Amber Alert

The first show on the docket this fall is Aladdin's Luck. A short spin on the Arabian Nights Tale...and not too dissimilar from the Disney-fied version. Once I started dipping into the topic of Arabic and Islamic attire I was sucked in. I wish I had more time to study the regional styles, details, textiles, ornamentation and the like. With the current interest in the Middle East a lot of cultural information has become much more readily available. Some other things, however, are not quite as accessible...

Such as the purchase of Islamic apparel. There is a smattering of contemporary Islamic shops online...catering mostly to the modest Islamic woman. I was astounded to see the range of clothing offered from tradition to modern, and from quite bare and simple to incredible elaborate. While all remaining modest.

What disappointed me was the sources available for more traditional folkware apparel...specifically menswear. I came across a helpful site of Burning Man fanatic who had compiled a list of online vendors...many of which were based out of Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries. Unfortunately...clicking through the list I discovered most of the sites no longer existed. And I couldn't help but wonder if a lot of that had to do with the fear of all things Middle Eastern that currently runs rampant through our streets. A fear that, though subsiding slightly in the years after the initial jolt, is still a very present and real fear for some.

Sad too...that entire region is incredibly rich in culture and history. And those of us in the West are barely scratching the surface of their elaborate tapestry...