Hoda Katebi
Hoda Katebi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Oklahoma, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Author, activist |
| Known for | Advocacy for garment workers' rights; founder of Blue Tin Production; Muslim identity and politics in Iran; anti-surveillance activism |
| Notable work | Tehran Streetstyle (2016) |
Hoda Katebi () is an American author and activist dedicated to advocating for the rights of garment workers, examining labor practices within fashion supply chains, exploring Muslim identity and politics in Iran, and resisting surveillance and militarism. She established Blue Tin Production, recognized as the first U.S.-based apparel manufacturing cooperative operated entirely by working-class women of color.
Early life
Born in Oklahoma to Iranian immigrant parents, Katebi has shared her experiences facing harassment while wearing a hijab during her school years. In 2016, she earned a degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago.
Politics and writing
Starting in 2013, Katebi began publishing essays and critiques on fashion through her platform JooJoo Azad (meaning "free bird" in Persian), where she addressed topics such as Muslim identity, political issues, garment workers' conditions, Iranian fashion trends, and racial dynamics in the United States. She also curated a "Boycott List" targeting fashion brands implicated in human rights abuses.
Her published works include the photography book Tehran Streetstyle (2016), alongside contributions to prominent outlets like Vogue.com, The Washington Post, and Columbia Journalism Review. Additionally, she is a contributing writer for I Refuse to Condemn: Resisting racism in times of national security (2020).
In 2016, Katebi was detained during a protest against the Illinois Tactical Officers Association Conference and Weapons Expo. She actively campaigns against police militarization and surveillance initiatives such as Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), leading educational sessions on topics related to the War on Terror and anti-Muslim racism worldwide. She identifies herself as an abolitionist.
During a 2018 interview with WGN discussing Tehran Streetstyle and Iranian fashion, when asked about U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, Katebi defended her critiques of American imperialism by stating, "that's because I've read."
Global book club #BecauseWeveRead
Following the WGN interview, Katebi launched the radical book club #BecauseWeveRead, which has since grown internationally by facilitating discussions and engaging communities around social justice themes. The club aims to fill educational gaps left by institutions by confronting realities often overlooked. Its topics include anti-Blackness, Orientalism, and capitalism. The group also organizes 'Emergency Reads' responding to urgent global events such as the Sudanese revolution (2019) and the Kashmir communications blackout (2019).
Local chapters coordinate community initiatives like prison book donations, poetry slams, and protests connected to their readings. Collaborating with publishers, Katebi provides free ebooks and concludes each reading cycle with a global YouTube Live event featuring notable guests including Naomi Klein and Arundhati Roy.
The #BecauseWeveRead book club has received coverage from media outlets such as Dazed Magazine and Refinery29.
Blue Tin Production
Katebi advocates for ethical fashion practices while challenging fast fashion, emphasizing its contribution to exposing garment workers—particularly women—to "systemic gender-based violence," including exploitation and unsafe sweatshop environments.
In early 2019, she founded Blue Tin Production, a clothing cooperative managed by refugee and immigrant women—the first initiative of its kind in the United States. This cooperative promotes ethical garment manufacturing through "radical transparent production," providing designers with a viable alternative to sweatshop labor.
The cooperative published its first annual report in December 2019.
Katebi’s activism along with Blue Tin Production have been featured in major fashion and news publications such as Vogue, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and The Guardian.
Revolution-Washing
The term Revolution Washing was introduced by Katebi in 2017 to highlight the practice where fast-fashion companies promote themselves as socially progressive to appeal to ethically minded shoppers, while simultaneously depending on exploitative labor conditions.
In August 2019, Katebi participated in a delegation visit to Indonesia, engaging directly with garment workers employed by major fast-fashion labels such as Nike, H&M, and GAP.
Honors and Recognitions
- Chicago Foundation for Women’s Pioneer Award
- Crain's magazine's 20 In Their 20s list
- Field Foundation’s Leaders for a New Chicago
- National Iranian-American Council’s 40 under 40