Palestinian fashion designer blends old and new traditions | LIFESTYLES

Published 1:10 pm Thursday, June 16, 2011

It’s not every fashion designer who can say that royalty wears their creations. Intisar Khalifeh, 70, is one of the few. Intisar, who was born in Palestine but lives in Jordan, has been commissioned to create her dresses, heavily-embroidered works of art, for Queen Rania and Queen Noor of Jordan.

This weekend some Bellevue residents will have a chance to see Intisar’s designs at “Renaissance of Color,” a showcase of the rich and colorful world of contemporary and traditional Arab fashions at the Red Lion Hotel Saturday.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the Arab Center of Washington’s 2011 Festival.

Intisar’s work revives the traditional Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery motifs. She’ll take a small unit or pattern, such as a geometric image or floral piece, and repeat it again and again, decorating a dress with colorful designs and impressive symmetrical patterns.

It takes six months to complete a dress.

Self-taught in embroidery and clothing design, the traditional styles were not fashionable while Intisar was growing up. Many people then and now prefer western styles of dress, she said.

Today, times have changed. While many women in Jordan still wear western clothing, Intisar’s dresses are often bought for special occasions, including weddings and graduations.

“Palestine has a very beautiful countryside and we romanticize our love for our homeland in these traditional garments,” said Oraib Khalifeh-Kabbani, Intisar’s daughter. Oraib wears many of her mother’s creations to the symphony.

Oraib says her mother is famous for her ability to blend old and new in her designs. A traditional dress, which adheres to Islamic modesty, would be loose-fitting to ensure modesty and made of heavy, black fabrics. Intisar’s designs, she says, are more “feminine,” slightly more form-fitting, and made of more light-weight fabrics.

In addition to various dresses, the “Renaissance of Color” Fashion Show will include items that have never been seen before, including tops with balloon pants.

“Plus, as each dress is handmade, every dress that she makes has never been seen before,” Oraib said.

For more information, go to arabcenterwa.org and orientaldresses.net.

Photos: Some of Intisar’s dresses. Bottom: Intisar and her daughter Oraib pose wearing the dresses with the traditional Palestinian cross-stitch.