Meet Balas H, the visionary Director of Pepule Fashion. With a keen eye for style and a heart full of passion, Balas embarked on her entrepreneurial journey by founding Pepule Fashion, recognizing a unique gap in the Dutch market for high-quality Kurdish design clothing tailored to her community. Her diverse career path, marked by humanitarian and service-oriented roles across various countries, has not only enriched her skills but also broadened her perspectives, shaping her innovative approach to both work and life. Through Pepule Fashion, Balas weaves together tradition and modernity, creating pieces that celebrate her heritage while catering to contemporary tastes.
Before establishing Pepule Fashion, Balas had a multifaceted career in the humanitarian and service sectors. These roles allowed her to develop a deep understanding of different industries and cultures, fueling her passion for valuable work for humankind. Living in the United States, Sweden, Kurdistan, and now the Netherlands, she gained a broad outlook on life, equipped with unique skills and insights that drive innovation and success in her current role.
Growing up in an environment where art and literature played a key role significantly shaped Balas into the woman she is today. This artistic background influences her approach to fashion, bringing a creative and culturally rich perspective to Pepule Fashion.
Pepule Fashion Services
Pepule Fashion offers a range of services, from unique ready-to-wear clothing sets to customized designs based on client wishes. In some cases, Pepule provides clients with the necessary pieces to create their own outfits. This innovative combination of services was new to the Netherlands and quickly gained popularity. Recently, Pepule expanded to Kurdistan, offering worldwide shipping to bring happiness to even more people globally. Pepule serves as a cultural bridge, showcasing beauty from their unique perspective.
Pepule Fashion prides itself on authenticity, believing that true beauty is rooted in love and passion. Authentic creations made with love bring joy and positivity back into the world. Balas emphasizes the importance of authenticity, ensuring that each piece reflects the cultural richness and artistic heritage of Kurdish design. This approach has not only distinguished Pepule Fashion in the market but also created a meaningful connection with clients worldwide.
Self-Perception and Professional Approach
Describing oneself can be challenging, as it often reflects how we aspire to be perceived. That said, Balas considers herself quite humble, loyal, honest, passionate, and persistent. These traits guide her in personal interactions, self-development, and relationships.
In a professional setting, Balas brings a blend of creativity and open-mindedness. She is flexible and optimistic, which helps her adapt to various challenges and see opportunities in every situation. Her approach to work is serious and detail-oriented, always keeping her goals in sight. Balas believes in the importance of setting and achieving life goals and thrives on the satisfaction of seeing a project through to completion.
Leadership at Pepule Fashion
Success, in Balas’ view, is a blend of personal qualities, experiences, and values. Her humility and broad perspective on life, shaped by living in various parts of the world, have played a crucial role. Her honest, persistent, passionate, and compassionate character traits have helped her build strong relationships and navigate challenges both personally and professionally.
In the workplace, Balas brings a blend of creativity and open-mindedness. She is flexible and optimistic, which helps her adapt to various challenges and see opportunities in every situation. Her approach to work is serious and detail-oriented, always keeping her goals in sight. This combination of attributes has allowed her to drive innovation and achieve success in her efforts.
For any project or step in life, Balas believes it’s essential to consider the underlying intention. At Pepule, social norms, cultural values, and individual authenticity are highly valued, especially at a collective level. This approach makes Pepule unique; it’s not just about working and selling but about showcasing a greater aspect of life. They treat every client as a unique individual, appreciating their personal taste and perspective on beauty, whether traditional or contemporary. Pepule Fashion aims to highlight the beauty of Kurdish culture on a global scale, celebrating the resilience and beautiful spirit of the nation, not just its struggles. This is especially significant for refugees and the youth born or raised outside of Kurdistan. They strive to make Kurdish clothing pieces accessible to anyone around the world, celebrating a different aspect of their heritage.
Balas’ background allows her to connect with Kurds worldwide, understanding that environment significantly shapes perspectives, including those on beauty. She has observed that written expressions foster deep connections, but visual beauty brings a sense of vitality and life. Pepule’s unique and personal messages about worldwide healing are profoundly meaningful, reflecting the idea that life’s circumstances often lead to challenging stages of transformation. This is true for all of humankind, regardless of gender, nationality, or religion. However, as a woman, Balas particularly represents the strength and resilience of women, showcasing the beauty of women beginning within and extending to the surface.
Pepule’s logo, representing a woman with wings in the shape of a butterfly, symbolizes empowerment and transformation. It resonates with those who feel they have endured life with a broken wing and have found the strength and courage to change their path. It starts with the bold woman making the choice to change. The logo serves as an invitation for anyone to embrace their inner strength and soar to new heights, embodying the spirit of resilience and renewal that Pepule champions. This symbol also reflects Balas’ personal experience and part of her story.
Blending Creativity and Compassion
Balas’ responsibilities include designing, creating, and writing, as well as ensuring every order reaches the client on time. She is committed to treating each client with love, compassion, and understanding. Positive feedback makes them one of the happiest teams on earth, and they value constructive feedback just as much because it helps them learn and grow. Balas and her team’s unique design pieces are made with love, and the various services they provide have a special touch to them. They started by modernizing traditional garment pieces and will continue doing so in a brand-new style launching soon, combining the beauty of their culture with stories on both personal and collective levels.
The happiest part of Balas’ daily routine is when she can bring her creative ideas to life, whether online or through her handcrafted pieces. This is where her passion truly shines. When she is immersed in the creative process, time becomes an illusion. Designing allows her to explore different eras, blending the past with the future, all while living in the present moment and enjoying every single moment of creativity.
Guidance for New Leaders
Balas’ advice for someone entering a leadership position for the first time emphasizes the importance of authenticity and self-awareness. She believes that being true to oneself is crucial for effective leadership. A leader should have a broad vision and strong beliefs, beginning with a clear understanding of what they want to bring into the world. Dedication, persistence, focus, and authenticity are key components of this process. When you pour your energy, passion, and authenticity into a project, success becomes inevitable, as the universe responds to true intention by aligning actions with outcomes.
Investing in oneself is also essential. Success is not solely about financial gain; it encompasses good health, happiness, and gratitude. Certain words ending in “ing” hold personal significance for Balas, such as listening, reading, understanding, healing, writing, and speaking. Mastering these elements and leading with gratitude and compassion can ensure a flow of blessings. Additionally, self-care is vital for maintaining momentum, so taking occasional breaks to reconnect with one’s inner self can help generate new ideas and sustain long-term success.
Embracing Small Steps and Mindfulness for Success
Balas shares that transitioning from thought to action involves understanding the small, daily steps necessary for success. She believes that approaching each day with a grateful mindset leads to affirmation and greatness. Incorporating meditation or prayer can also be very helpful, as moments of stillness often lead to significant insights and achievements. She emphasizes the importance of enjoying the little moments and steps in your journey, as they will guide you to lead in your desired way. As part of this beautiful world, leaders have the potential to make a significant impact. Balas notes that small gestures can leave lasting impressions on someone’s journey. By turning your beliefs into compassionate actions, you will be able to reach your goals.
