ARTS / CULTURE & LEISURE
Palestinian girl fashion model aspires to career success
Young runway dreams
Published: Feb 17, 2022 03:46 PM
Children model fancy outfits during a South Indian and Sri Lankan bridal fashion show in Ontario, Canada, on February 29, 2020.Photos: AFP

Children model fancy outfits during a South Indian and Sri Lankan bridal fashion show in Ontario, Canada, on February 29, 2020.Photos: AFP

A model walks the runway at the Young Socialites collection for Spring and Summer 2020 during the third annual Toronto Kids Fashion Week fashion show in Toronto, Canada on November 30, 2019.Photos: AFP

A model walks the runway at the Young Socialites collection for Spring and Summer 2020 during the third annual Toronto Kids Fashion Week fashion show in Toronto, Canada on November 30, 2019.Photos: AFP


 
Nai Jarar, a six-year-old Palestinian girl from the West Bank city of Jenin, presented herself in a group of children's outfits in front of cameras. With long blond hair and green eyes, the 3.6-foot girl exuded confidence and wasn't afraid of the cameras.

"I am happy to be the youngest fashion model in the West Bank," said Nai, as she completed displaying her outfits.

Nai was quite confident when she was very little. According to her mother Mai Jarar, Nai has never been timid nor reluctant in front of the cameras.

Two years ago, when Nai started wearing children's clothes from her aunt's new clothing shop, she was photographed as a model for children's clothes and the photos were posted on social media. Many Palestinian fans on social networking websites applauded her confidence and spontaneity, praising her lovely facial features and sense of color coordination.

After Nai became more widely known, dozens of local clothing shops hired her to work as a part-time model to promote their products on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The need for models for their garments has increased in the last two years as more merchants in Ramallah city have turned to social media to advertise their clothes, catering to the changing habits of consumers who now spend more time on cellphones. For each photo session, Nai receives $ 50.

When it comes to taking photos, Mai assists Nai in selecting outfits, and Nai selects the colors that best suit her. Nai is also nurturing and acquiring her fashion sense through social media platforms such as YouTube.

"I am able to mix and match, and I want to be a world-famous fashion designer in the future," said Nai.

Despite positive prospects, Nai's mother, 33, is under fire, with some accusing her and her husband of violating Nai's childhood rights by encouraging her to work at such a young age.

Mai responded by saying she had encouraged Nai to "make education a priority for her in the future" while supporting her goal to be a fashion designer.

Moreover, the world has changed, and the technological advancement of the modern era, such as social media, would eventually replace the old media and help more people accept her daughter's talent, according to Mai.

"Despite the fact that I am in the first grade, I enjoy to study just as much as I enjoy clothes and fashion," Nai told Xinhua.