Down a set of stairs on North Alfred Street in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is a storefront where a refugee from Afghanistan got his new start.
The name of the store, BARG Garments, is also significant, because it’s the name of the successful brand Reza Mohammadi established in his home country before he was forced to leave it all behind to protect his wife and daughters from the Taliban.
In the early 2000s, Mohammadi opened his tailoring business in Kabul. It expanded, eventually employing 70 people. He said presidents and other dignitaries were among his clientele because of his talents as a tailor.
He went on to also open a restaurant and begin a company which installed elevators in high-rise buildings. He was seeing the success he dreamed of, but his life changed in 2021 when the U.S. pulled troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban took control.
Mohammadi said he and his wife decided the money didn’t matter, but their daughter’s well-being did.
“That time, to be honest, (was) very a scary time. The Taliban … (were) very bad, especially for the women,” he said.
When his family decided to escape, Mohammadi said they went to the airport five different times before they were lucky enough to get six seats on a redeye flight out of the country.
With only the items they could fit in their luggage, and no relatives or friends to turn to in the U.S., the family arrived in Northern Virginia and decided that was the spot they wanted to call home.
Mohammadi said he immediately began applying for tailoring jobs and within two weeks was hired at a big-name retailer. He rose through the ranks to become the sole tailor that catered to high-paying clients for the store.
Mohammadi knew he wanted to own a tailoring business again and decided that to do so, he needed to work at small tailoring operations and learn how to successfully run a business in the U.S.
He shared his hopes with bosses and colleagues and, he said, some would discourage him from pursuing a goal of being his own boss because they believed his English language proficiency would prevent him from being successful.
“Reza, you’re a tailor, that is enough for you,” he recalled hearing along the way.
He applied for sales jobs in the clothing business but was turned down time and time again because of lack of English skills, he said. Amid the rejection was one valuable suggestion: a hiring manager recommended Mohammadi become a ride-share driver as a way to not only pay the bills but also learn English.
“In the past year, I’ve worked … 16 hours, 18 hours just make money, just learning,” he said. “I did this job, still I’m doing this job. Because my business is new, I have a lot of payments.”
After a year of being a full-time driver, he said his English improved and he also had the money he needed to qualify for a loan to open his business. He opened his doors in January 2024, and while business has been slow at first, he’s hopeful success will come in time.
“I know at least it’s possible,” he said. “Patience, patience, patience needed.”
From his custom-made suits to altering clothing, Mohammadi believes word-of-mouth marketing will help his operation grow.
Right now, he said it’s just him in the shop during the day. When he closes up at night, he still drives for ride-shares companies which help him financially and professionally as he works to better speak English.
He said what keeps him going is his family and his desire to once again build a successful business.
“I believe in myself,” he said.
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