Aql & Nafs is the story of our life: blending reason Aql (عقل) with emotion Nafs (نفس). It is also the story of us Zohal and Mursal: twin sisters blending our global sense of belonging with our Afghan roots – western rationality with oriental passion.
We have been on a long journey. As young business students we jobbed as flight attendants travelling to all corners of the world. It sharped our senses for the local and the global, hoping that one day our passion for fashion would allow us to create an opportunity to celebrate Afghan heritage for a global audience.
The Afghan coat – originally crafted by nomadic artisans in our country – was exactly that opportunity. It has long been an evergreen in western wardrobes. So, what better way than for us to combine the artisan traditions of Afghanistan with a timeless fashion statement of the ancient and the modern, as well as the ethnic and the global.
Each coat and each vest, is a piece of us and thereby a piece of both Afghanistan and London – the local and the global. We hope that we can use the coat to change your perspective on Afghanistan whose story in recent years has been written by crisis and conflict – and not as it should be by its rich cultural and artistic heritage.
With each purchase, you're not only embracing Afghan craftsmanship but also making a difference in the lives of others. A percentage of our proceeds goes directly to Afghan charities, supporting vital causes in our homeland.
