Palestinian designer reveals Olivia Rodrigo commission to design dress for Daisy Chain Fields festival, revived career

A Palestinian fashion designer has made headlines recently, as she revealed that Olivia Rodrigo commissioned a dress from her brand, a move that reportedly saved her from shutting down her business entirely. Rodrigo debuted the outfit during a press conference in Santa Monica, California, to launch her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Festival.

Yasmeen Mjalli had nearly made up her mind to walk away from Nöl Collective entirely. The Palestinian fashion designer, who founded the brand in 2020, opened up to Vogue Arabia about the string of setbacks that had pushed her to that breaking point.

Working out of the West Bank meant that almost every step of the production process carried an obstacle most designers never encounter. A shipment of naturally dyed handwoven wool, ordered specifically for the brand's autumn collection, never made it through. Israeli customs held it, and it was eventually destroyed. Mjalli then tried sourcing replacement fabric in Jerusalem, only to find the roads out of Ramallah had been closed by the army.

"I was genuinely like, maybe we should stop, maybe this is our last effort. I was just so tired," Mjalli said.

The incredible journey of Olivia Rodrigo’s festival dress:

Then Olivia Rodrigo called. The singer had commissioned a dress to wear at her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival, and Mjalli described the timing as "divine intervention." She had less than a week.

With a colleague's help, Mjalli tracked down raw silk fiber in baby pink right there in Ramallah. Getting the finished dress to California proved to be its own separate battle, as no local courier could guarantee delivery in time for the late-August event. Mjalli ultimately got it there through two strangers who packed it into their luggage and flew it to Los Angeles.

Fashion is political no matter where you are. We're still here, we have not been forgotten," Mjalli said.

"Obstacles are always going to be there, but if you can adapt you will be rewarded. I rise and I rise and I rise," Mjalli added.

Olivia Rodrigo opens up about what the Daisy Chain Fields festival meant to her:

The Drivers License singer sat down with NPR's Leila Fadel to talk about Daisy Chain Fields. She shared what the experience meant to her personally, including the moment that confirmed everything had gone according to plan.

"I was like, this is exactly what I envisioned it to be," she said.

The festival had been announced on June twenty-second. Every single ticket was gone half an hour after they went on sale. Olivia Rodrigo had assembled an entirely female lineup for the occasion, bringing together Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan, Chappell Roan and Doechii, none of whom took a fee for their performances. The event ultimately raised 20 million dollars, split across ten organizations dedicated to women and girls.

Rodrigo also told Fadel what she kept noticing throughout the day.

"The whole thing was just joyful from start to finish," she said.

It had less to do with what was happening onstage and more to do with what was happening everywhere else. Older women and young girls were moving together to the music. Fathers were with their daughters up on their shoulders, and people who had never met were quietly watching out for each other.

She then expanded on what she felt Daisy Chain Fields stood for at a bigger level.

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"I think that the people who want to keep us down are really relying on us feeling alone and overwhelmed," shared Rodrigo.

"And I think the antidote to that is joy and community," she added.

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