Habibi all began in 2016 when Imad El Rayess wanted to give his best friend Thore something truly special for his birthday. “Since HABIBI in Arabic means darling, friend or beloved, I bought a plain hoodie and had HABIBI embroidered across the chest. A few weeks later, Thore told me that people asked him questions like “Have you converted?” or “Do you have extremist friends?” Imad was shocked that such a warm, positive word could provoke suspicion—and that’s when the idea came to him to launch the hoodie as a side‑hustle brand with a clear mission to show its beauty and remove its stigma.
n 2018 Imad met Jessica Rees, as they were both working in advertising having both studied Art Direction at Miami Ad School in Hamburg. As Jessica says, “We won several creative awards together and recognized how well our strengths complemented each other. I wrote the Habibi manifesto, and we decided to make it our main project. Since 2019, we’ve been running Habibi together full time. Our philosophy and message as a brand is simple but powerful: we aim to destigmatize Arabic script through art, design, and concept ideas. “Our passion has always been creative concept and branding, skills that now drive everything we do at Habibi.”
n 2018 Imad met Jessica Rees, as they were both working in advertising having both studied Art Direction at Miami Ad School in Hamburg. As Jessica says, “We won several creative awards together and recognized how well our strengths complemented each other. I wrote the Habibi manifesto, and we decided to make it our main project. Since 2019, we’ve been running Habibi together full time. Our philosophy and message as a brand is simple but powerful: we aim to destigmatize Arabic script through art, design, and concept ideas. “Our passion has always been creative concept and branding, skills that now drive everything we do at Habibi.”
“We often receive stories from our customers about interactions sparked by wearing something from Habibi. Many are heartwarming—moments of connection, curiosity, and meaningful conversations. Others are more difficult, reminding us of the bias and misunderstanding that still exist. Both the beautiful and the painful stories motivate us. They’re powerful reminders of why Habibi needs to exist—and how simply being visible, sharing this message in quiet, everyday ways, can create impact.”
Habibi is a family business operating out of two locations in northern Germany. “Our creative studio sits on a houseboat in Hamburg—this is where we brainstorm, develop every idea, and shoot our product photography,” says Jessica. “Our production facility is just outside Hamburg in Brake, and is equipped with printing and embroidery machines. We sell exclusively through our online store, shipping worldwide, but we also regularly host pop-ups. These events give us the freedom to creatively express ourselves, build immersive setups, curate unique programmes, and create a space for our ‘Habibi Fam’—our growing community.”
Habibi’s standout piece is undoubtedly the classic hoodie. “This simple black hoodie with ‘Habibi’ embroidered in white on the left chest not only is our most popular piece, but it also perfectly embodies our brands message—clean and timeless.” One of their biggest milestones as a brand was when they were featured as creatives in the German version of Apple’s ‘Behind the Mac’ campaign. “We were part of one of the biggest out-of-home placements in Europe, right by the harbour in Hamburg. “Seeing ourselves at that scale was just so surreal—in the best way!” recalls Jessica.
Imad and Jessica have big plans for the summer. “We’re launching a ‘Habibi meets Japan’ capsule collection. We’ll be travelling to Japan and immersing ourselves in local art and culture, scouting for inspiration, and shooting on location so we can create authentic designs and nurture new collaborations. Stay tuned!”
And as for the future, they plan to keep doing exactly what they’re doing—pushing forward on their mission to destigmatize Arabic script. “Our community supports us every day, and we’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come together. Next up: more designs, more creative projects, more art installations, more collaborations, more pop‑up events—in short, more of everything that defines Habibi.”
