How Olivia Rodrigo helped save Palestinian designer Yasmeen Mjalli’s brand

Palestinian fashion designer Yasmeen Mjalli was once on the verge of shutting down her label, Nöl Collective, after a product was destroyed by Israeli customs. Her attempts to recreate and replace the piece were restricted by military restrictions in Jerusalem, leaving the designer facing yet another setback. Then, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo stepped in, becoming an unexpected helping hand at a crucial moment for the brand.

How a dress for Olivia Rodrigo helped keep Palestinian designer Yasmeen Mjalli’s brand alive

Referring to the singer’s attempt at saving the brand, Yasmeen said it was like a “divine intervention.” Founded in 2020, Nöl Collective relies almost exclusively on natural fibres to create its clothing. Yasmeen has spoken about the numerous challenges and hardships of developing new pieces while working in the West Bank, where restrictions can make sourcing materials and producing garments particularly difficult. A similar hardship came her way when a shipment of naturally dyed handwoven wool for the brand’s autumn collection, was held back and ultimately destroyed by Israeli customs.

Following that, the founder tried to replace the material, sourcing it from Jerusalem but that too failed due to the army closing down roads out of Ramallah. With this going down, she lost all hope and decided to give up. But someone else had faith in her work. Olivia Rodrigo placed a commission for a dress to wear at her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival. Yasmeen claimed that she had less than a week to make the dress. So, with the help of her friend she was somehow able to secure raw silk fiber in baby pink in Ramallah which helped her make the whole dress.

The obstacle wasn’t over yet. The designer also claimed that as she was all ready to send the dress to the singer, there came the courier issue. There was no service available by which she could deliver the dress on time for the festival in LA. So, she requested two strangers to help her and they transported the dress and it reached Olivia on time. As per reports, Olivia donned the baby pink at the Daisy Chain Fields festival at Irivine, California on August 29.

On a concluding note, as per Yasmeen she believes obstacles shouldn’t stop you, rather it should be the test for your growth. She said in an interview, “Obstacles are always going to be there, but if you can adapt you will be rewarded. I rise and I rise and I rise”. 

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