About
About Us
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.
As mums we also wanted to find something that our babies could wear. The Afghan kids vest with the hand-stitched embroidery is also deeply rooted in Afghan cultural heritage and makes for the perfect combo with the Afghan coat – allowing mummy and baby to get through the winter in style.
The Product
The Afghan coat has been more than just a fashion icon. Originally crafted by nomadic artisans using local sheep skin and shear wool, these coats have become symbols of Afghan identity and craftsmanship.
Not least since the hippies and the counterculture youth discovered the Afghan coat on their travels to Afghanistan in the 1960s, the long overcoat with a lush shearling collar and cuffs has become a fashion staple. It was here in London where cultural giants such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and later also David Bowie made the Afghan coat into a global phenomenon – bringing local Afghan heritage to a global audience. So whether as the Penny Lane coat or as a statement piece in todays Y2K trend, Afghan jackets have been an integral part of western fashion for decades, continually reinvented. However, they seldom receive recognition in connection with their cultural origin and rich history of Afghan strength and traditions.
With Aql & Nafs we want to go back to its Afghan roots, giving it authenticity and cultural credibility. There is no better place to relaunch the coat than from London, where it already once found its way from the mountains of Afghanistan to the highstreets of the world.
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.