Iraq’s legendary fashion house revived
Despite pressure from conservatives and a lack of funds, the Iraqi House of Fashion revives its glory days with a museum catwalk.
BAGHDAD — Models dressed in clothes reminiscent of Iraq’s multicultural past walked among the imposing statues at the Iraqi Museum in an impressive show in July that celebrated the liberation of Mosul, as the Iraqi House of Fashion bolstered its cultural presence and shrugged off the low profile it has held since 2003.
Founded in 1970 with the aim of conserving ancient Iraqi culture, the Iraqi House of Fashion started as a financially independent legal entity. However, the Iraqi House of Fashion Law was passed in 1985 with the help of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and Media to help the fashion organization receive governmental support. This support resulted in the building of a luxurious palace, considered to be one of the country's most beautiful architectural monuments, on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad.
