Al Naqab Collection

Women’s dresses from Al Naqab were generous in size, often black, and richly embroidered with geometric patterns of triangles and squares. Blue embroidery on the lower half marked unmarried girls and widows, while red and pink stitches were added over the blue when a woman remarried. Long winged sleeves and embroidered panels on the front and back made each garment beautifully elaborate. Married women also wore face ornaments called the burqa’, decorated with coins and cowry shells—symbols of fertility and tribal identity. This embroidery tradition is unique to Al Naqab and the Sinai deserts, setting it apart from Bedouins of northern Palestine, whose style more closely resembles that of Syria and Jordan. This collection is a direct tribute to the powerful women of Al Naqab, who have for generations stitched the truth of our land into their Tatreez, proving it was never barren—it was always alive with culture, resistance, and beauty.

This collection is my way of honoring the beauty of our deserts and the traditions of the women who embroidered in Al Naqab and beyond. So yes, while I’ve jokingly nicknamed this drop “F** you Ursula, our deserts are beautiful”, it’s really a love letter to a landscape that has always been vibrant, strong, and inspiring.