afghan Women organizations, with assistance from FIT and the Council for Fashion Designers. The Business Council for Peace has also offered to continue mentoring the Afghan women when they return to their home country through visits and on-site mentoring. The group’s goal is to “facilitate the building of the Kabul Textile Works, a fashion and industrial park to offer a safe and cost effective environment in which to create thousands of jobs for Afghans seeking economic freedom.”

The trip was funded by Coach Inc., Eileen Fischer Inc., Dress Barn, the U.S. State Department, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Office of Citizen Exchanges and others. Gifts were provided by the Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Kenneth Cole Productions, Kodak, Payless Shoes, Sephora and Clearvision Optical.