The “labor Of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History” is an exhibition that aims to celebrate the legacy of “tatreez” (Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery technique) via the lenses of gender, labor, commodity, and class using artworks from the Qatar Museums and the Palestinian Museum collections.
Yesterday, a celebrity was spotted in this exhibition who has been serving as a cultural figure and a voice for Palestinians through her platforms. This figure is supermodel Bella Hadid, who has made a name for herself outside of the modeling world. Hadid is an activist for Palestinian human rights and has amassed a sizable online following, with 55 million Instagram followers. She recently arrived in Qatar and was accompanied by English supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Bella Hadid with her father Mohamed Hadid, a real estate mogul
On Instagram, Hadid posted several pictures from the exhibition and wrote: “Embroidering Palestinian History will take visitors on a journey of discovery of tatreez embroidery as woven into the social, economic, and political fabric of Palestinian society, through different historical periods.” Hadid, who recently appeared in Ramy’s third season, noted how it was an emotional experience for her. “This show brought tears to my eyes and even more pride for my beautiful Palestinian roots and people. I love you Qatar and I love you Palestine,” she captioned her photo on Instagram.
But that was not the only exhibition Hadid attended as she was reunited with Naomi Campbell to attend a VIP exhibition opening. This duo celebrated the opening of the Baghdad: Eye’s Delight exhibition, with Naomi wearing a fabulous black and white dress and Hadid wearing a stunning plunging blazer and matching skirt. This exhibition pays homage to Baghdad’s “glorious” past, concentrating on the Baghdad of the 20th century, focusing especially (but not only) on the period between the 1940s and 1970s when Baghdad once again became a thriving place with vibrant city life.
Hadid and Campbell were also accompanied by artist Olafur Eliasson who is a Danish artist whose sculptures and large-scale installation art employ elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer’s experience of art.
Vetements creative director Guram Gvasalia also made an appearance and was spotted with Campbell. Gvasalia now spearheads both the design and business sides of the brand. Although he is not classically trained in fashion design, he still conveys his skill and passion for design. He explained in a statement to CR Fashion Book that “Vetements, since day one, is built on creativity. And I want to make sure that all the young people out there know that you do not need to have rich parents, you do not need an investor, and you do not need to sell your soul to big evil corporations. Instead, you can make it on your own. You can change your life with your own creativity and passion.”
As evident, Hadid and Campbell were not the only two famous people that attended the Baghdad exhibition. Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain, also attended the Baghdad: Eye’s Delight exhibition. All of them expressed their support for art that aims to show the rich culture and history that many Arab nations have. It is also important to note that Hadid has made a point of embracing her roots and background in order to show the world her voice and support for relevant issues.