Our Movement
ORIGIN
I remember the smell of my father’s old camel wool patu as he’d wrap it around us at bedtime, its musky scent enveloping us both as his soft voice would tell stories of home. Every night he’d tell a different story, drawing on memories and histories that had been passed down for generations. He would fondly recall a childhood of flying kites through the streets of Kabul, the sky alive with vibrant colors. His eyes would shine bright as he remembered the taste of kabobs fresh from street vendors and ripe fruit grown around the country—oranges from Jalalabad and pomegranates from Qandahar. Through my father’s stories, I fell in love with a place I had never been to and with people I had never met.
AFGNSTN was founded to pay homage to these stories, retelling through streetwear the glimpses of Afghanistan that our families thought important enough to pass down.
VISION
AFGNSTN is a movement with the goal of reclaiming the narrative told about Afghanistan. It aims to showcase the beauty and radiance of the country by centering the voices of Afghans and paying tribute to the vision they hold of their homeland.
AFGNSTN is a collection of stories--the story of refugee footprints along mountain paths and immigrant small businesses that ground communities. It's a collection of moments-the moment ears perk at the sound of Pashto and Farsi being spoken and hearts tug with the couplets of Rumi. It's a collection of feelings-the bittersweet voice of Ahmad Zahir and the joy of spinning in attan.
AFGNSTN is a bridge between Afghanistan and the Afghan diaspora, combining urban streetwear with symbols of home-a conversation spanning generations from Afghanistan to countries all over the world. We hope that the stories told through our apparel are not only a reminder of our heritage, but the responsibility to continue that heritage, and the strength to further it.