Breast Cancer Awareness Month at thowby
October is the month of Breast Cancer Awareness, when everything around turns a little pink not just in color, but also in spirit. It serves as a reminder to pause, care for, and check in on the women who make our world whole. This year, especially, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has meant something deeper and more personal for me.
Last year, someone very close to my heart - my sister who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Hearing those words for the first time is something I would never wish on anyone. The months that followed were filled with everything from fear, strength, faith, but ultimately, gratitude. She underwent a mastectomy and today, by the grace of God, is doing wonderfully. Watching her fight and rebuild reminded me of what true beauty and resilience look like.
This October, I wanted to honor her journey and the journeys of millions of other women around the world who are fighting, surviving, or remembering their journeys with this disease. And so, that sparked my initiative of running a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign at thowby. To me, this is less a marketing initiative and more a heartfelt tribute.
When you walk into any of our boutiques this month, you will find bowls of delicate pink ribbons waiting to be picked up by everyone who visits thowby. These tiny symbols of support may be simple but they carry an important message to spread awareness about women’s health and remind us all to check in with each other and, most importantly, ourselves.
Everyone in our team has been wearing pink ribbons like badges of honor proudly throughout October, and every thowby boutique - at Al Hana Center, Dubai Festival City Mall, and The Mall Jumeirah - has been touched by this wave of pink. Every ribbon is a small act of unity that brings women across the world together in one vast, global sisterhood.
I have also had the honor of joining Breast Cancer Awareness events this month, including one organized by the American Hospital Dubai (see more on Instagram). To me, it was more than just an event. It was a moment to honor the empowering belief that we are never alone, no matter the problem we are facing. Standing alongside women who have faced or supported this battle was an emotional experience, to put it mildly.
It also reminded me of something else: the sisterhood we share with all the women who shop, visit, or even just know about thowby goes beyond fashion or lifestyle. It is about holding space for one another through the highs and lows of life. The abaya, in many ways, mirrors the idea of a shared womanhood. Like women who stand beside each other through life’s toughest battles, the abaya is a layer that protects, embraces, and empowers.
When I think of the women who choose to wear our abayas, I think of strength wrapped in elegance and simplicity. And so, as I watched women come together this month — wearing their ribbons, sharing their stories, and showing up for each other — I saw the same spirit that inspired me to start thowby as a community business in the first place. Needless to say, it made me emotional and moved me deeply.
When you walk into a boutique, smile at another woman, and pick up a pink ribbon, you are, in essence, making a silent promise to look out for one another and always be compassionate. This campaign has reminded all of us that community can exist anywhere, either in an abaya boutique or online on social media. Every time someone tags us wearing their pink ribbon, it is a sign that the message is spreading, one woman at a time. These small moments are big parts of what keeps us going.
The love and support that have poured in from women across the UAE and beyond this month have been truly heartwarming. As this Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, I hope the message it brought does not fade with the change in the calendar. Let us carry it forward in everything, from our conversations to the way we show up for each other. Today, remind a loved one to book a medical check-up, listen to someone who is struggling, take care of your own physical and mental health, or simply just put on a ribbon for support. Every action matters.
Last but not the least, to the women and survivors facing this battle: know that you are seen, you are celebrated, and you are stronger than you know. Your courage is lighting up the path for others and we are all cheering you on from the sidelines, with love.
At thowby, we celebrate womanhood in all its forms through style, community, and stories that bind us together. This campaign was one such chapter in our wonderful book that will stay with me far beyond October. As will this thought: when women stand together, the world is a more beautiful place.
Houda, Founder @ thowby
