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When Bella Hadid made her way to the Cannes streets searching for ice cream wearing this vintage dress, she knew that it turned her powerful strides into a vocal narrative. And with each heel walking down the cobbled streets, the Princess of Nazareth is here to say that fashion is more than just a dress to wear.
Honouring her Palestinian heritage, Bella has never faltered in showcasing her undying love for her cultural roots, which has been evident through the years, but more notably in the last few months. We’ve seen her adorning herself with the pride of Palestine wearing keffiyeh scarves. But this time, it’s in a red and white dress with a vast fashion history you should know about.
All the while strutting the French Riveria, the keffiyeh dress created by fashion duo Michael and Hushi, needless to say, made a lasting impression on the global fashion community.
Originally designed and debuted in their February 2001 collection, The Persian Odyssey, it features a midi dress and an asymmetrical hemline using keffiyeh fabric which according to Hushidar Mortezaie back in the day, “wasn’t easy to make.”
Conceived at a time without the internet and social media, the fashion label made do with the resources available for its 2001 collection paying homage to the duo’s diverse cultural upbringing. This blended their Western and Middle Eastern experiences into one.
Their keffiyeh dress mirrored the 2000s American pop-cultural influences and intertwined it with Middle Eastern elements. In the process of designing the collection which featured tailored evening dresses with post-modern American fashion kept in mind, they used Palestinian fabrics to showcase the “beauty of the culture’s struggle,” which beautifully blends their sartorial theme.
And though the dress was tucked silently into the archives, the design bore a testament to Iranian symbolism while also reflecting a myriad of Arabian design roots, mainly Palestinian, Jordanian and Saudi for the keffiyeh fabric. But before the collection became whole, Hushi visited his home country and became more inspired by the strength of women in Iran and the entirety of the Middle East.
As a designer who proudly shared his heritage since the beginning, Hushi started making waves in the fashion world with his over-the-top design codes combined with his cultural identity.
And while amidst the passing years when activism was at its peak, the duo, known for their whimsical take on fashion, emulated their experiences and cultural histories to make proud statements on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where their first store, Sears and Robots, sold an array of eccentric vintage fashion and accessories.
This brings us to today, where Bella wears this archive piece on the streets of Côte d’Azur, carrying the spirit of Palestine with each glide. Sporting a Y2K energy with the dress, she also wears cherry red open-toe kitten heels and an oversized white scrunchy.
And with this year’s roster of celebrities at Cannes, much like Bella, Omar Sy, Leila Bekhti, and A-list celebrity Cate Blanchet, opted to flaunt their support in solidarity for the state of Palestine.
