After several months in Medina, I felt the need to reflect on the future of Sawmah.
The brand was growing, the feedback was positive, but deep down, I knew we had to go further: trace back to the origins, understand what few seek to understand.
The idea began to take root slowly.
I had already explored Asia, notably China. This time, my heart turned to Japan.
Why Japan, you ask?
Because after living in Medina for so long, seeing those qamis of brilliant white proudly worn by men, one question kept coming back:
"What fabric is this?"
And almost every time, the answer was the same:
"It's Japanese fabric."
This word echoed in my mind.
This fabric we love so much, fluid and durable, would come from Japan.
So I thought: why not go to the source?
Why not cut out all the middlemen and bring to Sawmah the original fabric, the one everyone talks about without really knowing where it comes from?
So I undertook the journey.
Winter was in full swing, the cold biting, a striking contrast with the warmth of Medina.
And yet, from the moment I arrived, I felt that calm, that rigor, that politeness characteristic of Japanese culture.
Japan is another world: silence, respect, precision. It should also be known that many things differ, in terms of religion, food, lifestyle... and that life is expensive in Japan.
I took advantage of the trip to carry out the photoshoot for the Ramadan collection, a whimsical setting that, strangely, perfectly matched the spirit of Sawmah.
But regarding the fabric...
No trace.
No factory.
No identifiable source.
As if the secret was carefully guarded behind invisible doors.
Perhaps I lacked information.
Perhaps the chain of intermediaries was so long that no one really knew the origin.
Objectively, it was a failure.
But a failure full of lessons.
Because in searching for this fabric, I understood that what makes a garment beautiful is not only its material, but the intention put into it, the sincerity of the journey, the will to go where others do not, the difficulty behind all this finished work.
I did not find the Japanese fabric... but I found something better: the conviction that Sawmah must continue to move forward, to explore, to tell true stories.
Because undertaking means falling, getting up, learning, and above all never ceasing to seek excellence.