About us
Who is Kinda Afifi?
A half Lebanese, half Palestinian designer who has an obsession towards hats and the art of embroidery!
How did I start making hats?
It all came together after a harsh year of being lost with where I should be in life. I had just left my job at Leo Burnett as a junior art director and I was looking for a fresh start. Thats when I signed up for a millinery course in London and began to learn the art of hat making! This all started around November 2019.
What brought the Brand to life?
Currently Lebanon hosts close to 450,000 Palestinian refugees in 12 camps. Conditions for the communities living in refugee camps in Lebanon are notoriously difficult and employment opportunities are limited. At the same time, traditionally it is not usual for the women to seek employment outside their immediate surroundings. It was these social problems that led me to establish Kinda Afifi as a way of creating employment for refugee Palestinian women. The women from the camps embroide the designs onto the hats and other products by hand. The embroidery is done with precision and care. The work allows the women a sense of empowerment and belonging, and that is the goal that Kinda Afifi aims for!
What are the values in your brand that you think resonates with your customers and why?
Kinda Afifi is a fashion brand focused on the art of embroidery; mainly on hats, that creates one of a kind luxury handmade hats that empower both the Palestinian woman making them and the customers that buy them! The brands values revolve around empowerment, belonging and craftsmanship and this is reflected through our customers as a lot want to know more about the story behind the brand when purchasing an item!
What are the collections based on?
My collections are all designed from my experiences and life lessons. The first collection ever designed was a very special one as it was a tribute towards my two grandmothers, who were a big inspiration in my life. This collection is an iconic one and I choose to bring my brand to life starting with " A Tribute Collection".
How Kinda Afifi helps out?
Kinda Afifi tries to help out the communties it is around as much as possible, especially the Lebanese community. During the 2020 Covid pandemic Kinda Afifi designed masks and with the masks sold we were able to raise money to put together over 100 care packages. Each box was filled with essential goods that would help families across Lebanon to get through the difficult times. A portion of the masks were designed for the Lebanese Red Cross, over 100 masks were sent to them to help them through the difficult time they had to endure.