Nol Collective is far more than just a fashion brand. It’s a group of young Palestinians seeking to create a space, which not only accepts them but also celebrates them and their various identities. Based out of Ramallah, Palestine, Nol Collective is an intersectional feminist and political fashion collective. Their work focuses on feminism, Palestinian culture, ethical fashion and social justice.
Nol is the Arabic word for loom – a device used to weave cloth and tapestry, a crucial element in Palestine’s textile history. The name “Nol” is significant, as it reflects the brand’s slow and sustainable approach to fashion, and the way it is able to bring people together – highlighting the way a loom slowly brings individual threads together.
Nol Collective in Ramallah presents locally made Palestinian designs
Nol’s work is rooted in sharing and harvesting creativity within the community. The first ever Nol Collective Shop opened at the very end of 2020 in Ramallah, and it hosts a plethora of Palestinian fashion and accessories, such as jewelry brand Mai Zarkawi. “All [Nol] apparel is manufactured in Gaza in a family-run factory. [Their] jewelry is handmade by a women’s cooperative based in Beit Duqqu village, on the edge of Jerusalem. Embroidered pieces are hand-embroidered in a women’s cooperative based in Ramallah, which is made up of 60 women living in the villages around Ramallah and in Gaza,” says Yasmeen Mjalli, founder and creative director of Nol. With Nol, garments transcend fashion – they are “a window onto a culture, a person and a tradition of craftsmanship.”
