One of the things that I have shukr for is my marriage, because although you do choose your spouse, in a way it is always a bit tricky and you never know what you’ll get. It’s also the same with families. One of my first blessings is my family-and that’s one you definitely don’t have any say in the matter. I thank Allah every single prayer, every day for the amazing, wonderful, loving, and supportive family He has given me.

So going back to marriage, although I have only been married for 5 years, alhumduillah, I can say that we have put in a fair hare and a half of our time and energy to cultivate what we have. And it feels good to step back from time to time and look at what we have achieved together. It’s like standing back and looking at your garden and seeing what has bloomed with that huge sensation of joy, satisfaction, and amazement after a long time of hard work and nurturing care. You only started out with a few seeds not knowing if you are going to be a good gardener, not knowing if you have the right tools, not knowing if the seeds will sprout, and not knowing what Nature will send your way. But you’re determined and you go for it and you have passion and the right intentions. And for me, marriage has been a lot like that.

So this week apart from being totally backlogged with work, I get sick. Alhumduillah, since I’ve been taking better care of myself, I haven’t had a cold in the last 2 years or so. But the one day I decide to break from my vegetarian-raw-vegan lifestyle for one meal to eat some fish, we both get really sick-my husband first, then me. Perhaps a reminder to me that I shouldn’t eat food with faces?

After my husband re-cooperates slightly, I get it next. I’m telling you, in times of difficulty is when the true beauty of your spouse’s character shines through. It’s that gentle attentive TLC that my husband gave me this week that got my thinking about this idea of “shukr”. He made me freshly prepared juices, herbal teas, checked my rising fever, kept me company, and made sure I was toasty warm. It was lovely even though I was completely nauseous and bed-ridden. The little things are what are so much more important to cherish than the big surprise gestures every once and awhile. I mean if you hold out to see if your spouse will finally plan that spectacular wedding anniversary trip, then you’ll miss out on cherishing all the other little things he does do for you every day. So as they say here in Spain when you want to say that your partner is your other half,  you say, “mi media naranja”, or “my half an orange”. And that’s exactly what my husband is to me.

Tabassum, Head Designer

Perhaps the most iconic aspect of SHUKR’s website presentation is the striking photography, taken against the backdrop of beautiful, traditional Damascene houses. These remnants of Ottoman splendor are priceless historical gems, testifying to the beauty of traditional Islamic architecture. SHUKR has been privileged to photograph its clothing collections in some of the most famous of these fairy-tale palaces and homes, including the Azem Palace, Maktab ‘Anbar and Bayt Nizam. We have also photographed in other atmospheric Islamic architectural masterpieces, such as the magnificent Umayyad Mosque, the dramatic Khan As’ad Pasha, the sumptuous Bait Shami restaurant, and the atmospheric old souks. This photograph of our Tunic Shirt, taken in the Azem Palace, was a winning shot during our Ramadan 2005 campaign:

The Azem palace was originally built in 1750 as a residence for the Ottoman governor of Damascus, As’ad Pasha al-‘Azem, and it currently functions as the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions. Here’s a shot our cameraman took with a minaret of the Ummayyad Mosque in the background. Who wouldn’t want to have the Umayyad Mosque as their local masjid?!

Maktab Anbar has some wonderfully intricate geometric wooden doors, which we love to photograph against. Here’s a favorite photo from Ramadan 2007:

Maktab Anbar, built in the mid-19th century, contains a mixture of traditional Islamic design themes, including, of course, the symbolic gardens, as well as European-influenced stonework.

Bayt Nizam, an 18th-century quaint Damascene house, has some wonderful stonework. Maybe this is what is engaging our male models in this photo? Probably not!

This mother-of-pearl engraved door from the Bayt Nizam has some thoughtful religious poetic lines, saying:

“That which Allah wills, Is
And that which He does not will, is Not”

“Whoever trusts in Allah, Allah frees from need (from any besides Him)
And whoever depends upon Him, Allah suffices him”

(Click on the image to enlarge it and read the Arabic engraving yourself)

A typical SHUKR photoshoot takes up the whole day, and we have a small team of enthusiastic models, assistants, a director and a cameraman. None of our models are professionals, but rather just naturally talented individuals we bumped into here and there. We normally have 3 female models on site, which gives us an opportunity to create some interesting group shots. Here’s a favorite from Ramadan 2007:

Judging by the amount of page views this next image received on our websites, this was our most popular image ever:

The photoshoots normally are an enjoyable experience, and probably the best one was when we rented out the Bait Shami restaurant to do some shots for Ramadan and Eid. This is a traditional Arab house recently converted into a restaurant, the best destination for Arab cuisine in Damascus:

The photoshoots are, however, also a lot of hard work. After a full day on one’s feet, rushing around trying to get everything done in time, it’s time to take a break!

