The Scarf Maker

The humanity of designers...

The Scarf Maker         By Sami Khalil

It was his cup of tea, bread and butter. Perennially desired, his scarf and accessories trade were his hallmark; bold, elegant and high-end. Finest silks were imported from Italy. As he grew up, he felt the need to make a statement. Art, after all, is not just to be hung on walls, in frames and such. It is to be mobile, lively in different places and occasions, where people don it.  

His name was Sami Amiri. White, with olive tones, of medium height and hazel eyes, Mr. Amiri was dexterous indeed. His design aesthetic brought pleasure and hints of inspiration. It sparked conversations injected with humor. If wearing something becomes personal intimacy then wearing something artistic becomes romantically interesting. Mr. Amiri’s fame was no secret, even Hermes came knocking doors.

He made scarfs for all seasons, for all types even the quirky ones. He had the acuity to know that affiliation is a powerful statement people make. Head gear, religious symbols and tattoos can be examples. No one can fudge that fact. Having penchant for business, then why not cash in on that, he thought? The rest was history! “Ladies, bad hair day; no problem,” he would say. “Just wear one of these, then have your wearable story to tell.” I guess everyone needs a workable story, statement-making.

Mr. Amiri had a twist in his life, though. As “September Eleven” unfolded, a sad and horrible day in America, there was a backlash towards a certain group, snowballing into some attacks due to their religious garb. Although equally shocked, disgusted from this perpetrated evil of that day, they did endure this undeserved comeuppance as retribution comes in many forms.

Sami Amiri, who was originally an immigrant from Afghanistan, felt the need to do something, protecting them. “To protect innocent lives is no vanity,” he said to himself. Something must be done. An ingenious idea flashed in his head. Make Scarves imprinted with the American flag imprints, to be worn in public by these women, until smoke clears and the dust settles. Sounds strange… not necessarily to him. If he, to be called “The Mad Hatter”, then be it. He always wanted to be unique and odd. Designing with purpose is no oddity, he believed. After a while, this deed literally stopped the attacks for Americans dared neither to attack the flag nor to desecrate it.

Orders came in by the thousands, even from housewives who hailed from different faiths to show solidarity. It all showed the loving, kind and gentle spirit of Americans in general. Amiri navigated the culture and protected souls. With the money he made, he started design schools for women in Afghanistan, teaching graphic design and digital printing.

With gratefulness, Afghani girls learned seamlessly which gave them power and independence. Their success unfolded like an accordion. One day, as Amiri left his store in Manhattan, a deranged individual, in his early twenties, approached him, pulled a gun, lodged several bullets in his body. Amiri fell dead. The assailant fled away to Central Park where he was apprehended eventually and brought to justice.

A man was killed, but neither the brand nor the positive influence. A prize was awarded by N.Y. state in his name annually for any designer who makes a difference in people’s lives, locally or world-wide, trend-worthy.         

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[Sami Khalil]

“To protect innocent lives is no vanity,”