Keffiyehs and ‘Free Palestine,’ but make it a fast fashion – The Forward

It's hard to deny that the pro-Palestinian movement is, at this point, cool, at least in some social circles.

Sure, there’s the pressure to say the right things on college campuses or repost things on social media. But the ubiquity of Free Palestine merchandise makes it clear that the movement is, well, trendy.

Kaffiyehs, a traditional Arab woven scarf, have had their moments in fashion before, perhaps most notably during The 2010s scarf erawhen oversized scarves were a must-have accessory. But back then, people thought the keffiyeh was just a very hipster accessory; Urban Outfitters sold them, even though at one point they didn't. tagged them houndstooth scarves. They were so far removed from the Palestinian cause that culinary personality Rachael Ray wore one in a Dunkin Donuts commercial. (Dunkin Donuts denied it was a keffiyeh, but pulled the ad anyway.)

Today, politics is in fashion. Walking around New York City, you can see keffiyehs tied into miniskirts, used as bandanas, and transformed into crop tops. On TikTok, there are tutorials to attach your keffiyeh to an evening bag or a shirt.

@jeneenmaciel

Catch me spinning the different variations all summer long

deira holy levant –

And those are just the items made from the scarf itself. The keffiyeh theme has expanded to the point that, online, you can buy stick-on acrylic nails, keffiyeh hair scrunchies, and keffiyeh iced coffee tumblers. The text on a keffiyeh-printed bandana described the product as a plea for a free Palestine through every knot and fold, even though the item is screen-printed and not woven.

Of course, it's not just keffiyehs that are in fashion; anything vaguely Palestinian is too. site The company, which claims to help children of the diaspora represent their culture, sells varsity-style sweatshirts emblazoned with the logos of the University of Palestine and the University of Palestine, even though neither institution exists. Others look like vintage band T-shirts, printed with a faded poster design for the 1971 Palestine Valley Music Festival, which did not take place then or in any other year.

Other shops incorporate tongue-in-cheek slogans on their T-shirts, like “Introvert,” but are willing to discuss how America is funding genocide or have gotten artistic about it, with delicate flowers wrapped around the words “Free Palestine.”

Much of the merchandise is sold, at least nominally, as fundraisers, with artists and manufacturers donating a percentage of sales to aid Gaza. Carry peacea clothing company dedicated to raising money for humanitarian missions, says it donates 100% of sales of its Free Palestine and watermelon merchandise, for example. And many creators on Etsy claim to be Palestinian themselves, in which case consumers can feel good about supporting Palestinian artists, or donate a percentage of their profits to a Gaza NGO.

But many others are simply capitalizing on a trend.

Dropshippers, a form of low-cost e-commerce where online stores promote what often appear to be artisanal products but are actually mass-produced and shipped directly to the consumer, are known for their ability to quickly adapt to new trends. And now, they’re shipping keffiyehs and Free Palestine products directly from China to consumers’ doorsteps.

An online store that once sold mass-produced fleece pajamas now offers 16 different styles of pro-Palestinian T-shirts, but there’s no indication on the site of any support, financial or emotional, for the cause. And of course, Shein, the fast-fashion giant, sells keffiyehs in every color and shape.

Even the store that sells Palestine University sweatshirts doesn’t claim to donate, despite its well-designed website filled with slogans about social justice and supporting minorities. (Their Instagram page is also filled with angry comments from customers complaining that they never received their order.)

There’s a long tradition of wearing political slogan T-shirts, of course. And regardless of who’s actually profiting from the trend, perhaps now that everyone seems to know what keffiyehs symbolize, their ubiquity has some sort of political impact. After all, when everyone around you seems to support a cause, you usually feel like you should too.

But there is also an obvious irony in fast fashion political fashion products; companies like Shein rely on a workforce close to slavery to quickly produce cheap, disposable clothing that TikTok influencers can show off carry videos where they present dozens of items in the space of a minute or two. The low barrier to entry simply makes the political statement itself seem as cheap and disposable as the clothes.

This is not to say that fashion cannot be political; it can, and is oftena powerful way to get a message across. However, using a $10 coffee tumbler to increase views on an aesthetic iced coffee video is another story.