Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Dress Helped Keep Palestinian Fashion Brand in Business
Olivia Rodrigo's decision to commission a dress from Palestinian fashion label Nöl Collective for her Daisy Chain Fields festival ended up throwing the struggling brand a financial lifeline. Founder Yasmeen Mjalli had been considering closing the business after Israeli customs destroyed a shipment of fabric earlier this year, and had struggled to source replacement material after roads to Jerusalem were closed by the military. Rodrigo's request, which Mjalli called "divine intervention," gave the West Bank-based label renewed purpose and income at a critical moment.
The pale pink minidress, made from raw silk and featuring traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery, passed through nine pairs of hands during production and was ultimately hand-carried to Los Angeles by two strangers after no courier could deliver it in time. Rodrigo wore the piece ahead of her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, held on 29 August at Great Park in Irvine and featuring performers including Chappell Roan, Doechii and Stevie Nicks. Nöl Collective, founded in 2020, works with women's cooperatives and artisans across Palestine and has become a vital income source for many families since work permits were lost following the October 2023 attacks; the commission also builds on Rodrigo's previous public statements of solidarity with Palestinians.
- Olivia Rodrigo commissioned a dress that saved a struggling Palestinian fashion brand
- Nöl Collective's founder had considered closing after customs destroyed fabric shipments
- The dress was hand-carried to LA by strangers for Rodrigo's new festival
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Rodrigo, a pop singer, held her first Daisy Chain Fields festival on 29 August at Great Park in Irvine, California, with acts including Chappell Roan, Doechii and Stevie Nicks. For the event she wore a dress by Nöl Collective, a Palestinian fashion label based in the West Bank that was founded in 2020 and works with women's cooperatives and artisans, incorporating traditional embroidery known as tatreez.
Nöl Collective, run by Yasmeen Mjalli, had been struggling to stay afloat after Israeli customs destroyed a shipment of fabric and road closures in the West Bank made it hard to source replacement materials. Many Palestinian families connected to the brand had already lost other sources of income after work permits were revoked following the October 2023 attacks, making the business an important lifeline for those workers.
Rodrigo has previously spoken publicly in support of Palestinians, and her commission of the dress is being reported as an unplanned but significant boost to the brand at a time when it was considering closing down.