At the Cannes Film Festival this week, model Bella Hadid made a significant political statement through her choice of attire. She wore a dress that echoed the design of the headscarves globally recognized as a symbol of solidarity with Palestine.
On Thursday, Hadid was seen in a vintage red-and-white dress that featured the distinctive checkered pattern and fringe of a keffiyeh scarf, a tribute to her Palestinian roots. The asymmetrical, ruffled spaghetti-strap dress bore a closer resemblance to a shemagh, a more intricate variant of the keffiyeh.
While enjoying a stroll along the French Riviera and fetching ice cream, the model and fragrance designer completed her look with red Gucci mules, gold hoop earrings, and rimless, rectangular sunglasses. Her hair was styled in a sleek ponytail, adorned with a delicate, white hair tie, and her skin glowed with minimal makeup.
Bella Hadid, whose advocacy for Palestinian liberation predates the current conflict with Israel, acknowledged the symbolism behind her outfit. Later that day, she gave a shoutout to fashion designers Michael Sears and Hushi Mortezaie of the label Michael and Hushi on social media.
She reposted an image of the original 2001 design on her Instagram Story, tagging the designers and writing, “Free Palestine forever,” alongside an emoji of the Palestinian flag.
Since the onset of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in approximately 34,000 casualties, Bella Hadid has consistently voiced her support for Palestinians in Gaza. Following the Hamas attack in October that claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis and sparked the recent violence, she expressed her empathy for both Palestinian and Israeli victims of violence.
“I believe deep in my heart that no child, no people anywhere, should be taken away from their family either temporarily or indefinitely. That goes for Israeli or Palestinian people alike,” she wrote on Instagram.
Hadid’s father, real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. He recounted how his family was compelled to flee their home when he was an infant, seeking refuge in Syria before immigrating to the United States in his teenage years.