Chicago clothing creators help Gaza, get a social media spotlight on their "Freedom Melon"
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A clothing and accessories shop on Chicago's northwest side recently went viral after the daughter of a Hollywood power duo sported one of its designs.
The publicity not only gave the business, owned by two UIC grads, a boost but also put a spotlight on their business model of helping people.
With over 160,000 pieces and over $400,000 donated over the years, their global mission is just getting started.
"A lot of people are becoming more conscious of the way they spend their dollar because they know that's their ultimate vote," Nofal said.
"We didn't know anything about manufacturing, about shipping, or the raw parts of a business," said Mustafa Mabruk, one of the founders of Wear the Peace.
But what Murad Nofal and Mustafa Mabruk knew was they wanted to help people when they launched their Chicago-based apparel company Wear the Peace in 2016.
At the time, the impact of war in Syria was on the minds of the two young men, both of Middle Eastern descent.
"We have seen all these videos of people in second-hand clothing and we thought maybe we could give them clothing and at the same time, create clothing that spreads awareness to these issues that we are trying to tackle," said co-founder Murad Nofal.
From crew necks, hoodies, and caps, those complex issues materialized in simple yet thoughtful designs.
They incorporated a business model of "buy one, give one" where for every item sold, the same article is donated to a global cause.
Over the years they've included humanitarian relief efforts in Jordan, Kenya, and Yemen.
"The proudest moment for us is when we're like, it's the day we go donate. And we filled the truck with 20,000 pieces of clothing," Mabruk said.
What was, for the most part, a smooth operation recently experienced the type of hurricane every small business owner dreams about.
Violet Affleck, the teenage daughter of actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, was spotted donning one of their crew necks: The "Freedom Melon"
It's their take on the longstanding symbol of Palestinian protest and solidarity. The story and image went viral for both criticism and praise.
And their warehouse on Chicago's northwest side hasn't been the same since.
"I mean, we had to hire five to six new people in the warehouse just to keep up with the demand," Nofal said.
Since its viral status, the company has taken all proceeds from the Freedom Melon, giving them to the Bridgeview-based nonprofit Pious Project, where they have provided water, food, and medical aid to the needy in Gaza.
