"As clothing was of prime importance, Palestinian women wanted something personal, distinctive and handmade. By adopting the traditional styles and motifs of her area, a woman expressed her wish to identify and be identified with her cultural roots."
- Leila Khalidi, The Art of Palestinian Embroidery
Taita (Taita:/tə-tä/ [noun]) is a colloquial Arabic term of endearment for grandmother, mostly used in the Levantine countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Leila refers to Leila Hussein Fakhri Khalidi, the author of the book “The Art of Palestinian Embroidery” and the namesake of our brand.
Taita Leila is a feminist social enterprise that is “moving the needle” in traditional Palestinian embroidery. We tell hidden and secret stories in the language of thread, reinterpreting embroidery in a way that would make your grandmother proud. We are a fashion label that focuses on this artisanal craft, its significance both from the past and in the future, keeping the tradition alive by evolving with the times.
We accomplish this in three (3) different work streams:
We produce high quality, modern clothing inspired by the long and rich tradition of Palestinian embroidery. Our clothes are made in Palestine, hand-embroidered by women in the West Bank, and can be purchased from this website to be delivered anywhere in the world.
Our initial focus was on the traditional dress, known locally as the
thobe, in a series titled “Anatomy of a Thobe”. The silhouettes and embroidery patterns and their significance were explored in the
Qabbeh,
Benayiq and
Irdan heritage collections, with the historical nod more obvious. We even released a
detailed document of the research that influenced our designs. Since, our newer collections revolve around different concepts that invent, explore and play on these traditional embroidery techniques.
In our collaboration with the expert
Tatreez & Tea, we created one-of-a-kind kits in Palestinian embroidery that honoured the masterful stitchery and skillfulness that Palestinians have practiced throughout the centuries. In these limited editions, we teach how to get started, providing you with all the materials needed. The skills learned with these kits are the same skills employed by our artisans when making our clothing line.
We are also working on a revision of the legendary book of Leila Khalidi. This revision would build upon her work, add in a contemporary view of the Palestinian embroidery and fashion scene, and feature snippets of her work and research that did not make the first edition.
We lost our namesake in 2020 and the continuation of the legacy of Leila Khalidi is a constant work in progress. Our aim is to always make her and the ancestors proud.
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