Afghan tailors do brisk business as Eid celebrations arrive

Kabul, Afghanistan — AFP

In a frenzy of needlework, a den of Afghan tailors fashion customized suits for Eid-al-Fitr, with bejewelled outfits adding vital sparkle to muted celebrations of the Muslim holiday.

At the Crystal Siddiqui shop in northern Kabul, tailors have worked 19-hour days in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, creating 5,000 shalwar kameez — loose-fitting men’s ensembles with a long flowing shirt.

“It is Ramadan — a month full of blessings,” said Shayeq Siddiqui, who helps run the family business.

“When someone wears new things, whether they are clothes or shoes, they give a new spirit and energy to that person,” the 23-year-old shared.

While the end of the two-decade US-led occupation has lifted the burden of war allowing families to reunite across the country, Afghanistan remains in a state of humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations (UN).

Some government decrees have led to the restriction on women from frequenting many public spaces including parks. Several Muslim scholars the world over have decried these laws as against the spirit of Islam.

However, women’s tailors still do brisk business selling bright dresses to be worn by women in private quarters.

Markets are also abuzz with trade of food and presents, and at ‘Crystal Siddiqui’, dozens of crisp, ironed shalwar kameez are stacked and waiting for new owners to parade them for friends and family on Eid.

– Fine embroidery –

Costing from 1,500 to 30,000 Afghanis ($420), a small fortune in a country where some 85 per cent live on less than a dollar a day according to the UN, the men’s suits come in infinite variations.

This year, fine embroidery from southern Kandahar — giving shirts the undulating texture of snake-skin — is particularly popular.

Less subtle, gold fabrics with gleaming fake precious stones are also stacked in abundance and favoured by shoppers who have swollen the store’s order book to twice its usual monthly size.

Upstairs, patterns are chalked out under the expert eye of tailors with measuring tape draped over their necks. Others squint over sewing machines and shear reams of fabric with hefty scissors.

“Obviously, it’s difficult, but it is our job and a must-have for people,” said senior tailor 28-year-old Abdul Farooq Azimi, salvaging a moment’s rest on a workshop stool.

“We feel fortunate to see our compatriots wearing new clothes on Eid, it gives us happiness,” he said. “We are serving our people in this holy month.”