“Nomadic life in the Negev dates back at least 4,000 years”, states the film. Mixing an ancient craft with contemporary fashion, Adish have made a new film spotlighting the weaving skills of the Bedouin women, who have co-created their FW19 collection.
The film is an exclusive for cult luxury streetwear emporium Dover Street Market, and was premiered on the NYC store’s website and installed in-store.
“After 1948, the home of the indigenous Arab Bedouins of the Negev changed from historic Palestine to the new state of Israel” reads text in the film. In the face of disparity from both the government and Israeli society, the Negev community in the Naqab area have sustained craft practices and traditional methods in their workshop in Lakiya.
Emphasis on this process draws parallels to Adish’s own disparate origins, with founders Amit Luzon and Eyal Eliyah blending Palestinian and Israeli identity in their Tel-Aviv base, creating a unique narrative in the world of streetwear.
For their AW19 collection Adish worked with over one hundred Bedouin women from the factory, accenting Adish’s clean lines with unique Manajel embroidery. This intricacy and attention to detail is just as beautiful as the designs themselves. With streetwear running on a hamster-wheel of hype, the slowness which the Lakiya team craft the handmade patterns is an example to the industry.
The first piece to come out of the collection is a hoodie complete with Awasi sheep tassels, which also featured in Dover Street Market New York’s in-store installation. With both an online and offline activation, with the film screened on an old-school video screen in-store, the installation is complete with Manajel-embroidered rugs and is surrounded by a tent of Adish clothing.
The short film is directed by the brand’s long-time collaborator Ryan O’Toole Collett and features close-ups of the patterns, which are nestled with text that narrates the history of the Negev Bedouins and their weaving traditions.
Adish x Lakiya is on display until Sep 4, Dover Street Market, New York
