Children's fashion show takes the runway in Gaza
A children's fashion show, only the second of its kind in Gaza’s history, divided members of the civil society and religious hard-liners, who deemed the event non-reflective of Gazan society and culture.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Tala Awaida looks confident while strutting down the runway surrounded by lights and music in Gaza City on June 6. As soon as the 6-year-old arrives to the edge of the podium, she turns left and right and sends out kisses to the audience before returning to her initial spot.
The dress Awaida wore was part of the collection sold at Crocodile-Kids, a well-known children’s clothing store in Gaza. The price tag on her outfit was $65. The other participants’ outfits cost about the same.
Awaida’s dress received enthusiastic applause from the audience. The latter, part of a community that is considered religious and attached to conservative traditions and norms, returned the young girl’s kisses.
At the Al-Mathaf Hotel & Cultural House in northwest Gaza City — the luxurious and expensive hotel that hosted the event — the atmosphere was quite different from that in the besieged Gaza Strip. Applause, whistles and laughter filled the air, encouraging a fashion show that seemed far from the culture and traditions of Gaza’s inhabitants.
