Sahar Wahbeh, founder of Dumyé Handcrafted Dolls! - South OC Moms

This week’s Meet a Mom interview is with Sahar Wahbeh, founder of Dumyé, a line of hand-crafted dolls “with a purpose”. This designer, entrepreneur and mother lives in Dubai as an American Expat with her husband and 12-year-old daughter, 5-year-old son, 2 dogs and a 3-legged cat. “I love living in such a vibrant and multicultural city during the school year and spending our summers in the lush greenery of Virginia (where I grew up) surrounded by my enormous family. We’ve actually just purchased a mountain house near them that I am so excited to start renovating,” says Sahar. Below, she shares more about launching Dumyé, how she’s built giving back into her brand, and more.

Can you please tell us a bit more about your professional background?
I am a multi-disciplinary creative. From New York to Dubai my career started in creative strategic branding, evolved to include Dumyé dolls a global social enterprise and most recently a bespoke gift consultancy for a small group of elite clients.

Where did the idea for Dumyé come from?
I wanted to gift my daughter something special for the holidays. Something I hoped would become iconic of her childhood, no pressure or anything. I settled on a doll. It needed to be stylish, look a little like her, safe for her to mouth and easy to wash afterwards. I couldn’t find it in the market and so I made it.

I knew that other mothers must be looking for the same kind of gift, but I wasn’t convinced I should start a doll company, until I realized it could be a living lesson to my children. A way for me to share with them what I most wanted them to know: marry your passions with your life’s work, find the courage to fulfill your potential, respect Mother Nature, show compassion for your fellow man and understand that the real gift in life is in the giving.

My hope is that in some small way Dumyé shares those values not only with my children but with all the children who call our dolls their own and together we can leave this world to the next generation, better than we found it.

Love that! How would you describe the brand for anyone who isn’t familiar yet?
Dumyé handcrafts beautiful, personal, and purposeful cloth dolls. Each one is made with our Karmic Goodness® Pinky-promise to respect Mother Nature through the materials we us, show compassion to humanity through ethical production and inclusive designs and give back to children in need through food, education and play.

What are your favorite offerings on your site?
We have 3 doll lines. Our Designer Dumyé’s are an extra special gift. They’re fun to play with but are equally beautiful on a nursery room shelf. They come in a variety of hairstyles, eye colors and skin tones. Our Petite’s are smaller, sweeter and perfect for tiny hands. Our DIY Doll Kits are every crafty, young budding designer’s dream. Inside the little suitcase there is everything one needs to make their own doll with 3 changes of clothing. It’s epically fun.

How does the line give back through “Karmic Goodness”?
Every time someone takes a Dumyé home it sets off a chain reaction of good. Whether it’s supporting vulnerable women with economic opportunity, the use of organic and sustainable materials or the giving we do to children in need.

What is extra special about how we give back is our giving is directly tied to each doll. So when a child brings a Dumyé home their first act of duty is to interactively discover how their new friendship has positively impacted another child in need.

Best parenting advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t be too proud to apologize to your children when you mess up. It’s healing for everyone.

Great advice! How can people buy a doll or learn more?
Head to www.DUMYE.com and check out our dolls. We ship worldwide.

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