What We Fashionistas Can Do for Palestine Solidarity

As violence in Gaza escalates, it is crucial to support Palestinians in dire need. Over the past months, more than 35,300 Palestinians have lost their lives, and nearly 2 million have been displaced. Gaza is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, with people dying from hunger and disease and a collapsed healthcare system. Despite this, Israel continues to block aid and maintain its siege. 

This is not new; for the past 16 years, Gaza's 2.3 million residents have lived under a blockade with limited access to clean water, electricity, and medical care. Previous Israeli attacks have destroyed essential infrastructure, killing hundreds. Across the globe, millions protest Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and its occupation and terrorism in the West Bank. It is time for Palestinian lives to be valued equally. In this blog post, it will explore the following main points: 

• Explore concrete ways fashionistas can engage in Palestine solidarity

• Provide Palestine education, awareness, and advocacy efforts

• Provide political action that combines fashion with activism

How Fashion Enthusiasts Can Contribute to Events and Activities

1. Clothing Swap: Consider hosting a swap where you charge an entry fee to raise funds that will be donated to Palestine aid organizations. Try charging $5-15 dollars per individual based on the location and donation goal you want to reach.

2. Use Your Platform: Raise awareness about Gaza through social media by reposting educational content. Consider posting once daily and challenge yourself to explain why you stand in solidarity from your personal context.

3. Collaboration: Participate in coalition/network events that are working on educational projects or raising money for Palestine, such as Creators for Palestine. Change is only possible when we work as a collective versus alone and siloed from others.

4. Clothing Resale: Look through your closet and sell fashion items you no longer need to support Palestine. Consider uploading pieces onto eBay, Poshmark, or Depop, or you can even have a garage sale this summer.

Creative Palestinian Fashion Initiatives

1. Upcycle Fashion: Customize clothing with Palestinian motifs and sell them to raise awareness and funds that Gaza is in desperate need of.

2. Op-Ed Writing: Connect your fashion expertise with the Palestinian cause in professional and local publications. Don’t be afraid to cold call different locations to get started.

3. Support Local: Take photos at locally owned shops that support Palestine, and boycott companies that support Israel’s occupation. Boycotting pressures major companies to divest from the current genocide in Gaza, which transfers over support to ethical and local home businesses.

4. Collaborative Collections: Partner with Palestinian designers to create fashion lines highlighting traditional embroidery and patterns. We must work together to showcase the beauty and art Palestinian culture has to offer; we also have a lot to lose as a collective if we lose their traditional knowledge and skills.

Local Palestinian Fashion Initiatives

1. Fashion Shows: Organize a fashion show featuring Palestinian designers, and upcycled clothing with Palestinian motifs and brands. You can even include a panel discussion in the end sharing the struggles in Gaza and how people can take further action.

2. Charity Auctions: Auction high-fashion items with proceeds going to Palestinian relief organizations. Do this by contacting your network, collecting donated items, and picking a time and location well in advance to ensure great attendance.

3. Educational Workshops: Conduct workshops on traditional Palestinian textile techniques like tatreez embroidery. Invite experts to share their knowledge and consider compiling the information in a guide that can be shared later on.

Palestinian Fashion Advocacy Efforts

1. Palestinian Fashion Brands: Promote and purchase from Palestinian designers. Make outfits from the pieces and share the stories of the brand and the work they are doing.

2. Fashion Blogs and Magazines: Write or create content focusing on Palestinian fashion and the impact of the occupation in fashion-focused blogs and magazines.

3. Collaborative Art Projects: Blend fashion and activism to tell stories of Palestinian resilience through art. Get creative but consult with others about what would make the most sense to create something meaningful and powerful.

4. Challenge Complicity: Hold corporations accountable for their role in violating Palestinian rights. Many U.S. corporations are involved in Israel's apartheid regime. Ensure your money does not support these violations and call on companies to end their complicity.

Taking Political Action

1. Contact Congress: Call and email your representatives to demand an immediate cease-fire. Most Americans support a cease-fire, but only a few Congress members have called for it.

2. Join Protests: Participate in marches, rallies, and vigils to show solidarity with Gaza. There are many protests you can involved in but stay safe by wearing dark clothing, protective gear, and water.

3. Write Letters: Write letters to editors to support Gaza and counter harmful media narratives. Everything we do, no matter how small, matters. Pressure builds when we all come together to do what we can amid this humanitarian crisis.

4. Student Action: Join or set up encampments demanding an end to university complicity in genocide. Students worldwide are making a difference, forcing universities to divest from arms companies. Look into your local colleges and universities to show up to support these efforts.
   

By combining fashion with activism, we fashionistas can significantly contribute to Palestinian solidarity. We have the power to create a more inclusive and aware global community. Beware of the dangers and try to stay safe when possible given the rising hostility against Palestinian solidarity. However, let's keep using our power and talents to make a difference for Palestine.