Palestinian traditional dresses take Jordanian runway

The Palestinian folk dance group Hanouneh held a fashion show in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Saturday showcasing a number of traditional Palestinian dresses. Hannouneh was formed in 1993 with an aim to promote and preserve the Palestinian folkloric traditions through music and dance. Models sashayed down the catwalk as traditional music played in the background, displaying a variety of intricate clothing in a number of styles and vibrant colors. Palestine is known to have a rich variety of traditional dresses, many of which are hand-embroidered. Traditionally, a person's village or town would be recognizable from the style and design of the clothing they wear. However, today many designers and dress makers have altered traditional styles to add a modern flair. Nemat Saleh, Secretary-General of Hanouneh, said future projects would offer job opportunities for women in the country. "We chose several dresses that were more than 80 years old and reproduced them. What you saw in the show today were replicas of these dresses," she said. "We are interested in setting up an embroidery workshop to sustain the practice, not for commercial goals. Our objective is to preserve and protect the memory (of the Palestinian heritage) tied in with the social responsibility of the Hanouneh group, by finding jobs for women," she added. The project took two years to complete and involved 60 women. By: Nadia Mayen Al Arabiya with Agencies