Inspired by traditional Palestinian embroidery, this creative social enterprise aims to re-purpose this handicraft and bring it to a more modern foreground. The Taita after which the enterprise was named wrote a book entitled The Art of Palestinian Embroidery, which chronicled the history and rich heritage behind traditional Palestinian garments.The women behind the social enterprise found that the threads themselves told stories, regaling the daily lives and experiences of these women, and wanted to create a more contemporary brand that could share these tales.
The team actually collected the pieces of materials from Palestinian Taita’s all over the country, hearing, learning and understanding their stories and what these garments meant to them. Anyone who has ever met an elderly Palestinian woman knows the value and importance these materials have within Palestinian culture, as they signified so much about the origin of the town, the woman’s own status and her experiences. My own Taita has said that she would sew a mistake into each one of her embroideries as a way of showing that “only God is perfect.”
Taita Leila not only seeks to tell the stories of these women, but also to employ the women who still make the embroidery. By working with various cooperatives in villages within the occupied territories, they create authentic products that are designed and made entirely in Palestine.
For more information: If you’re interested in contributing to the Taita Leila crowdfunding campaign on AfkarMena, go here. And don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram @Taita_Leila!
