Enter joujete. At first the name sounds French, but drop a “t” and it is actually the nickname for Jamila, the inspiration and muse of Boston University junior, Cady Ghandour’s lifestyle brand.
While joujete has only been around for 3 years, around the same time Cady began her studies at Boston University, their hero product, a long short with an elastic waistband, has been part of the Ghannoum family for over 30 years.
Jamila began making joujete’s bestselling shorts 3 decades ago in Lebanon. Jamila’s older brother, one of her 17 siblings, complained of poor sleep due to itchy, hot and outright uncomfortable pajama bottoms. Jamila got to work and made her older brother a pair of soft, lightweight shorts that quickly became a staple for the entire family.
In 2020, after the devastating explosions in Beirut, Jamila’s network of partners-raw materials, notions, tailors, and more were at risk of losing everything. In an effort to support the struggling economy and keep these partners, who had become more like family members over the 30 years, afloat Cady decided to honor her family legacy with small production runs of the unisex apparel that would bring Jamila’s shorts to thousands, outside of the Ghannoum family.
joujete has outgrown the team of just 1, but still remains a family business, using patterns drafted by Jamila to make the products and working with small suppliers in Beirut-handcrafting every joujete piece to ensure optimal finishing. Cady’s family heritage is woven in to every joujete product. 10% of joujete’s profits educate children living in poverty in Lebanon.
joujete just released a new collection of full-length pants perfect for summer! They come in a variety of prints from watercolor to pinstripe and cooling fabrics such as thermoregulating silk and crisp lightweight cotton. Cady oversees production in Lebanon while pursuing her Bachelors degree in Media Science at Boston University’s College of Communication with a minor is Business at the Questrom School of Business.