For its Copenhagen Fashion Week debut, Nazzal Studio presented a craft- and community-forward collection honouring Bedouin heritage
Today was a major milestone for Sylwia Nazzal. Not only did her eponymous brand’s autumn/winter ‘26 presentation mark Nazzal Studio’s Copenhagen Fashion Week debut, it also made her the first-ever Palestinian to show at the ‘fifth fashion week’.
“It’s such an honour,” the designer beamed ahead of the showcase. “To me, that is a huge win. And at the same time, I want to create an experience that feels cultural, is closely connected to our heritage and can transport people into the mindset and the point of view that we have of our culture.”
Entitled ‘Al-Najah’, translating to ‘Survival’, the AW26 line-up heralds another impressive feat for Nazzal: it’s the first collection she presents outside of university. Over the past few years, Nazzal Studio has become renowned for its visionary work existing at the intersection of fashion, ethics, and activism, anchored in the Palestinian heritage and resistance. This season builds on these principles, and the politically-conscious concepts the designer has explored in her earlier collections. “Now, I want to share how beautiful and raw where we come from is,” Nazzal says.
For the latest collection, Nazzal tapped contemporary artist Jad Maq, who helped bring her vision to life through intricate painting and architectural jewellery designs. “The inspiration behind the collection is, we looked into Bedouin heritage and wanted to focus on what it means when you’re stripped away from the city life and all this contemporary newness,” Nazzal explains. “How it feels to go back to the core. That's where our ancestors lie, and where Bedouins still celebrate and keep up with the traditions.”
The duo delved into life in some of Earth’s most unforgiving landscapes, particularly in the Middle East’s Blad El-Sham, studying how people survived and found purpose. Among the elements that stood out were Bedouin tattoos, softly referenced the AW26 line-up with motifs, patterns and Palestinian Tatreez symbols gently brushed on airy skirts, keffiyeh veils and floor-grazing, abaya-like robes using natural henna dye. “We felt this idea of skin and thought that was so beautiful – the way certain tattoos symbolise different things. For example, a bird symbolises freedom, while the Bedouins would also do a sun and a moon between the eyes,” Nazzal says.
The idea of skin seeps into the line-up in more ways than just tattoos. Buttery leather and undyed natural latex – the latter fabricated by Nazzal and Maq themselves – takes centre stage in the collection, fashioned into lofty, Bedouin-inspired silhouettes. Sculptural hooded jackets, tactile midi skirts and relaxed tailoring are finished with handcrafted wispy braids harnessing an elaborate technique (“it takes days to complete one piece”) developed by Nazzal. Earthy beiges and browns are contrasted with raven black, evoking endless desert plains against the midnight sky. Much like in Nazzal Studio’s previous collections, community remained at the core of the creative process, with Nazzal once again collaborating with Palestinian refugee women who hand-wove macramé pieces resembling traditional jewellery, scaled up in proportion.
Staged within The David Collection museum, which holds the largest collection of Islamic art in Scandinavia, Nazzal couldn’t think of a more fitting setting to introduce her collection.
“We want to create an experience where people feel like they can be transported into our universe even for just one second,” she says. “And our universe consists of the artistic perspective of what it feels to be an Arab, and specifically looking at Bedouin heritage, celebrating it and honouring it. In a fast-paced world, we sometimes forget what it means to be stripped back to the basics, and how survival truly feels.”
See the full Nazzal Studio AW26 collection below.
