"As you potter around her atelier, you see that her version of Palestinian resistance follows through in everything she does. The decor of the studio speaks of her convictions. Olive branches serving as rails, lamp shade stands and even a tree trunk as a TV stand.
Everything I see is functional, she has physically integrated her beliefs into her lifestyle. Palestine is everywhere, and that is the lesson you take home with me.
You may have beautiful yet unopened coffee table books on Palestinian embroidery sit collecting dust in your formal living room. Because the truth is, it doesn’t matter how much you love and believe in something, if it doesn’t seep into your daily life, it is merely a trophy of your beliefs not a vehicle for change" CIIN Magazine
Hama Hinnawi, humanitarian fashion designer and founder of HAMA, was invited as a featured speaker at the launch of Tatreez Circle, a cultural wellness program hosted by MENA Community Center in Chicago. In this community-centered event, Hama explored the history and meaning of Palestinian tatreez embroidery, highlighting its roots in storytelling, identity, and resistance. She also shared how HAMA empowers refugee women by transforming traditional embroidery into high-fashion pieces while preserving heritage and supporting economic sustainability. This event brought together Chicago’s Arab and Palestinian communities to honor embroidery as a tool of cultural preservation, women’s empowerment, and intergenerational healing.