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Refugee-run fashion label upcycles discarded lifejackets from Greek islands

Mohamed Malim arrived in the US as a refugee from Somalia when he was just 3 years old. Now, with his fashion label Epimonia he is helping other refugees to get a leg up, by taking the lifejackets which many discard on arrival on the Greek island of Lesbos and converting the devices into bracelets, beanie hats, jackets and other items of clothing. The label’s makers are refugees too. ‘I chose that word [which means perseverance in Greek] because refugees go through many challenges, and persevere throughout the whole journey,’ Malim said. The life jackets became a symbol of lives which had been upended by war - however, this project helps the refugee community to build a new existence.