How it started

My name is Luana and I'm the founder of Shqiptar World. Many people already know that I am not only Albanian but half Brazilian as well. My mom is from Mitrovica, Kosova while my dad is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They met in California, where my sister and I were born and raised. Being mixed is common in California, but my mix in particular was not. Because few knew what Albania (and Kosova) was, my Brazilian identity began to overshadow my Albanian identity despite the fact that I was raised in a largely Albanian environment. I later came to the realization that I was confining rather than exploring my Albanian side because of people's general misunderstanding about our culture and identity. 

As I grew older, I fell back in love with my Albanian side and wanted to express it further. I looked for clothing online that would be a statement of my culture, but I found that everything was too simple or wasn't my style. So I began creating my own clothes, the first being the Pride Bomber Jacket. Through support from my family and friends, I finally decided to turn Shqiptar World into a brand, and community.