For centuries, Palestinian shepherds have relied on their ancestral farms to grow grain, collect rainwater, and graze their sheep. Since the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, and for the past two decades, these rural communities have faced extreme restrictions and forced expulsions by Israeli authorities, putting their livelihoods and traditional way of life at risk. . Addish's Fall/Winter 2023 collection, Stolen Meadows, is inspired by the tenacity of shepherds struggling to stay on their ancestral land.

Before strict boundaries were established, pastoralists moved freely between Ottoman territory and Bedouin tribal lands, with unimpeded access to pasture. Under Israeli rule, Palestinians' freedom of movement has been severely restricted, with vast areas of the West Bank designated as "no-go zones."

Other tactics such as demolishing houses, military training with live fire, road blockades, and the destruction and contamination of water tanks are all part of a systematic effort to force Palestinians off their land and into militarized enclaves. This is part of an ongoing effort. Crackdowns on popular resistance and blocking access to communities by solidarity activists are commonplace. Israeli settlement projects have further isolated these remote communities from their economic and communal ties to cities such as Yatta, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin.

Meanwhile, Israeli agriculture is thriving in the West Bank. Settler outposts use agriculture and ranching as tactics to illegally control large tracts of Palestinian pasture, violently preventing Palestinians from accessing it. As a result of these repressive moves, Palestinian shepherds live under constant threat. In recent years, attacks by armed Israeli settlers and soldiers have increased, resulting in serious injuries and even death to Palestinians.

This season's collection centers on the plight of the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom and dignity, emphasizing the importance of agriculture and pastoralism in their livelihood and traditions. The rugged workwear, mostly produced in occupied Palestine, speaks to the resilience and solidity of the community. Wool tailoring, the first since Fall/Winter 2019, is sourced from both local Bedouin shepherds and Japanese producers. The focus is on earth tones in various shades of brown, green, cream and grey, evoking the region's natural landscape, which is an integral part of the shepherds' lives and traditions.

Ongoing partnerships with craft workshops in occupied Palestine and Israel are key to Adish's mission to preserve culture through craft. In particular, the Rakia Weaving Initiative uses wool obtained from Bedouin shepherds to create nasiji, a traditional Bedouin handloom, which will be incorporated into tassels on sweatshirts and sweatpants this season. It is being Manajel, a type of Bedouin needlework that looks like a strip of embroidery, adorns a selection of wool pants and jackets.

Traditional embroidery motifs originating from Bedouin villages include scorpion branches, star discs, and fruitless palm trees. New graphics on T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts feature high-contrast abstracted aerial shots of herds in rhythmic formations and the shearing process.