I have been truly inspired by the Hanfu Movement in China, which successfully revived traditional clothing by modernizing it and making it part of daily life. Today, Chinese youth proudly wear their cultural attire at universities, public events, and even in the streets.
This idea sparked in me a deep desire to develop fashion designs rooted in Somali culture — clothing that is elegant, practical, wearable on a daily basis, and at the same time expresses our rich identity in a civilized and contemporary way.
I currently have several original designs — five for women and four for men — all inspired by Somali heritage.
However, I’m not an illustrator. I’ve searched freelance platforms for professional designers, but the prices were too high, and I don’t have any funding to pay for this project. That’s why I’m writing this post — to ask for help from anyone who cares about our cultural future.
If you are a designer or know a talented illustrator nearby, perhaps you could help by translating these rough ideas into clear, illustrated concepts.
Ideally, I hope these designs can be drawn as cartoon characters with distinct Somali features — face, hair, and body type — just like the beautiful character illustrations the Chinese produced after the Hanfu revival.
My dream is to collectively create a simple PDF booklet that compiles these designs and release it free of copyright, so that Somalis everywhere — at home and abroad — can adopt, produce, and wear these outfits proudly during:
• Cultural days and exhibitions
• University events and diaspora festivals
• Public forums and local showcases
• And across social media platforms
In doing so, we can begin rebuilding a Somali visual identity that is both authentic and modern — a break from the generic Nomads or Arab-style clothing that doesn’t truly reflect who we are.
It’s time we create our own civilized Somali fashion, with our own hands, inspired by our own story.
If you can help, or know someone who can, please reach out.
Share this message, connect people, contribute an idea, or bridge an artist with a designer.
The future we envision starts today — together.
This idea sparked in me a deep desire to develop fashion designs rooted in Somali culture — clothing that is elegant, practical, wearable on a daily basis, and at the same time expresses our rich identity in a civilized and contemporary way.
I currently have several original designs — five for women and four for men — all inspired by Somali heritage.
However, I’m not an illustrator. I’ve searched freelance platforms for professional designers, but the prices were too high, and I don’t have any funding to pay for this project. That’s why I’m writing this post — to ask for help from anyone who cares about our cultural future.
If you are a designer or know a talented illustrator nearby, perhaps you could help by translating these rough ideas into clear, illustrated concepts.
Ideally, I hope these designs can be drawn as cartoon characters with distinct Somali features — face, hair, and body type — just like the beautiful character illustrations the Chinese produced after the Hanfu revival.
My dream is to collectively create a simple PDF booklet that compiles these designs and release it free of copyright, so that Somalis everywhere — at home and abroad — can adopt, produce, and wear these outfits proudly during:
• Cultural days and exhibitions
• University events and diaspora festivals
• Public forums and local showcases
• And across social media platforms
In doing so, we can begin rebuilding a Somali visual identity that is both authentic and modern — a break from the generic Nomads or Arab-style clothing that doesn’t truly reflect who we are.
It’s time we create our own civilized Somali fashion, with our own hands, inspired by our own story.
If you can help, or know someone who can, please reach out.
Share this message, connect people, contribute an idea, or bridge an artist with a designer.
The future we envision starts today — together.
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