Adorned in handmade Palestinian beaded dresses called thobes, UF students showcased Arab culture at a fashion show Thursday.
UF Students for Justice in Palestine hosted the fashion show from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Plaza of the Americas.
Sixteen models walked down a red carpet displaying their colorful beaded dresses, a variety of deep reds, purples and blues. Models were from all different cultures, said Laila Fakhoury, the treasurer of the club.
Fakhoury, a UF family, youth and community sciences and philosophy sophomore, said some of the models are Arab or Palestinian and brought their own dresses for the fashion show.
“The dresses are all going to be from our families,” the 19-year-old said. “They’re going to be from overseas from actual Palestine, handmade from our family.”
At the event, there were also henna tattoos, music and a belly-dancing performance.
“We tried to do things that were big within Arabic and Palestinian culture,” Fakhoury said. “We come from a culture that values creating their own things.”
Youssef Haddad, a UF associate professor of Arabic language and linguistics, brought his two daughters, Elena and Aaya, to the event.
“I wanted to take (my daughters) to the fashion show to see the culture,” Haddad said. “Two of my students are here also. I wanted them to come to get a taste of the things we talk about.”
Fakhoury said the goal of the event was for more people to learn about Arab culture and to tell students about the organization.
“I want people to submerge within the culture and to see the actual beauty of it,” Fakhoury said.
Models gather at the end of a makeshift runway on the Plaza of the Americas following a fashion show hosted by UF Students for Justice in Palestine. The show was the organization’s first event of the Fall semester and showcased traditional Arab clothing.
