I’m Lea Joana, a Swiss–Kurdish designer using fashion as a language for identity, truth, and cultural visibility. My brand, Jwana, takes its name from the Kurdish word for “beautiful,” reflecting my mission to show the beauty and richness of West Asian and North African cultures beyond stereotypes.

While the brand is shaped by my bi-national background, it is not limited to it. Jwana is for anyone who feels connected to these stories, values, and aesthetics.

I work at the intersection of heritage and contemporary streetwear, reimagining traditional textiles and silhouettes through upcycling and reworking.

Culture, to me, is not something to gatekeep. We share food, music, and language, clothing should be no different. Through sustainable design and thoughtful transformation, each piece invites people to engage with culture openly, respectfully, and authentically.

For me, sustainable production is not an aesthetic for the brand, but it's the foundation. I reuse instead of produce, turning existing garments into new narratives of hybridity, belonging, and resistance.

My design philosophy centers on transformation: re-cutting, re-assembling, and re-contextualizing materials to create clothing that feels both familiar and entirely new. The brand’s motto
“Wear Yourself Inside Out”
captures what I believe fashion should do: empowering authentic self-expression.

Jwana is more than a label.

It’s a cultural dialogue.
A blend of bi-national identity.
A space where sustainability and emotion meet wearable design.

To wear it is to declare.
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