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The End of Fashion and the Return of Culture: ‘Rawi’ Revives Egyptian Costume Memory

March 7, 2022
A Siwan woman dressed in a traditional wedding dress

Known as the pearl of the Egyptian desert, Siwa’s crystal blue waters and golden-hued land have impacted and stimulated the nation’s unique aesthetic culture throughout the years. Egyptian women in Siwa wore colorful traditional costumes. One such example of the latter is the Tidiri colorful dress, which serves as symbols that communicate visually in a silent language. Fashion, or costume in the past, was akin to visual literacy: each textile carried a story that symbolized culture, class, status, land, religion, or even age. It is similar to reading a piece of text of a community or nation’s history, only it means reading clothing’s symbolism and how it is worn. One example of this is the “Sunburst” embroidery pattern that is often seen in silk threads in Siwa’s traditional costumes. There are many interpretations as to why this embroidery pattern, in particular, is repeatedly seen in Siwan costumes, one being Siwa’s well documented connection with the ancient Egyptian sun god Amun-Ra. Another interpretation being that it was a reflection of the land they inhabited. Inspired by the colors  of their land, women in Siwa often wore the colors red, orange and…


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