Reviving the rich heritage of the Levant
Piece by piece, we showcase the intricate Levantine identity to the world
Our Story
What is Kushtban?
At the heart of our brand lies a single word: Kushtban (كشتبان). In Levantine Arabic dialects, it simply translates to an artisan’s thimble. The word “Kushtban” is originally Persian, but Arabs later adopted it, and paritcularly across the Levant. Its presence in the Levantine’s shared vocabulary reflects the region’s diverse history.
The Levant has always been a historic crossroads, in itself encompassing a small universe mirroring the world’s ancient and modern civilisations. “Kushtban” is pronounced identically across all countries in the Levant, which reflects a unified identity and a deeply rooted heritage of craftsmanship. For centuries, Levantine artisans from Damascus to Jerusalem and Beirut to Amman have spoken the same language of creation, influenced by a rich civilisational heritage.
As the heart of the Silk Road, the Levant brought global trade and artisans together, leaving behind a tradition we are dedicated to sustaining today.
Just as a thimble protects an artisan’s finger to push a needle through materials, Kushtban represents a mission to protect Levantine craftsmanship and weave together this lost identity. The thimble is a metaphor for our mission. We are pushing forward, weaving together our individual stories and lived experiences to craft and celebrate the beautiful, shared identity of the Levant.
Our Mission
At Kushtban, our mission is deeply rooted in the heritage of the Levant and the people who keep it alive.
We are dedicated to sharing the rich, multifaceted civilisational heritage of our region with the world, bringing untold stories to the fore through our thoughtfully curated pieces.
By taking a slow, detail-oriented approach to fashion, we ensure that every piece not only celebrates the diverse cultural mosaic of our past but also actively supports the present by investing directly in artisans to sustain the livelihoods of the communities that rely on them.
With both people and the planet in mind, our vision is built upon three core pillars:
Empowering Aristan Communities
Our utmost priority at Kushtban is the people behind traditional Levantine crafts.
We aim to support the artisans of the Levant in order to sustain the livelihoods of the communities that rely on these trades.
By working directly with artisans in the Levant, we help their businesses to flourish and play their part in global fashion markets.
Every product page tells the story of the craft or trade behind its production, with both heritage and craft in mind.
By doing this, we aim to archive the stories of those crafts and carry them to the world to celebrate their beauty and help the artisans we work with sustain their work and livelihoods.
Kushtban will be working closely with civil organisations in Syria to help sustain and support craftsmanship businesses and support the communities that rely on them.
More on this will be announced soon.
Upholding Our Heritage
The vibrant soul of Levantine heritage influences all of our designs.
Every product in our range carries with it a story that showcases a corner of the Levant’s heritage, inspired by the rich diversity of the civilisations that have shaped the region over thousands of years.
Through our curated pieces, we aim to carry this rich cultural and artistic heritage of the Levant beyond borders and share its untold stories with the world. We also name each product in our range after a historical figure or a natural symbol from the Levant in an attempt to celebrate our cultural diversity and honour those who shaped, with their ideas and actions, the reality of this rich heritage.
Each historical figure is carefully picked from a different era of the Levant’s history, reflecting its multifaceted and profound civilisational identity.
We tell the story of each figure or symbol on every product’s page on our website, not only to carry the message forward and bring those untold stories to the fore, but also to celebrate our diverse civilisational identity and champion this beautiful mosaic of cultural heritage.
Mindful Fashion
In celebrating this heritage, we embrace a more mindful and sustainable approach to fashion. Our pieces are carefully designed with the best available materials, handcrafted by artisans using traditional and detail-oriented methods.
This slow approach to production challenges the status quo of the fashion industry today, where fast and usually unethical methods are used.
With the planet and people in mind, at Kushtban, we focus on enduring quality and purposeful production, ensuring that every piece lasts for years and is cherished for generations, exactly like those crafts behind it.