About Us

The Story of Darugar

Darugar is a story, one of healing, creativity, and legacy. It's inspired by the life and artwork of my grandmother, Maliheh Darugar, an Iranian-born artist who created 25 paintings between the ages of 12 and 20. Each piece was her way of processing change, emotion, and self-doubt, capturing moments in her life through the feelings of the figures she painted. Despite her talent, she never shared her work, and after finishing her 25th painting, she quietly stopped creating.

Like many artists, she struggled to see the value in her own expression. Artists are often their own biggest critics, caught between perfectionism and vulnerability. Maliheh’s silence wasn't a lack of ability. It was a reflection of how easily creativity can be hidden when doubt takes over. Her story speaks to countless artists who question whether their work matters, even when it holds deep emotional truth.

Years later in Los Angeles, I began to truly understand the meaning behind the framed paintings I had grown up with. They weren’t just beautiful, they were powerful. They sparked something in me. Growing up in a city fueled by creativity, I was always drawn to design and storytelling, but it was my grandmother’s work that helped shape my desire to build something with purpose.

With a background in business and design, I founded Darugar as a way to bring her art to life. The name comes from Persian: “daru” means medicine, and “gar” means maker. Together, they form Darugar, a word that means healer.

This brand isn’t about mass production. It’s a limited project, with just 25 different garments total, each one tied to one of my grandmother’s paintings. Darugar is more than clothing. It’s a tribute. A way to honor an artist who never got to see her own brilliance, and to give her art the voice it was never allowed. It’s also my way of learning, building, and creating something real from start to finish.

Through this, I’m paying tribute to her creativity while carving my own path in product development and storytelling. Each piece in the collection reflects both her journey and mine, a shared expression of art, memory, and meaning passed down through generations.