From COVID-19 numbers climbing to fires ravaging the west coast, the onslaught of terrible news is so overwhelming that the Beirut explosion seems like the distant past. But it was just over six weeks ago when the city arose to devastating chaos that caused approximately 6500 injuries. Lebanon is still very much in the early stages of recovery, and Canadian designer Celine Hajjar, founder of NAFSI, wants to help.
 
NAFSI is known best for their ethically made loose-fitting dresses (which we absolutely love), but Hajjar has created a collection of t-shirts, that she’s calling ‘The Beirut Giveback T’, and $20 from every shirt sold will go towards helping recovery efforts in Lebanon. “I was born & raised in Canada to parents that immigrated from Lebanon just after they got married. We still have lots of family there and visit the beautiful country as much as possible,” says Hajjar. “The morning of August 4th was a real-life nightmare. When I first heard about the explosion in Beirut a million things crossed my mind. What happened? Is it real? Are my family & friends okay? My grandpa? I had to find a way to help.”
 
The t-shirts are made of 50% organic cotton, 3 recycled plastic bottles, and are wrapped in recycled packaging. On the left hand side of each shirt, and close to the heart, is the the word KAFA, which means enough, written in Arabic calligraphy. “KAFA—because we’ve had enough of the corruption and mistreatment in Lebanon,” explains Hajjar.
 
The second piece of the collection integrates the Lebanese cedar within NAFSI’s logo, paying homage to Hajjar’s Lebanese heritage. “I’ve always been inspired by my Lebanese roots & my lovely upbringing in Canada, so merging the two just felt right.”
 
We love understanding the inspiration behind a designer’s choices, and this striking and sustainable t-shirt is a great basic with a strong message that will undoubtedly help people whose lives have been shattered by this tragedy.