We’d like to know what you, our customers, think about our pictures. Do you appreciate the traditional architectural backgrounds? What do you think about the style of photography? Is there enough product detail shown? We’d love to hear from you.

~Anas, Managing Partner

SHUKR Behind the Scenes, Part 1: The Design Process

SHUKR Behind the Scenes, Part 2: Pattern-Making and Prototypes

At the SHUKR factory in Damascus, Syria, we work with 3 unique seasonal collections: Spring/Summer; Autumn/Winter and Ramadan/Eid. Each season has 100 new designs. These 100 designs are then broken down into monthly production orders. Here’s an exclusive look at the hard work that goes into making the high quality clothes we are proud to offer our customers.

Lay Planning

The first stage in production is to use computer-aided design programs to lay out all the various fabric pieces that will be cut. The “lay plan”, as it is called, is then printed out onto paper using a gigantic printer which is over 6 feet wide!

Fabric Laying and Cutting

This lay plan is placed on top of the numerous layers of fabric that are rolled out onto 25 feet long tables. Our workers carefully cut through the paper and fabric layers with specialized electric fabric cutters.

Bundling

After the fabric is cut, the next stage in the production process is called bundling. This process involves sorting out all the various fabric pieces into specific bundles of styles, colors and sizes. Working through thousands of different cut fabric pieces is not an easy job – a slight mix up in the fabric pieces can lead to a long days work!

Sewing

The sewers are then given the bundled fabric pieces to expertly sew together. Most clothing production companies work according to impersonal assembly line systems involving a specialized division of labor – one sewer sews the collar, another the pockets, another the sleeves etc. However, this only works when the company is producing very large quantities of a single style. This method doesn’t work well for the Islamic clothing market which is just a small, niche market. And it definitely doesn’t work well for SHUKR’s approach, which is to produce smaller quantities of many new designs in genuine seasonal collections, rather than larger quantities of just a handful of designs. Consequently, rather than an impersonal assembly line, almost all of our garments are completely sewn by just one or two workers, offering a much more personal touch for our customers.

Post-Sewing Inspection

Quality control checks are present at all stages of production, starting from an analysis of the fabrics before we even start cutting them. However, one of the most vital areas of quality control in the SHUKR factory is post-sewing: each garment is checked for its conformance to our rigorous sewing specifications that far exceed market standards.

Finishing Department

After sewing, most of our garments are sent to a garment washing factory where they go through a vigorous pre-washing treatment to eliminate any shrinkage in the fabrics. The fabrics are also softened and other treatments may be required to create comfortable, moveable, flowing SHUKR garments.

Back in the factory, buttons are then sewed onto the garments that require them.

Thereafter, our garments are delicately and meticulously ironed using industry-standard steam irons.

The final stage in the finishing department is a thorough check on the quality and the sizes. Any defective garments – even if only slightly defective – are put aside to be sold in our defect shops in the local markets. Only completely unblemished, 100% perfect garments get to earn the SHUKR label. This is Jihad taking the measurements of a garment. He is one of our oldest employees. In fact, he was the second SHUKR worker hired, way back in 2001.

Warehouse

The finished items are tagged and packaged, ready to be sent off to our various distribution centers and retail outlets around the world.

Check out a previous post we made about our photography:

SHUKR Behind the Scenes, Part Four: What’s Behind a Picture?

- Anas, Managing Partner

[This post is part of our series on gratitude. Feel free to read up on it here.]

Three things I am grateful for:

1.       My wife’s sweet potato pie

2.       A good cup of coffee

3.       My daughter Jennah

~ Zeyad, Sales Manager

…Treating yourself, once in a while. After a long busy week of work, one often feels tired, sleepy, and sometimes a bit cranky. So is there something wrong with treating yourself? No, I don’t think so. This week I went out with my friends to our favorite restaurant, we shared stories and jokes and of course, we ate until we were full.

It is important to realize that in the midst of our busy lives and tight schedules, it’s important to take some time off. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be something grand, it can be as simple as just sitting around the house and relaxing. We forget that our body has a right over us and it is through our body we accomplish our goals and dreams. If we aren’t doing what we can to take care of ourselves, then sooner or later, we are going to burn out.

I think we all deserve a break once in a while, to enjoy and relax and make shukr for the many blessings of life.

~ Basim, Marketing Manager