It's been five years since EidParty gracefully made its way into Muslim households everywhere.
From an array of balloons and bunting, to Moroccan-themed lanterns for those all-important Ramadan feels, EidParty became the go-to online store for Islamic-inspired decor.
And today – I wanted to speak to the founder, entrepreneur, and super-mum behind the global brand itself.
Riz started the business in a bid to solve a major problem for Muslims in the UK. Little did she know this would be planting the seeds for her worldwide sales, social media success and creative brand awareness. Here's a little backstory...👇
🏠 Growing Up – Eid Wasn't a 'Thing'
Despite her mum's best efforts to always make Ramadan and Eid special for her and her siblings, Riz always knew that there weren't any real resources out there that helped Muslims embrace this time of year.
Eid became a barely-decorated, underwhelming, and overall average celebration for many families across the UK. And the essence of what Eid truly is...was simply stripped away.
So, when Riz began to grow a family of her own, she knew she wanted things to be different.
She wanted a home that radiated beauty, warmth and comfort throughout Ramadan and Eid so that younger generations not only understood the importance of this month, but also felt valued and seen with their faith.
While Christmas was (and still is) a widely celebrated time of year embraced in every shop, street, and local school in the UK – it was heartbreaking to know there was nothing out there to help observe Eid just as beautifully.
"I remember using my DIY skills to make Eid-friendly decorations for my children each year. I'd blow up some balloons, reach for the sharpies, and get creative – but something needed to be done about this..."
🤲🏼 A New Chapter
2017 saw the launch of EidParty and, with the connections Riz already had to factories in China and Turkey, she pulled together her team and began creating some designs for Eid decorations.
With some back and forth trial and errors, Riz and the team began selling their products on global marketplaces like eBay and Amazon.
With the ready-made audiences that these platforms offered, Riz was able to drive some pretty decent traction to her faith-based decorative products.
🌙 The EidParty Identity
With some knowledge and experience in the e-commerce sphere, Riz decided to branch out of the world of eBay and Amazon and create an independent website for her business.
"At a time where influencers drive a lot of the success for small brands, I wanted EidParty to grow organically as well as document the love that went into making it what it is today."
Because of how under-valued our communities were during our times of religious celebration, Riz made it a mission to create quality products that were worth buying. This meant investing in videography and photography that made EidParty feel professional and meaningful as a brand.
📿 That Ramadan in Covid
I'm sure none of us will ever forget the Ramadan we experienced during the Covid pandemic, and it certainly isn't a time that Riz will forget either.
With lockdown looming, Riz, like many other business owners, began to fear what all of this would mean for her company.
Though something interesting happened instead when she witnessed more parents wanting to make that Ramadan and Eid extra exciting during such a difficult time.
"I didn't think that lockdown would urge people to decorate their homes in Ramadan as much as it did... we began to see this need for making the house even more special because of how distressing the outside world was at the time."
As more customers took pictures of their Eid-Party decorated homes throughout the lockdown period and shared them across social media, Riz's brand became a beacon of hope in what was a dark and troubling moment in history for us all.
🤝 Managing Motherhood
Not only is Riz the creative powerhouse behind the ever-growing business, she's also a loving mother who is involved in Muslim scouting alongside her children.
We discussed how she finds that balance between family life and running a business.
"My children have always come to work with me. Since they were babies, I would bring them to the office which would give them that valuable insight into what mum is up to."
While she explains that the balance isn't always easy, Riz talks about how her and her spouse dedicate that time to their children once the period of Ramadan and Eid has come to an end.
"As a Muslim business woman, I know I'm going to be busy during Ramadan but once that's over, it's all about giving them my full attention and being fully present as a parent."
The key for any working mother, as Riz went on to tell us, is to 'physically take yourself away from the business'. Leave aside your phone, your laptop and anything related when you want to be present with your children – don't let your company get in the way of that time.
"At the same time, I've also never understood this idea of 'mum guilt' because we're working hard to contribute to our children's futures. As a mother, I'm focussing on how it will be easier for my child to go to university without worrying about fees etc."
🎈 It's More than Balloons and Bunting
Becoming the pioneer for Eid and faith-based decor, EidParty emphasises how the story of the brand goes further than the products they sell.
Riz discussed how she felt Muslim communities were being left with what they were given, and being made to feel as if they didn't deserve quality products and contemporary decor to really make their Eid's something special.
"It's not just balloons and bunting, it's about balloons and bunting that is made for the Muslim community with effort put in to keep them at the forefront. I wanted our children {especially} to feel seen!"
With the growth of EidParty, Riz wants to continue to help Muslims feel confident in their religious practices as well as helping them become more aware of their deeds and surrounding as a whole.
📚 Uplifting our Communities
Each year, during Ramadan, EidParty put out an appeal to local schools, Islamic institutions, youth groups and children's hospitals and send them decoration packages for free in a bid to provide them with quality resources to bring their Eid to life.
Last year the company donated 800 packages across the UK, are now looking at how they can expand this initiative overseas.
"We see children fighting life-threatening illnesses in hospitals, so being able to reach out to them and make their Eid a beautiful one to look forward to is something I'm so honoured to be able to do."
We thank Riz for giving us our time in this interview and for opening up the doors of EidParty to us. May Allah SWT continue to bless and give success to Riz in all of her endeavours and we're so excited to see what's to come! 🎉
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