Growing up in a Persian family is super fun but at the same time challenging. Everyone is either a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer! When I started going to school, like any other kid, I was getting asked about what I want to be when I grow up. At that age, all I wanted to be when I grow up was a Municipal Worker! They had the coolest uniforms that I’d ever seen, and they were allowed to stay up all night and hang out with their friends in the street. As a 5-year-old kid, I was quite happy about my reasoning, but my parents were not, and I wondered why! I didn’t find the answer until I came to the US. When I was 18, I left Iran, and I still had no idea what I wanted to do in the future. The only thing that I knew at the time was that I loved science and art equally, as they both deeply fascinated me.
On the one hand, I was crazy about my Persian musical instruments, Tombak and Daf, which I was playing since the age of 9, and I was really enthusiastic about photography which I was following since I was 15 but on the other hand, I was in love with science, and I knew I was really good at math and physics.
Eventually a year ago, I transferred to UCSD, majoring in electrical engineering (Typical!!). I was super happy with my decision, and I couldn’t wait to start a new chapter in my life. Being a friendly person, in less than a month, I made more than 40 new friends, the majority of them being Persians. However, after a while, I noticed none of my new friends were artists or majored in art at our school. In the back of my mind, I always knew the stereotype in most Persian families; you wouldn’t get your family’s approval unless you become a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer. It wasn’t until recently that I realized how real this stereotype is. It was at that moment that I observed the outcome of a wrong mentality in my culture, and I decided to start Geev.
Geev is the first Persian brand dedicated to promote and support Iranian artists under 30 years old. We make high quality and affordable apparels with Persian designs that represent the beautiful Persian culture. We want to fight against this wrong mentality and showcase the power embedded in following your dreams and becoming who you want to be. All you need is to put passion into your work, and other people begin to notice and admire it. That cannot be done when a person is forced into a path they do not love. The Geev artists are examples of those kids who made their parents proud following an unconventional path they dearly loved. If they didn’t dare to follow their dreams, Geev could never succeed. We are thankful to them and hope they set an example for other young Iranians who are too scared not to conform.
Moreover, every one of our designs has a story behind it. Some brim with nostalgia, taking our Iranian customers back to their childhood and bringing back memories of the sweet taste of “Poofak Namaki.” Some present a tasteful fusion of Iranian and Western art and culture with a side of humor. Most importantly, some carry profound, powerful messages; making the world a better place, one shirt at a time.
Our Equality T-shirt, for example, bears testament to our mission that goes beyond just selling products. We hope to shed light on fundamental matters less frequently discussed in Persian society. The gender gap experienced all around the world is, of course, one of them. Our Equality T-shirt encourages Iranian men and women to proudly show their stance on gender inequality and open up about the subject.
Our recent project, the Rangarang t-shirt is also another example of an effort to push social justice. ‘Rangarang’ in Farsi means colorful. The design is dedicated to signify the LGBTQ community. The stigma due to cultural and religious reasoning has caused the LGBTQ community to be harshly frowned upon and treated with disrespect. Because people don’t openly talk about this, important matter, we recognized there needs to be a social change in the Persian community. That is why here at Geev we want to be the first Persian brand which openly supports the LGBTQ community.
Geev seeks out to be more than a representative for persian art in the community. It is more than a clothing brand delivering high quality pieces of art to you. Geev is a brand with a mission; raising awareness and supporting movements.
