Credit: Pinterest – nolcollective.com
The true hallmark of a quality garment is the narrative woven into it. But the weaving of a narrative is not always a conscious process: it is also the natural result of creating something with care and intention. When the individuals who create garments spend weeks, months and even years intricately crafting them, their stories become inextricably entwined with the threads of the textile. When a piece of clothing is gifted to or purchased by someone else, so too do they weave their history into its cloth when wearing it out in the world with a story of their own in mind. The compounded stories woven into garments form the basis of heritage. History of this kind is uniquely woven into the garments of Nol Collective, an intersectional fashion label founded by Yasmeen Mjalli in 2017 that creates clothes that are both fraught with grief and bursting with hope.
In the cities of Ramallah, Jerusalem, Gaza, and Jenin, women sit in front of looms and enduringly weave hand-spun wool yarn into patterns of distinctive motifs. The textiles they make will be used to create garments for Nol Collective (the word ‘nol’ means loom in Arabic). This is the art of tatreez, an ancestral Palestinian embroidery technique with an oral tradition, passed on from mother to daughter.
Tatreez symbolizes the connection between Palestinians and the land that birthed them, as historically all its elements were sourced from it: the camel and goat hair or sheep’s wool, the natural dyes obtained from endemic plant species, the yarns washed in the seas that surround it. Women who were voiceless in their households expressed themselves through woven motifs that carried their hopes, wishes and desires. The finished product was never treated as disposable: it was intended to be worn for a lifetime. The garment was meant to mature alongside its owner, the dye fading naturally, the yarn thinning on well-worn cuffs. As the wearer lives out their life, the garment too has a life of its own that mirrors theirs. It becomes a rich tapestry of untold experiences.
Naturally dyed blazer, made in Palestine
Credit: Pinterest – nolcollective.com
Tatreez no longer only carries dreams in its threads. It has also become a means of expressing the nightmare its makers live in. After the Nakba in 1948, tatreez began to be used as a form of silent protest through incorporating the colors of the Palestinian flag into designs. Today, the women of Palestine continue to use tatreez as a medium to affirm their identities by joining cooperatives that carry on its rich traditions in service of the struggle towards a brighter future. Yasmeen Mjalli, the founder of Nol Collective, works hyper-locally with these cooperatives alongside family-owned tailor shops and apothecaries that have been around for more than seven generations.
In the words of Mjalli: “If there isn’t a world behind garments, then I don’t want those garments.” This design philosophy is palpable from the outset on Nol’s online storefront: the section entitled ‘Our World’ is an in-depth exploration of the process of creating their garments, as well as the intersectionality that informs them: the feminist ideals of Mjalli, the occupation that wreaks violence on the lives of the people of Palestine, and the environmental consequences of Western imperialism. The implicit message that they share by stating openly that they make ‘conscious, political garments’ is that being apolitical is a privilege. For many, the issues that amount to little more than divisive, unpleasant news headlines for those living in the West are the inescapable reality they live in: a daily nightmare. For artists who intertwine pieces of themselves into the work they create, their art being political is a natural product of that process, a reflection of their lived experience.
Nol Collective’s Autumn 2023 collection is a testament to the power of restraint. It features slouchy, relaxed pieces like the Mira oversized shirt and the Nada Syrian pant that are meant to be lived in, and whose simplicity fully highlights the quality of the naturally dyed textiles even as those who make them live in the squalor of refugee camps. There are also simple T-shirts and hoodies fashioned of deadstock cotton that feature a cactus motif that symbolizes Palestinian resistance and struggle. Hand-embroidered outerwear pieces like the Ansa jacket in gray use upcycled tatreez in their statement collars, breathing new life into fabric that’s already seen a lifetime unfold before it. My favorite piece of the collection, however, is the Dalia hand-woven silk dress available in plum and tangerine. The simplicity of a monochromatic maxi dress lets the rich and lustrous color of the naturally dyed silk shine. The long sleeves and thin waist-tie evoke an image of girlish playfulness. I can imagine a young child of 5 or 6 walking around the market with her mother, eyes wide with awe as she stares at a young woman who seems so beautiful, carefree and full of life. The little girl only glimpses the woman for a moment in the thronging crowd, but the swish of her dress and the brilliance of her smile embed themselves in the girl’s memory to nurture a budding dream.
The ability to see beauty in the world and the will to dream of a better tomorrow despite all the hardships one has faced is the most wondrous trait any human can possess. We can only hope the dreams that the women of Palestine weave into their tatreez will come true.
Shop Nol Collective and learn more about their vision at https://nolcollective.com.