Yalla, Checkout سوق يا حبيبي/Ya Habibi Market
In conversation with Ya habibi Market's founder Patrick El Gemayel who is serving Arabs from all over the world, and connecting them with one another regardless of their diaspora.
Cool, Comfortable, and for charity: check✔️️.
Cool, Comfortable, and for charity: check✔️️.
In February 2022, I got the opportunity to talk with Patrick el Gemayel! After finding his cool brand on Instagram, I reached out, and I felt that I needed to learn more about his brand initiative and vision!
I was interested in reading about the brand, and I learned that every purchase made immediately contributes to charity.
Patrick himself collaborates with creatives and artists from the Middle East and North Africa region to drop cool and creative merch. This suggests that the market lacks support for artists from the region. Few people support the concept, like Patrick and PSST (ME).
Who is Patrick El Gemayel?
Ya Habibi Market has a story to tell. In Patrick's case, it starts in his childhood. Patrick was born during the civil war in Lebanon, and being raised in such an environment forced Patrick's family to move to Egypt to live with his grandparents when he was eight years old. In his teenage years, Patrick moved to Canada with his parents to attend high school, and he pursued a creative career as a musician and started a band called Chromeo with David Macklovitch.
Using Empathy to Support Creativity.
Being creative at his core, Patrick had to shift his gears and find a way to channel his creativity during the pandemic. When covid hit, he had to stop working, and there were no more gigs and parties! In that process, Patrick started doing some reflection and understanding how the world had been suffering during the pandemic. As someone with empathy, he started understanding not everyone is so lucky and many people got affected!
Patrick and David decided to drop a COVID-themed album along with merch representing the artwork in the album. Patrick wasn't sure how the merch campaign would perform. However, all the dropped merch artwork from that album was sold out and sent all the money to the Know Your Rights Camp as it has been helping people with color that got mostly affected and hit by covid. The band raised $20,000, and they didn't realize that fans like merch!
The Beirut explosion occurred a few months later, in August 2020. Patrick's 'aha' moment came when he realized he should help everyone during those difficult times as a Lebanese citizen. He collaborated with Know Your Rights camp and took a leap of faith to see if people would buy the merch so they could start sending charity and support to Lebanon! Patrick's designs were sold out immediately, and a donation of $10,000 was sent to the Impact Lebanon Organization.
As a result of raising funds to aid people in Lebanon, Patrick decided to start his line of charity merchandise, and he has already received validation from his fans that this concept will be a success.
Patrick and David decided to drop a COVID-themed album along with merch representing the artwork in the album. Patrick wasn't sure how the merch campaign would perform. However, all the dropped merch artwork from that album was sold out and sent all the money to the Know Your Rights Camp as it has been helping people with color that got mostly affected and hit by covid. The band raised $20,000, and they didn't realize that fans like merch!
The Beirut explosion occurred a few months later, in August 2020. Patrick's 'aha' moment came when he realized he should help everyone during those difficult times as a Lebanese citizen. He collaborated with Know Your Rights camp and took a leap of faith to see if people would buy the merch so they could start sending charity and support to Lebanon! Patrick's designs were sold out immediately, and a donation of $10,000 was sent to the Impact Lebanon Organization.
As a result of raising funds to aid people in Lebanon, Patrick decided to start his line of charity merchandise, and he has already received validation from his fans that this concept will be a success.
Ya Habibi Market or Souq Habibi
In light of Patrick's Egyptian and Lebanese heritage, he decided to focus on supporting artists throughout the MENA region. He has launched Souq Ya Habibi as a side project to promote culture and history in the Middle East and North Africa.
Since no one has addressed the needs of Arabs regarding apparel and design, he wants to create a MENA-centered graphic innovation. He also began seeing people aboard becoming obsessed with the MENA region arts, supporting hijabi models, and craving some artistic representation from the region! Patrick realized there was a gap, and now it is time to start praising the arts and artists of the MENA region.
Since no one has addressed the needs of Arabs regarding apparel and design, he wants to create a MENA-centered graphic innovation. He also began seeing people aboard becoming obsessed with the MENA region arts, supporting hijabi models, and craving some artistic representation from the region! Patrick realized there was a gap, and now it is time to start praising the arts and artists of the MENA region.
Ya Habibi Market was created to connect Arabs living abroad with their roots. Finding a connection with culture is a struggle for Arabs in the diaspora. Ya Habibi Market or Souq Habibi collaborates with MENA creatives, artists, and designers worldwide. A portion of all proceeds are donated to charity.
Patrick's intentions are purely supportive of impact entrepreneurship and social justice, and the overall concept is to connect design with charity and support communities. Patrick creates exclusive merchandise and products that is both high quality and affordable.
And granted. Ya Habibi Market is exciting, fun, trendy, and relevant.
Patrick's intentions are purely supportive of impact entrepreneurship and social justice, and the overall concept is to connect design with charity and support communities. Patrick creates exclusive merchandise and products that is both high quality and affordable.
And granted. Ya Habibi Market is exciting, fun, trendy, and relevant.
On the left, I am wearing a white sweatshirt with Souq Ya Habibi written in Arabic on the left. Photo on the right is from the popup event at NYC In February 2022.
Ya Habibi Market Supports Arab Diaspora
Ya Habibi Market Supports Arab Diaspora
Patrick offers artists and creatives from the MENA region the opportunity to expand their creative potential. Patrick is well aware of the challenges faced by creatives in the MENA region. "In Egypt and Lebanon, if you are a creative, you have to start from scratch and work hard to be validated."Patrick understands how much he helps artists by allowing them to share their work and collaborate.
The Arab world is fragmented and Arabs are scattered across the globe. Many MENA communities in the United States and many younger generations do not speak Arabic anymore. People living abroad tend to forget their identities and roots. Patrick would like to use Ya Habibi Market as a way to communicate again with Arabs, as well as to remind them of their history, culture, and heritage.
Here are my favorite picks..
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The Arab world is fragmented and Arabs are scattered across the globe. Many MENA communities in the United States and many younger generations do not speak Arabic anymore. People living abroad tend to forget their identities and roots. Patrick would like to use Ya Habibi Market as a way to communicate again with Arabs, as well as to remind them of their history, culture, and heritage.
Here are my favorite picks..
