She started her business in 1999 in the German city of Cologne to fulfill the demand by Kurdish residents, but Rasheed’s customers include women of other nationalities.
Rasheed, a native of Sulaimani in Iraqi Kurdistan, has her own style and design and custom-designs dresses for customers based on their needs.
Rasheed tries to meet the demands of women from many backgrounds, including Yazidis, Badini and Sorani women from across the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.
Rasheed said she designs both traditional styles as well as hybrid designs that appeal to Kurds and non-Kurds in Europe.
“I have customers from many European countries, Canada, Iraqi Kurds, Turkish Kurds and some Iranians and Arabs,” Rasheed told Rudaw.
Rasheed’s business picks up around Nawruz, the Kurdish New Year.
Customers outside Germany can place orders with Rasheed and receive their garments by mail. An ordinary Kurdish dress costs about 150 euros to make.
Rasheed arrived in Germany as a refugee in 1993 and started her design and sewing business a few years later.
Rasheed said she imports the material for her business from Iraqi Kurdistan and makes at least five dresses a month.
“My prices depend on the quality of the cloth,” she said. “Normally, a single dress will cost around 120 to 150 euros, but if the customer brings her own material, then the price will be 50 or 60 euros.”
Occasionally Rasheed organizes Kurdish fashion shows where around 20 women demonstrate her styles.
“Due to some wrong traditions in our Kurdish society, it is difficult to find Kurdish models for our fashion shows,” Rasheed said. “Especially when the models know there will be photographers and some customers who want take their photos. The Kurdish models are afraid that their photos will be distributed in the media and manipulated.”
For this, Rasheed said, in addition to the few Kurdish models willing to join the show, she uses Azerbaijanian, Armenian, Arab and German models.
In some cases, Rasheed uses mannequins to display her designs.
Given that Germany boasts the largest Kurdish community in Europe, Rasheed wants to establish a fashion company with her brand name.
On International Women’s Day in March, Rasheed is planning to host a Kurdish fashion show in the Netherlands.
