How Embroidery Embodied Natalie Tahhan, A Palestinian Fashion Designer
Palestinian fashion is cultural, modern, and simplistic, to Natalie Tahhan, the young Palestinian fashion designer who pays homage to her roots through her passion for fashion.
As a graduate of London College of Fashion, Tahhan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fashion Design and Technology. In 2015, the entrepreneur launched her clothing line, “Natalie Tahhan,” making her the first person to bring international fashion expertise to Jerusalem. Tahhan’s brand offers luxurious, high-end women's wear known for its intricate hand sewn embroidery with ties to the modern era of fashion.
Tahhan was born in Jerusalem, which she says holds a special place in her heart. From a young age, Tahhan knew she wanted to take a dive into the fashion world.
“Being inspired by the cultural history of Palestine was a simple way for me to celebrate my heritage and culture,” Tahhan said. “I wanted to showcase the beauty of Palestine through the medium of fashion.”
Tahhan has worked extensively across Europe and the Middle East. She has brought her talents of art and design back to Jerusalem where she aims to create a platform that gives her the ability to express herself creatively.
The entrepreneur owes part of her self-expression to being a Palestinian, adding that the title itself brings joy and pride to her life.
“To me, it's about my connection to nature and landscape here,” Tahhan said. “I’ve lived in many places around the world and there is nothing quite like the beautiful nature and the change of the seasons here.”
The fashion designer said her proudest moment she has had thus far in her career was the release of her Prints of Palestine collection. The pieces highlight historical Palestinian designs from areas likes Hebron, Gaza, Ramallah, and more. The collection itself ties traditional styles with 21st century fashion.
“The release of Prints of Palestine was definitely a proud moment for me,” Tahhan said. “I wasn't sure how people would react to the collection, but it proved to be a huge success and that made me incredibly proud.”
The designer describes her line of work as detailed, defined, and colorful. Like many artists, Tahhan believes it is very important to keep Palestinian art forms of all kinds alive and thriving.
“Being constantly inspired by the richness of our cultural history and continuously presenting that to a modern and contemporary society,” Tahhan said. “I hope that everyone can appreciate the diversity of it, the richness of the cultural aspect of it, and to be able to connect to Palestinian fashion on a deeper level.”
Tahhan recognizes the hard work of Palestinan designers all over the world. She finds the diversity of Palestinian work beautiful.
“There are so many great Palestinian designers that form the Palestinian fashion scene, many local and abroad,” Tahhan said. “It is great to see such diversity in design coming through from Palestinain designers. It doesn't mean one specific thing to me; I just think it's beautiful to see so many creatives expressing our culture through design.”
Every artist has a mission or goal. For Tahhan, she wants to celebrate where she comes from and keep it alive through one of the things she loves most in life.
“I feel it is so important to celebrate our cultural heritage and showcase that to the world; this can keep us connected to our history and preserve our historical fashion.”
