Who are we?
Mandil was founded in 2021 by Mervat Odeh and a group of people committed to environmental and social change.
- 1.2 billion tonnesof greenhouse gases are emitted by the fashion industry every year, according to the UN – more than the aviation industry or maritime shipping.
- A quarterof all greenhouse-gas emissions on Earth will come from the fashion industry by 2050, researchers estimate.
Today we stand at a critical crossroads for the continued existence of the planet.
That is why Mandil was established: to raise awareness in Arab society of the air pollution created by the fashion industry, of the over-consumption of clothes and of throwing clothes away and/or donating them, and of how acutely all of this affects the climate crisis.
Mandil has also set itself the central goal of changing how clothes are consumed, with an emphasis on Arab society, where a culture of abundance and over-consumption is deeply rooted – especially when it comes to clothes, since social and economic status is closely tied to appearance, quantity and plenty.
Arab society is particularly challenging when it comes to second-hand clothing, because there is an emotional and cultural barrier to wearing it. For that reason, second-hand shops are also at the core of the association’s agenda.
So far the association has worked mainly on awareness, through talks, home gatherings, workshops and one-of-a-kind vintage events, as well as clothing-swap events among educated and influential Arab women in various fields. Mandil has also already begun making sustainable fashion accessible, for example through second-hand and vintage bazaars.
The association’s vision is a shift in perception and a growing sense of social responsibility: second-hand shops opening and awareness rising, as fast and as widely as possible.
Our clothes shouldn’t cost us the Earth
The woman behind the association
Mervat Odeh, married to Rida and a mother of three, is a lawyer by training with a master’s degree in political science. She is an image and style consultant, a certified sustainability consultant, a group facilitator and an environmental entrepreneur.
Mervat founded Dolab, the first vintage shop in Arab society, created to bring the idea of wearing second-hand clothing into Arab society through the back door.
Mervat leads workshops on women’s empowerment and styling, and is a pioneer in fashion and environmental responsibility in Arab society.
Mervat currently serves on the board of the organisation Life and Environment (Haim VeSviva), and was chosen as one of the People of the Environment for 2023 by the Israeli Society of Ecology and Environment.
Mervat is also a graduate of the Mandel institute for leadership in the north, and uses her standing to establish the idea that second-hand is nothing to be ashamed of, and that style and trends don’t require impulsively buying lots of clothes.
As a lawyer and an influencer, Mervat also promotes the subject on social media and on television – through posts and TV and radio interviews – and uses every platform to share what she believes in.
She herself makes a point of wearing second-hand at important, high-profile events, and of saying that you don’t need to wear new clothes all the time to make the right impression and look good.