KISSWEH, LEBANON

Depicting fauna, gardens, precious objects and religious symbols, Palestinian embroidery traditionally provided a glimpse into everyday life through needlework.

Lebanon-based embroidery studio Kissweh has created a colourful line of pillows inspired by this rich folk art.

“Our products have an emphasis on meticulous craftsmanship,” says Claudia Martinez Mansell, who was inspired to found Kissweh in 2017 after working in refugee camps for the UN. “It takes a woman two to three weeks to embroider one pillow and many of them are one of a kind.”

Kissweh’s craftswomen work at home in Rashadieh refugee camp, south Lebanon, giving them the opportunity to earn a fair living. Once complete, the embroidered pieces get collected, and taken to Beit Atfal Assomoud’s sewing workshop in Beirut.

“The reception so far has been fantastic and we are selling at a number of high end design stores in the US,” adds Mansell who is based in LA. It’s safe to say that Kissweh is going places. kissweh.com