A dress made in Gaza, Palestine. Right: VARIETY: Bisht and other evening dresses for women to be worn on social occasions. Photos by Umer Nangiana
By Umer Nangiana
A selection of embroidered dresses adorned with handmade decorations featuring designs inspired by the ancient Arab civilisations; antiques and gifts manufactured of ceramic, porcelain, clay, metal; and a luxurious collection of ladies’ accessories: Cavalieri from Jordan has it all.
The luxurious and distinctive brand is currently showcasing its unique products at Katara Art Centre (KAC), building 5, at Katara Cultural Complex, with a collection inspired by local Arabic tradition. Cavelieri’s collection combines modern style with traditional design.
From traditional evening, wedding and bridal dresses from Palestine to original Arabic pottery and porcelains imbedded with Arabic calligraphy and design, Cavelieri displays a wide range of products at its KAC showroom that are also for sale.
“We have all home accessories such as dinner sets, which is [our main business]. We also have a fashion line showcasing Abayas here. They are all handmade by women at their homes in Jordan,” Seham Khalil, Managing Director for the Doha branch of Cavelieri tells Community.
Holding transparent ceramic jewellery boxes in hand, Khalil explains the meaning of Arabic calligraphy imbued in them, “It is our language. Iqbal means optimism. It is done by a group of designers who also designed all these dishes and glasses and other ceramics.”
The Cavelieri team is based out of Jordon, and Khalil works for them as their agent here. Showing what they call Butterfly Abaya, the manager says the dress is usually worn by women in Jordan for social occasions during Ramadan.
“We also have Bisht for ladies. It is also 100% handmade. We also have modern jumpsuits and Abayas [as well]. The designer of these products has studied in Italy and is based in Jordan,” says Khalil.
Pointing to some of the other dresses on display, Khalil said, “The women wear these on occasions such as wedding ceremonies. Instead of importing them from Paris, we design our own styles. [The dresses are] very durable and stay with women for years.”
Cavalieri also sells cushions — traditionally placed on sofas or on the floor in a Majlis — made entirely from pure silk. The shawls are also handmade and the embroidery they carry is very difficult to put on and takes a very long time, according to Khalil.
The most precious item at the outlet is a Palestinian traditional dress from an area in Gaza. “It is very heavy and some Palestinian women still wear it. This one takes six months to finish,” says Khalil. “This one is for QR15000. But it is not for sale. It is mine,” she smiles. They usually prepare such dresses on orders.
A similar dress, though a little less expensive, is called the Malakit or “for Queen”, says Khalil. This dress used to be worn by women in Palestine on occasions like weddings and comes from Jerusalem.
Cavalieri, the brand, says Khalil, is the “beginning of a woman’s dream to establish her own company and introduce a distinguished style that she had long sought to realise.” And that is why it is so unique.
