Rami Kashou Displays Palestinian Embroidery Fashion at United Nations Exhibit
BY: Hala Atirah/Contributing Writer
Palestinian American designer Rami Kashou is participating in an exhibit at the United Nations celebrating Palestinian fashion called Palestinian Embroidery: Threads of Continuity, Identity and Empowerment.
On their official page, the UN said the exhibit is running in conjunction with the 39th International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which occurs annually on November 29. For his showcase, Kashou displayed Palestinian tatreez (embroidery) fashion. The UN website expressed love for the colorful clothing that “expressed the heritage and culture of Palestine and were a source of the livelihood to the Palestinian women.”
Fashion industry giants, such as Valentino, Alexander McQueen, and Galliano, inspire the Palestinian designer. All of them share a creativity that blends boldness with classiness in their designs.
Before opening the UN exhibit, Kashou, who was born and raised in Palestine, opened a three-day exhibition in the middle of his home city, Ramallah, in an attempt to share his success with fellow Palestinians. The exhibit was close to Yasser Arafat Square, adjacent to a tent showing solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strikes in the Israeli prisons.
Palestinian women who attended his Ramallah exhibition have expressed their admiration for his success. Palestinians are proud to see a designer from their homeland go global with creativity and fashion. Kashou is beloved for showing a desire to maintain relations with his city and its people.
The designer made a name for himself in the U.S. after competing in the fourth season of the hit television series, Project Runway, in 2008. Kashou made it to the finals, but lost to his opponent Christian Siriano, who won the first place.
Kashou has designed dresses for many celebrities worldwide, such as Queen Rania Al-Abdallah, Kim Kardashian, Penelope Cruz, and Heidi Klum. His achievements in the fashion industry are not without his Palestinian inspirations.