Keffiyah Coffin?

While perusing BBC on the London riots this morning, The Fashionomist came across a rather intriguing article on the keffiyah, that Palestinian headscarf made (in)famous by the late Yasser Arafat (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14447485).

Surprisingly, there is only one keffiyah factory remaining in Palestinian territories, a dingy little factory in Hebron called Hibrawi Textiles.  Why is there only one factory producing the iconic headdress?  Globalization - China, Jordan, and Syria sell cheaper keffiyah at roughly half the cost of their Palestinian counterparts.

Life wasn't so gloomy at Hibrawi Textiles, even just a few years ago.  The factory saw a boom in business with the intifada, despite having begun humbly in the 1960s.  The rise of Mr. Arafat meant a corresponding rise in his trademark keffiyah, which found popularity among Palestinians who sought to attach themselves to the potent symbol of nationalistm.  The 1980s were a bustling time for Hibrawi, which saw 24-hour shifts and heady business, going from 2 to 15 machines and still being unable to meet demand.  But with the onslaught of similar quality foreign keffiyah, Hibrawi saw a decline in demand as their cheaper brethren snatched up the slowing demand.  Today, Hibrawi is back down to its 2 humming machines, worriedly looking at a future where they may cease to exist.

Once it became clear that Palestinian bred keffiyah was becoming an endangered item, Hibrawi set up a website imploring foreign customers to support their floundering business.  Non-resident Palestinians became involved, concerned the powerful symbolism behind the keffiyah were becoming extinct.  A failed attempt to set up sales in Kuwait was made, but all hope is not lost for Hibrawi.  It has a flourishing Facebook fan page and has garnered media attention for being the last remaining keffiyah factory.  Hibrawi cannot compete with Chinese products but attempts to market its keffiyah as the real deal, and it seems to be working - Hibrawi is back up to 8 machines and 70 keffiyah per day.

It is curious to The Fashionomist that the Palestinian Authority has not taken any interest in supporting the dying keffiyah industry.  As such a inimitable symbol of Palestinian nationalism, one would think a tariff or trade quota would be placed to protect the Palestinian product.  But the 1993 Oslo Accords inhibit such measures in the name of market liberalization.

Should a national product that is so tied to the history of a culture and its fight for independence be protected by the state?  The Fashionomist isn't sure.  The American flag waving jauntily in her front yard is very Chinese, and the markets today are so integrated, particularly in fashion (where every minor cost is integral in the production of a product) that true independence of a product is difficult, especially for a fledgling territory like Palestine.

The keffiyah is firmly in the hearts and minds of the Palestinian people and has become a fashion staple (The Fashionomist is a fan of draping one over a white t-shirt every so often) - hopefully, the keffiyah does not disappear.


*The Fashionomist*