I don’t know from where to start, the multitude of moments in my life culminated into an idea, which grew to become “The Upper Hand”.

When I was a teenager, my mother and I used to go to an orphanage located in a village called Zeraaya in the mountains of Lebanon. Visiting orphans and playing with them made me realize how grateful we should be for what we have. Also, in our everyday life, on the streets of Lebanon, we used to see children begging for money to buy food and water. All of these things surely did not leave me indifferent.

I left my country when I was 17 years old. I went to Switzerland, as it was the ideal way to combine my studies with my passion for sports and alpine skiing. While pursuing a degree in Sport and Event Management, I was lucky to complete a very enriching internship in Monaco with an NGO called Peace and Sport. I saw how sports could be used to educate young people in vulnerable situations, thanks to its values such as integration, respect, solidarity, loyalty and much more. Also, that is where I first met my husband Christian!

After finishing my studies, I moved to Geneva where I worked for more than 4 years as a project coordinator at the leading Swiss watch company. Throughout my stay in Switzerland, I learned a lot from Christian’s active charity work all around the world to put a smile on children’s faces. That strengthened my will to be involved and give a hand. I knew back then that I wanted to create something that would make a difference.

When my daughter Gaïa was born, I decided to move back to Lebanon and connect to my roots. This is when the idea of creating a family clothing brand dedicated to help came to my mind. That’s how one thing led to another and it all came down to an impact driven lifestyle brand, with an enduring principle at heart.

With social and environmental impacts, alongside design and quality in mind, I am pleased to introduce “The Upper Hand”. A brand I have personally built from scratch with the help and close collaboration of everyone involved.

Jackie Chamoun Karembeu