People are often defensive when it comes to headscarves, which have strong links to specific religious and cultural beliefs. Now a Beirut-based architect has designed a headwrap that uses defense as the justification for wearing it: this updated version of the classic Arab keffiyeh (allegedly) deflects bullets!
Functional fashion takes a remarkable turn in the hands of architect Salim al-Kadi. His “K29 Keffiyeh 001” is made of Kevlar, a para-aramid synthetic fiber five times stronger than steel. Developed in the 1960s by Stephanie Kwolek, a chemist working at DuPont laboratories in Delaware, USA, its strength, durability, and water-resistance makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, including building materials, sportswear, and boat sails. It is also an ingredient in protective body armor – think bulletproof vests.
The architect brought some Kevlar to Beirut and hired a craftswoman from the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp to hand-embroider a traditional crisscross pattern onto the fabric. Al-Kadi debuted his scarf at this year’s Beirut Design Week, held in May.
Keffiyeh is worn across the Middle East as a protective garment in all seasons. It offers warmth in winter and on cool desert nights. It protects against harsh sunlight, and helps filter dust and sand during windstorms.
In the 1990’s the garment moved into mainstream fashion in the USA and Japan, a trend attributed to international media coverage of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat who was never without his black and white version. It is commonly associated with Palestine and Jordan, worn by men and women, locals and expats.
There are different ways to wear keffiyeh. It’s a fashion choice, now with practical implications. “By wrapping it around one’s head, the weave’s performance is increased through the layering of material and multi-directionality of the weave,” al-Kadi told Dezeen.
He said the garment is designed “for our contemporary landscape”. In light of violent terror attacks happening – well, everywhere – that’s an unnerving concept that sent me digging into the comments sections of reports on this product to see if others shared this view.
Many posted that its practicality was doubtful. The scarf is thin, much thinner than a bulletproof vest which is made of more than just patches of Kevlar-reinforced fabric. One commenter suggested al-Kadi “spent more time picking out colors and patterns than thinking about utility”. Another agreed, saying that a bullet would simply push the fabric into your head, “You’d still be dead, it would just be less messy with no exit wound.” Not something usually considered when shopping for a headscarf.
Al-Kadi is founding partner of Beirut firm APractice Studio and a co-founder of the design firm BAO, which hatched the K29 headscarf. There is no word as to whether he will produce them on a commercial scale.
eL Seed says on his website that the community treated him and his team like family. “It was one of the most amazing human experiences I have ever had. They are generous, honest, and strong people.” He note that they do not refer to themselves as ‘garbage people’, instead, “They don’t live in the garbage but from the garbage; and not their garbage, but the garbage of the whole city. They are the ones who clean the city of Cairo.”
Spencer Tunick is 
Take empathy to a new level by living just like a displaced person. A group of Syrian refugees advertised their camp tent as a rentable destination on 
!["I want freedom.... No matter you might think of my demand, my male compatriots... No matter what you might think of my dear fellow female compatriots. What I want is to save my hair from the storm blowing over in my country. I do not want to simply have to go abroad in order to save my hair. Yes, my dear male compatriots... Freedom should oblige you to stop obsessing about the body of your female compatriots [when they do not wear the hijab]. It should not oblige me to wear the hijab.](https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/river-iran-hijab.jpg)
It’s common knowledge that cows destined for the meat aisle are shot up with antibiotics and fed water and chow dosed with lower levels of the same, intended to promote growth and reduce disease. Turns out this does more damage than just create drug-resistant microbes. A recent study suggests they could also be boosting greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) via a most unsavory delivery vehicle: cow farts.
