Arawelo Somalian Queen of the 7th century A.D

Arawelo was a queen who ruled over Somalia. Her throne was passed down by King Abdullah. She was the first born out of three daughters and natural heir to the dynasty. Like many female rulers Arawelo fought for female empowerment she believed society should be based on a matriarchy. continue reading here

Darood Ethnic Group in Somalia

My friend Ms Suha (top picture) with her lovely sisters (bottom picture)

Suha and her lovely sisters belong to the Darood >Dhulbante>Jimaac Siyad.

The Darod (Somali: Darood or Daarood, Arabic: بني داوود‎) is a Somali clan. The father of this clan is named Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, but is more commonly known as Darod. In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," a conflation of the two words daar (compound) and ood (place enclosed by wall, trees, woods, fence, etc). Read more here.

The Dhulbahante ("Siciid Harti") is a Somali clan, and a part of the Harti confederation of Darod clans.source

Mataano

Born to Somali parents and raised in both their native country and Washington DC, identical twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim are anything but ordinary. Having fled Somalia at the age of nine to escape the country’s civil war, both Idyl and Ayaan completed their college education at University of Michigan and Boston University, respectively, before making the bold move to Manhattan where they aimed to stand out from the rest in the world of fashion and design. Experiencing the industry from the ground up through careful study and practice, they slowly crafted their talent, weaving their cultural influence throughout each meticulously designed piece in their studio with only distant dreams of launching a collection. source

Mataano Fall 2009 Collection