Áwet’s dad, a tailor in Ethiopia, had lived 30 years of his life between the war-torn countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia. The year his native country of Eritrea gained independence, a son was born. He gave him the name Áwet, which means “victory” in Tigrinya. Six years later, Áwet was forced to flee his homeland, becoming a refugee overnight, migrating and living from one camp to another. In 2000, he was granted asylum and immigrated to the US with his father’s words as a guide: “always look out for people with greatness in their hands.
Áwet went on to become the youngest employee at Coca-Cola at 18, obtained his master’s degree at NYU, and shortly after joined the United Nations. When the pandemic hit, he heard about tailors like his father in New York’s Garment District losing their jobs. He made a promise to one family-owned garment factory that he would start a brand solely to get them through the pandemic. The rest is history..
