Refugee Week’s theme, “Finding Freedom – Diversity in Community,” feels tailor-made for Afghan-Australian designer and advocate Anjilla Seddeqi, a woman whose story weaves together strength, dignity and creativity in every thread. Anjilla is a lawyer-turned-fashion designer whose journey from refugee child to acclaimed advocate is deeply rooted in her Afghan heritage and a lifelong sense of purpose.
Anjilla’s family arrived in Australia in 1989 as refugees fleeing Afghanistan. These formative experiences of displacement and starting anew in a foreign land left a lasting imprint; “growing up, I always had this deep desire to help people in a similar predicament,” she shares. That desire led her to study law, specialising in refugee and immigration law. For several years, Anjilla worked in remote detention centres, including on Christmas Island and at Curtin, WA and Weipa, QLD, representing people seeking asylum; many of whom, like her own family, had fled unimaginable trauma in search of safety.
At each centre, there were a variety of nationalities. But for Afghan clients, seeing someone who shared their cultural background and language was not just comforting, it was transformative. “It gave them hope,” Anjilla says. “They felt seen, and I felt proud to offer that representation.”
Yet, the emotional weight of that work, paired with the demands of motherhood, prompted a shift in career path. As she sought a role more conducive to raising her family, Anjilla also began exploring a personal frustration: the lack of stylish, professional modest wear for women like her. As a lawyer wearing a hijab, she often found the fashion options both limiting and uninspiring. So, she began to design for herself, primarily as a practicality. But as compliments poured in and interest grew, she gradually found the confidence to launch her own fashion label; one that honours her Afghan roots whilst simultaneously challenging narrow ideas about modesty, beauty and identity.
One standout design, the ‘Hope’ dress, featured in Social Fabric: Afghan Australian Stories in Thread, a 2023 exhibition organised by Shared World Collective. The event highlighted the creative skills, voices and stories of Afghan artisan women who now call Australia home. Anjilla’s design was embellished with embroidery by an Afghan refugee named Seema; she had arrived in Australia after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Anjilla chose the Afghan proverb, “hope keeps the world alive” to be added to the garment: a deeply personal collaboration, and a poignant act of creative resistance. “It’s fashion diplomacy,” Anjilla says: a way of bridging cultures and honouring memory.
Later this week, Anjilla joins Welcome Merchant’s Refugee Week panel of Afghan-Australian women following the documentary screening of The Staging Post. The documentary follows the journey of Afghan refugees who, despite being stranded in Indonesia, create a thriving community while awaiting resettlement; a powerful testament to the resilience, leadership and grassroots solidarity that Refugee Week seeks to honour. Though Anjilla admits that public speaking makes her nervous, she acknowledges the power of sharing space with other Afghan women; not only as a celebration of visibility, but as a rare moment to amplify their voices at a time where many have been erased from public life. “The only thing that separates me from the women still in Afghanistan is opportunity.” Anjilla reflects. “Afghan women, we’re exceptional women. Given the chance, we persevere.”
Her reflections come at a critical time. While mainstream media often flattens refugee narratives into crises or statistics, she believes creative platforms like fashion and film offer something different; a space for nuance, for humanity. “Art draws people in. It helps them see that, although we may look different, we share the same hopes and dreams.” Her work, and her presence in these spaces, is proof of that.
Anjilla’s path hasn’t been easy: as a hijabi Afghan woman in Australia, she had no blueprint. “I didn’t see anyone like me in the media or leadership when I was growing up. But I put my head down and kept going”. That perseverance, staying in her lane and trusting her path, is what she now encourages in younger generations, particularly those from refugee or marginalised backgrounds. And whilst she doesn’t downplay the difficulties of the world we’re living in: including inherited challenges of climate, conflict and inequality, she holds firmly that community, creativity and connection can keep hope alive.
“For those seeking belonging or rebuilding from hardship, it’s community that makes all the difference,” Anjilla shares. Whether that’s the support of grassroots organisations, the healing space of culture and celebration, or simply having someone who listens, these are the invisible superpowers that sustain people through unimaginable difficulty. When I asked her for her greatest advice, she offered me two powerful words: “lean in.”
Refugee Week is a time to celebrate strength in diversity, and to honour those who are using their talents not just to succeed, but to lift others along the way. Anjilla Seddeqi is one such voice. A lawyer, a designer, a refugee, her story, like so many others, reminds us that when we create space for people to thrive, the results are beautiful. And as the embroidered Afghan proverb reads: “hope keeps the world alive.” This truth is stitched not only in thread, but into every act of courage, creativity, and community she embodies.