I defied conservative society

Lana Bisharat Amman – Osama Arrantissi Lana Bisharat, Jordan's first model, told 'Arabstoday' that she “presented Bedouin costumes in a modern and civilized spirit.” "One does not need courage to present the history of his country, but every person presents to his country what he loves and his ability to display his own culture," she said. Bisharat, who graduated from the University of Jordan majoring in psychology, said that she was the first to introduce the idea of organising fashion shows in Jordan, and and she began her career in the field of developed and modern costumes from historical heritage. "Fashion shows do not have traditions in Jordan, they are not considered successful or popular in a conservative society," she said. Lana Bisharat explained in an interview with 'Arabstoday' that she bagn participating in the first fashion show held in the country at her alma mater. The show discussed the history of Jordan and the historical periods that have passed it, whether it be the Roman or the Nabataean or Canaanites. The show was the first of its kind in Jordan and was met with great support, especially by the Kingdom’s late monarch King Hussein Bin Talal. Lana said she faced Jordanian conservative society boldly, even though her roots go back to the conservative city of Salt. She said her parents gave her unwavering support, helping her become the first to put Jordan on the global runway map. "It's not a confrontation as much as it is a persuasion of those surrounding you that what you are doing is creative work; everyone knows that many Jordanian designers are creative, but due to the lack of models to present their costumes, we did not know who those designers were," she said. As for the first fashion show she participated in, Bisharat said that it was held in 1980, organized by the “Revitalizing the Public Jordanian Countryside” organisation. It was attended by the late Jordanian King Hussein Bin Talal and Queen Nour, and a number of figures in the Jordanian society. The show met great success, and was the first to travel abroad and present the show in several European and some Arab countries. She explained: “What I presented for my country got global designers to visit Jordan to hold their own fashion shows after doing them in Italy, like Osama Haad, Aql Faqeye, Gamal Taslok, and others. In addition, many creative Jordanian designers, who were earlier obscure, started holding shows on regular basis, and many started following in our footsteps after we paved the way. We convinced society of our work, which was within the frame of Arabic customs and traditions, and that was the main reason behind our success and the acceptance of the Jordanian society to us.” Lana noted that she was the first Jordanian girl to organise fashion shows for children and young ladies and men, as well as shows of traditional outfits developed from old styles with embroidered jeans, adding “I feel very happy when I present traditional nomadic clothes that reflect our heritage.” Bisharat presented shows that are closely linked to Bedouin heritage and history with an undeniable spirit of civilisation. According to the Jordanian model, selecting the models who used to participate in showcasing shoes was done through some families that used to bring in their daughters for participation, and that she did not do any direct advertising for work. Her success was the main reason to attract everyone’s attention and the chief promoter to their wish to participate, confirming that all the models were Jordanian, and this was her chief goal. As for her career abroad, Bisharat said “We travelled to the USA and held shows in many states, in addition to presenting shows in Qatar, Bahrain, and Egypt, where two fashion shows were held successfully. Our shows were marked by our popular ethnic costumes, and our developed traditional dress, besides modern costumes”. On the requirements of a model, in Bisharat’s opinion it is the harmony of height and weight, given that height is the basis upon which a model is selected, in addition to stage charisma. She notes that she does not only rely on Jordanian designers, but that she cooperates with many designers from outside Jordan; from Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine, in addition to holding fashion shows for famous brand names. It is worth mentioning that Lana Bisharat won many awards, including the Permanent Jordanian Shield of Exhibition in Bahrain, the first Amoun Arabic Fashion Festival Shield, a Shield from the Lions for participating in the Preserving Heritage Committee celebration, a Shield from the Baishelaa Festival for People of the Mediterranean – Italy, a Shielf from Lions Club, Philadelphia, on International Women’s day, a Shield from the Garden and House Club to support the organisation’s project to hold fashion shows, and a Shield from the Popular Arabic Women Song Festival.