Our Story

Arab Hyphenated™ is a bold lifestyle and apparel brand transforming fashion into a vehicle for cultural connection, identity, community, and justice. Born from the Arab and global diaspora experience, we fuse heritage with high-impact design, creating apparel, accessories, and campaigns that challenge stereotypes, ignite conversation, and celebrate diversity as a source of strength and innovation.

Founded by Yemeni-American social entrepreneur and human rights advocate Raja Althaibani, Arab Hyphenated is led by an all-women team from Istanbul and New York City — operating at the intersection of fashion, art, tech, and equity. Each collection is rooted in storytelling, drawing from Arab and SWANA narratives while embracing anyone who has lived the realities of diaspora or champions a more inclusive world.

Branded as “Arab” Hyphenated but built for everyone, our ethos is simple: in preserving and elevating our differences, we recognize how deeply we are connected. In its early stages, Arab Hyphenated was shaped in collaboration with Lebanese designer and media practitioner Naziha Baassiri, whose creative input helped bring our first collections to life. 

Arab Hyphenated is building a passionate community across North America, MENA, and beyond — proving that culture and commerce together can drive impact, identity, and belonging.

We're thrilled to have you part of our community!

Where We Work

Currently based in Istanbul, Arab Hyphenated operates between Istanbul, New York, and a growing network of global collaborators. This cross-continental foundation shapes Arab Hyphenated’s unique perspective—rooted in heritage, driven by creativity, and informed by the lived realities of communities from the Middle East and North Africa— also referred to as West Asia and North Africa or South West Asia and North Africa— and their diaspora.

About Our Founder

Raja Althaibani

Co-Founder & CEO of Arab Hyphenated™, Raja Althaibani was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Yemeni immigrant parents from a small mountain village 3,000 meters above sea level in Ibb Provence. Her parents came to America in search of opportunity, determined to grow, thrive, and reach their potential as newcomers. Shaped by this legacy, Raja has spent over two decades as an award-winning global advocate, leader, and specialist in using emerging technologies, video, and digital evidence to strengthen investigations, justice, and accountability efforts. Her work has taken her into high-risk, crisis-affected regions across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond — collaborating with leading grassroots activists, civil society, human rights organizations, investigative bodies, and legal teams to document violations, influence policy change, justice efforts and amplify voices too often overlooked. Today, she brings that same dedication to Arab Hyphenated, redefining how diasporic voices are seen, celebrated, represented and empowered.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajaalthaibani/