How did the collaboration with Sam Cafe come about, and why did you choose Sam Cafe for this partnership?

I don’t go to cafes often, and the only cafe where Aghabi-Bee’s gatherings took place was Sam Cafe. It was strange how safe and comfortable we felt there. When we sat down, time and place just served the purpose of chilling and enjoying ourselves. We had been going there for a year and a half, constantly seeing “Estef” passing by in front of us. During these comings and goings, we thought about doing something for Estef and, alongside that, introducing Aghabi-Bee to people so they could get to know it better.

During the design process, did you consider the opinions of Estef’s staff, or did you prefer to surprise them?

We were thinking about whether to ask or not. But when I proposed the idea to Mohsen Majidikhah, he immediately accepted, and our excitement sped up. We occasionally asked the team members for their opinions, and they were very happy. However, when we had a few semi-final choices, their opinions became very important to us. Sam Cafe even held a survey to ask Estef’s staff for their feedback.

Did you have selling the T-shirts in mind from the beginning?

Not at all. We were just excited about the idea of seeing Estef’s entire Sam Cafe branches wearing T-shirts with designs by Aghabi-Bee, telling a story about friendship, camaraderie, and collaboration. In the end, Sam Cafe liked three final designs, and we moved forward with Estef’s design. Then we saw how warmly people welcomed having all three designs. That’s basically how the story has gone so far.

What printing technique was used?

Silk-screen printing in one of the oldest silk-screen workshops, Arad Workshop, where experienced and skilled master craftsmen work.

Did you come to this idea quickly, or did you create many drafts? How long did this process take?

We started with nine drafts, each of which could have been final, and entered meetings with Sam Cafe. This project began in September 2024 (Shahrivar 1403) and was completed by March (Esfand).

How was this experience for you?

I’m happy that what I had envisioned was brought to life alongside the passionate and exceptional Aghabi-Bee team and the support of dear Sam Cafe. This is a teamwork achievement in Iran—a city where every moment brings a wave, and you have to keep yourself balanced on the wave.

Regarding where the designs and ideas came from, Sam Cafe explained it beautifully in their description, so we didn’t include it here. Since no one agreed to interview us about ourselves, we arranged this short interview with ourselves.