With the launch of her brand Orebella in the Middle East signifying an intentional presence in the region, Bella Hadid has historically represented her community internationally. In recent months, Bella has increasingly featured and embraced Middle Eastern designers in her public appearances, from brand events to streetwear to editorial looks. As a Palestinian-American and a global tastemaker, Bella is undoubtedly one of the greatest examples of representation for diaspora Palestinians in the West, presenting regional talent as capable of setting the bar for class and sophistication beyond conforming to Western aesthetics.
Michael and Hushi:
Many may remember Bella’s appearance at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, in which she was heavily photographed in an archival 2001 Michael and Hushi red keffiyeh dress, a nod to her Palestinian culture. The nicknamed “Princess of Nazareth”, in reference to her activism, took a pap-walk through the streets of Cannes in her bold, solidarity-symbol of a dress, a dress that designers Michael Sears and Hushi Mortezaie themselves caught a lot of backlash for during its initial debut.
In celebration of their first anniversary, magazine Dazed MENA released its very first print issue featuring Bella Hadid on the cover, fully dressed in archival Michael and Hushi. Over the years, the duo has heavily drawn inspiration from Hushi’s Iranian background, featuring Middle Eastern prints, fabrics, and traditions in their collections. From the shawls to the gold to the chainmail, each photo from the shoot is dreamy and draws on familiar eastern silhouettes, colors, and textures. The shoot, done in collaboration with Iranian-American photographer Yasmine Diba, is filled with nostalgic sensorial imagery as Bella is pictured with a classic backgammon board, olive trees, and wooden chairs familiar to anyone with childhood memories in the Middle East.
Azza Fahmy:
Within the past week, Bella has been spotted twice in public donning matching Azza Fahmy jewelry. A popular regional brand, Azza Fahmy is a luxury jewelry brand combining Egyptian cultural techniques with modern jewelry trends. In a streetwear moment out in Los Angeles, Bella finished off her archival vintage Prada look with a gold bracelet stack featuring Azza Fahmy’s ‘Echoes of Nature’ bangle, pairing it with the matching cushion-cut rubellite ring.
The following day, at the launch party of Orebella at Ulta Beauty in Kuwait, Bella stepped out in the ‘Emerald Chains of Happiness’ necklace from the brand as a bold statement piece, wearing no other jewelry besides a simple gold ring from the brand.
Reema Dahbour:
At the UAE launch of Orebella, Bella Hadid paid tribute to her heritage, showing up in a head-turning gown by Jordanian-Palestinian designer Reema Dahbour. Dahbour, known for designing Jordanian Princess Iman’s henna party dress, specializes in incorporating traditional tatreez embroidery into bridal couture. The floor-length white dress was opulently covered in delicate tatreez patterns in white, gold, and silver.
Reem Ami:
Back in August, for the launch of Orebella’s latest fragrance, the appropriately named “Eternal Roots”, Bella embodied the theme with a dress by designer Reema Al Banna of Reem Ami. The knitted dress by the Palestinian label is covered in hand-drawn symbols of Palestinian culture, the tatreez, the olive oil, the flowers of Palestine, representing those ‘roots’ that tie people to their heritage.
