S7E7. Temporary Caretaker of a Hundred-Year-Old Thobe with Leilah

Send us Fan Mail MEET LEILAH: A MOTHER, EDUCATOR AND PASSIONATE COLLECTOR ABOUT ALL TRADITIONAL PALESTINIAN DRESS AND HISTORY (@leilah_ia). Three generations removed from Palestine, with family scattered across Brazil, Kuwait, Jordan, and Ramallah, she grew up watching her grandmother work on thobes. It wasn't until she went searching for one of her own during a pandemic wedding that collecting became a calling. What she found online was a market flooded with mislabeled "ceremonial robes," most sold by non-Palestinians with only fragments of the real story behind them, and that gap is what pulled her in. In this episode, Leila walks us through pieces from her personal collection spanning the late 19th to 20th century, tracing how thobes and malaks were altered, mislabeled, and sometimes stripped for parts by owners outside the culture. She shares what she's learned about reading provenance, preserving fragile pieces, and treating herself as a temporary caretaker rather than an owner. She also talks candidly about the labor of building trust with elders and fellow collectors, the role of online archives in her self-education, and why she believes everyone, regardless of gender, should feel free to wear tatreez. You’ll hear about: >> 0:58: Leilah’s relationship to Palestine >> 2:57: Getting interested in tatreez & learning tatreez from Teta >> 7:13: Collecting Thobes >> 10:37: Connecting with community (and men) through collecting >> 17:54: Thobe show-and-tell (WATCH ON YOUTUBE!) >> 36:40: Misconceptions by the Palestinian community >> 42:00 Who has a right to collect athwab? >> 47:30: How you should clean an old thobe >> 49:56: What’s next in Leilah’s tatreez journey >> 51:34: Major life lesson from tatreez Rate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us elevate the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroiderers and support more tatreez-ers — just like you — in learning more about tatreez and connecting with each other. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and others -- just scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’re adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now! Links Mentioned >> Jawad from @palestinian_thobbe on IG, incredible resource on Palestinian tatreez & dress Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Boycott ZARA and all Inditex brands—Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho, ZARA Home. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe