Palestinian actress Saja Kilani, one of the stars of The Voice of Hind Rajab, arrived on the 2026 Golden Globe Awards red carpet in a custom black gown inspired by the traditional Palestinian thobe. The look, designed in collaboration with Jordanian fashion designer Reema Dahbour, drew on centuries-old embroidery practices while adopting a distinctly contemporary silhouette.
The Voice of Hind Rajab was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the event, which went to Brazil's The Secret Agent.
Dahbour is known for her clean lines and sculptural tailoring, favouring restraint over spectacle, allowing craftsmanship and form to take precedence. She has dressed a range of high-profile figures, including Bella Hadid and Princess Iman of Jordan.
Speaking to British Vogue, Kilani described fashion as a language, particularly in moments when words feel insufficient. She said it was important to wear something that reflected her region and heritage in a way that was understated yet deliberate, adding that the intention behind the dress was to bring tradition and modernity into dialogue.
The gown’s most symbolic element was its use of tatreez, the ancient Palestinian embroidery tradition historically stitched by women and passed down through generations. More than decoration, tatreez has long functioned as a visual archive, with motifs varying from village to village and often signalling identity, lineage and place. In the context of displacement and loss, it has become an especially powerful means of preserving cultural memory.
Hanan K Munayyer, a scholar specialising in Palestinian dress, identifies one of the earliest examples of tatreez-style embroidery as a geometric silk cross-stitch fragment from 11th-century Alexandria. The oldest complete garments featuring the embroidery were discovered in a 1283 CE burial in Lebanon and closely resemble the traditional attire of the Ramallah region.
Many tatreez patterns resemble mosaics and shapes found in Arabic architecture. The most prominent colours used are red and black but other colours have been used.
In Kilani’s dress, tatreez appeared at the neckline, designed to resemble a necklace. She told British Vogue that such embroidered forms were traditionally sewn as amulets, intended as gestures of care and spiritual protection. The historical reference was paired with bold, modern tailoring, including structured shoulders and a defined belt that gave the gown a sculptural edge.
The choice of black carried layered meaning. While the colour is associated with mourning, Kilani also described it as a symbol of strength and resilience. That duality echoed the emotional weight of The Voice of Hind Rajab, which was directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania and recounts the true story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in January 2024 after her family’s car came under fire as they attempted to flee Gaza City.
Kilani plays Rana Faqih, a real-life volunteer with the Palestine Red Crescent Society who remained on the phone with Hind during her final hours. The gravity of that role has shaped how the actor approaches public appearances linked to the film, including awards season.
She acknowledged that walking red carpets while representing such a story can feel emotionally dissonant. That tension eased after she met Hind’s mother.
“I asked her, ‘How do you feel about us attending awards shows?’ She told me, ‘As Palestinians we love to get dressed, we love to put on make-up – this is who we are.’ She kind of gave me this validation to continue. Sometimes fashion says what words cannot – it’s kind of its own language. And especially in the Palestinian heritage, embroidery plays a very key role in preserving memory.”
The Voice of Hind Rajab is also Tunisia’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
