Building a Mission-Driven Fashion Brand That Employs Refugees with Shahd Alasaly of Blue Meets Blue

Описание: What does it look like to build a fashion brand where human dignity is the bottom line? Shahd Alasaly, founder of Blue Meets Blue, joins Emily Jean to share her journey from sociologist to fashion founder, creating a sustainable clothing line that employs refugee artisans in the United States. From sourcing Damascus brocade from the last remaining maker in Syria to creating safe spaces for refugee women to heal through craft, Shahd's story challenges everything we think we know about fashion, activism, and what it means to build a business that truly matters.
The origin story of Blue Meets Blue and why Shahd started a fashion label in response to Syria's civil war
How refugee women's skills often don't "translate" when they come to the U.S.—and how Blue Meets Blue changes that
Why fashion can be a tool for healing and collective trauma without calling it therapy
The moment Shahd went back to Syria after the Assad regime fell and sourced fabric from the last Damascus brocade maker
Why 80% of garment factories in Syria were intentionally destroyed during the war
What it's really like to run a mission-driven company (and why Shahd almost quit in 2019)
The refugee artisan who could finally afford to send cupcakes for her son's birthday—and why that's what success actually looks like
How to build a sustainable fashion brand that's sustainable for people, not just the planet
Why activism and humanitarianism don't have to be add-ons—they can be the foundation
Shahd's vision for the future of Blue Meets Blue and refugee-made luxury fashion

Why this episode matters
Blue Meets Blue isn't just another "ethical fashion" brand. It's a refusal to let Syrian culture be erased. It's proof that businesses can heal as they scale. And it's a reminder that mission-driven entrepreneurship is hard—but it's possible. If you've been wondering whether you can build something that matters AND makes money, this conversation is for you.
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Read Shahd's Book:
A Kid's Book About Humanitarianism: Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and akidsco.com
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