S3E11. Fashioning Palestine’s Identity with Natalie

April 10, 2025 · 78 min

NATALIE TAHHAN, A FASHION DESIGNER, ILLUSTRATOR AND INSTRUCTOR AT BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY (@natalietahhanofficial/@ntstudi0). Natalie shares her unique life journey, growing up in Doha after being born in Jerusalem, and the deep-rooted pull that eventually led her to return to Palestine.

She opens up about the difficult decision to return in 2015 to protect her Jerusalem ID, facing financial and legal challenges to preserve her connection to home. That year-long stay reignited her desire to live and create in Palestine—experiencing the land through seasonal shifts and rediscovering what rooted her.

Natalie also reflects on launching her design work in Jerusalem, driven by the belief that Palestinian-made products should come from the heart of Palestine itself. This same commitment fuels her work as a fashion instructor at Birzeit University, where she co-developed an accredited diploma program that integrates tatreez into the curriculum. Her goal: to nurture a new generation of Palestinian designers equipped to build a thriving local fashion industry rooted in heritage.

Learn more at natalietahhan.com.

You’ll hear about:

>> 0:53: Natalie sets roots in Palestine

>> 11:14: Life as a Jerusalemite

>> 17:36: Starting (and learning about) tatreez

>> 22:07: Building a fashion business around tatreez

>> 35:04: Translating traditional tatreez into contemporary fashion

>> 41:15: Status of the Natalie Tahhan fashion label

>> 49:43: Tatreez takes Natalie to Birzeit University

>> 1:02:05: Inspiring tatreez in fashion student stories

>> 1:09:45: What’s next for Natalie

>> 1:12:30: Life lesson from tatreez

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