American model Bella Hadid expressed unwavering support for Palestine, donning a Kiffiyeh dress to celebrate Palestinian culture and resilience.
Taking to Instagram, Hadid wrote: "Palestine is on my mind, in my blood, and in my heart. Always. While I still have to go to work , even through this horror, to wear our culture makes me a proud Palestinian, and I want the world to continue to see Palestine, wherever we go.".
"I want to highlight designers that have highlighted the Palestinian cause through the years. This is a Kiffiyeh dress, made by #michaelandhushi @hushi5 in 2001," she said.
Hadid maintained: "A beautiful way to represent history, a labour of love, resilience, and, most importantly, the art of historic Palestinian embroidery.".
"If you don’t know what’s happening right now in Gaza, watch my stories (and find other accounts leading to Palestinians on the ground), and please educate yourself on the on going occupation and genocide that is happening right now in Gaza. Do not be desensitised to the horror that is being endured by the Palestinian people. (Go to my highlights of 2024," she said.
"While you do that , I will show you a beautiful part of our culture. The Kiffiyeh. The patterns on the Palestinian keffiyeh symbolise various themes: Olive leaves: strength, resilience, perseverance," she said.
Hadid said: "The larger part of the keffiyeh is the fishnet pattern, which resembles the fishnet, and the relationship between the Palestinian fisherman and the sea. It symbolises abundance and grace. To many of us, the sea also means "freedom.
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"Especially to Palestinians living in the West Bank, who have no access to the sea, due to restricted movement," she added.
Hadid said, "Sea Waves resemble the strength, and resilience of our communities, which persevered after 73 years under military occupation and oppression.".
"Some posts on social media wrote that the resemblance comes from the olive leaves, which is also an important symbol, but after a conversation with Judeh Hirbawi from Hirbawi Factory in Hebron, he said that it comes from sea waves," she maintained.
Hadid added, "Bold represents the trade routes going through Palestine, which played a vital role in carving the history and rich and diverse culture of our communities.".
"With that being said, all eyes are on Rafah," she concluded.
