Ottoman fez gets face-lift in Beirut
Two Lebanese designers are collaborating to reinvent the traditional tarboosh and give it a 21st-century look.
Lebanese designer and entrepreneur Elias El Haddad wants to breathe new life into the tarboosh, the traditional red flat-topped hat worn by men during the Ottoman era.
In 2016, he launched his new line Boshies and since has been collaborating with fashion designer Diane Ferjane. The two designers now work on a line that would modernize Middle Eastern casual wear.
The tarboosh, also called fez, was adopted by Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II in 1826. The reformist sultan, who had seen North African sailors wear the headgear, urged all bureaucrats to wear it instead of the turban, which he considered oriental. The fez was worn in the Middle East and North Africa until the 20th century. Today, the tarboosh is part of the folklore, and bad replications are sold to tourists in search of exoticism. During Beirut Design Week 2016, Haddad showcased a new version of the famous hat — modernized and easier to wear in daily life.
“I wanted the tarboosh to become a unisex fashion accessory, rather than a headgear for men. I also wanted to send a message of innovation and emancipation to the Lebanese and Arab youths,” Haddad told Al-Monitor. “During the first year of business, I received a lot of positive feedback from the market so I decided to take the idea further."
