ID :
134358
Fri, 07/23/2010 - 23:33
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/134358
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THE `BISHT` - A TRADITIONAL PRIDE CARRIED ON
By Hazlinda Hamzah
KUWAIT CITY, July 23 (Bernama) -- "My father used to stitch it himself. But
today I only manage the business.
"We now have around 30 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals doing the stitching
for our Bisht Al Kattan brand name," Amer T. Al-Kattan who is the general
manager of the family-owned Bisht-making business told this writer recently.
The 'Bisht' is a traditional Arabic men's cloak popular in the Persian Gulf
and some Arab countries. It is essentially a flowing outer cloak made of wool.
It is soft and usually black, brown, beige, cream or grey in colour.
This cloak is usually only worn for prestige on special occasions such as
weddings and festivals.
The Bisht Al Kattan boutique is located in the heart of Kuwait City, known
as Al-Mubarakiyah souk. The clients include members of the royalty, ambassadors
and foreign dignitaries.
"Bisht-making is an expensive investment. This business is definitely very
high in overheads. We Have to provide the different colours in various sizes,
all for the different types of materials.
"From the more common sizes of 26 to 30, in 12 client-likeable colours and
made with three different designs, I make sure each size has 10 Bishts
available.
"At any one time, I have no less than 1,800 bishts in the showroom in that
one type of material. And we have the handmade fine Najafi, exclusive and
expensive Kashmiri or Pashmina Bishts apart from the affordable 'Japaney' and
the less common English materials to consider depending on the client's budget
and preference for the official functions they need to attend wearing the
cloak," Amer said.
BEDOUIN DESIGN
The Saudis prefer their Bishts similar in design to that of their earlier
users, adopting the Bedouin design.
The colours they choose are also quite conservative and more earth based,
reflecting the colours of borderless sandy deserts that they live in; black,
brown and white.
In comparison, the Kuwaitis prefer the more civilian or modern designs and
are willing to wear sky blue as well as green-coloured Bishts.
These customary attire is mostly worn at weddings where the groom adorns it
on the most important occasion of his life.
"Children do not wear the Bisht, they are not required to as there is a
special way to wrap the Bisht when wearing it.
"There are no buttons in front, nor strings to secure the Bisht when worn.
The left side of the open Bisht needs to be held in a special manner by tucking
it under the arm and holding it close to the body of the wearer," Amer
demonstrated via the visuals available on his website www.bisht.com
OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS
Other than at weddings, the Bisht is mandatory for government officials at
official gatherings.
Besides that, they are worn at funerals too.
"Many wear this exclusive traditional attire during the holy month of
Ramadhan too. It is an honour to wear your own traditional costume to mark the
importance of a function and occasion that you attend.
"Of course the expensive Bisht will give the wearer's status in the
gathering, as the more expensive Bishts have intricate and extravagant ornaments
and designs on it. The Bisht worn in winter is definitely thicker than the ones
worn during summer.
"The gold thread used to add design to the front of the Bisht, makes that
big difference in elegance and price," Amer said smilingly as he described the
different Bishts and their usage as well as their price tags.
Bisht Al Kattan had recently received an e-mail from a 16-year-old girl who
wanted to surprise her brother, who was graduating from his Islamic studies
course in a university in Canada, with a Bisht.
Although the family from Canada had no Arab heritage, the young sister
wanted her brother to wear a traditional Arab costume to mark his very important
day.
"I was very touched by her intention," Amer said
"So we decided to give a Bisht as a present. Furthermore the young sister
told us that she was buying the Bisht with her own money and that she had hoped
for some discount.
"My father and I decided to give it to her free of charge," said Amer who
glanced affectionately at his Taher Al Kattan who was seated nearby.
ARAB BISHT PRICES
The price of a specially designed Bisht actually depends on its material and
frontal design particularly its elaborateness.
A Najafi-made Bisht can fetch up to 400 Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) which is
equivalent to RM5,200 (US$1,625) and the material is made up of thread weaved
from the goat's hair.
"The Najafi Bisht is very light. That is why it is expensive, besides the
fact that the Najafi women in Iraq weave this thread by hand. A traditional and
tedious method but it is one way of preserving its fineness and quality in
consistency," he said.
A 'Japoney' Bisht, stitched from the range of made-in-Japan fabric costs
about KD130 or RM1,690 (US$528.12) and it happens to be popular for weddings
among the Bisht wearing countries.
The most expensive would be the Kashmiri or Pashmina Bisht which can cost
close to KD1,200 or RM15,600 (US$4,875).
"We have been assigned to provide Bishts for the Crown Prince of Kuwait,
the Prime Minister is also our very important and special client. It is not only
because of the money earned that our family continues to be involved in this
business.
"It is more for the relationships we build and nurture over time with the
royal families, politicians, elites, fellow Arabs and fellow Muslims from all
over the world," Amer explained.
COMPLETING THE BISHT
A Bisht used to take more than 10 days to be completed by one person.
However today, the different parts on the Bisht are stitched by five
different workers. A Bisht takes slightly more than 15 days to complete in the
hands of five people working simultaneously on the allocated parts.
This is because the motifs on the Bisht are more complicated now.
The gold thread used to create designs on the front part of the Bisht is
costly and fine in texture.
Thus they must be carefully handled.
There are only four families involved in the traditional Bisht business and
they all originate from Hofuf, an area in Saudi Arabia.
The Al Kattan family is the only Bisht producer and supplier to still hold a
Saudi citizenship although their business is in Kuwait City.
With a well maintained big showroom in the heart of Kuwait City, Bisht Al
Kattan is keen to continue supplying the traditional Arab Bisht for generations
to come.
--BERNAMA
KUWAIT CITY, July 23 (Bernama) -- "My father used to stitch it himself. But
today I only manage the business.
"We now have around 30 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals doing the stitching
for our Bisht Al Kattan brand name," Amer T. Al-Kattan who is the general
manager of the family-owned Bisht-making business told this writer recently.
The 'Bisht' is a traditional Arabic men's cloak popular in the Persian Gulf
and some Arab countries. It is essentially a flowing outer cloak made of wool.
It is soft and usually black, brown, beige, cream or grey in colour.
This cloak is usually only worn for prestige on special occasions such as
weddings and festivals.
The Bisht Al Kattan boutique is located in the heart of Kuwait City, known
as Al-Mubarakiyah souk. The clients include members of the royalty, ambassadors
and foreign dignitaries.
"Bisht-making is an expensive investment. This business is definitely very
high in overheads. We Have to provide the different colours in various sizes,
all for the different types of materials.
"From the more common sizes of 26 to 30, in 12 client-likeable colours and
made with three different designs, I make sure each size has 10 Bishts
available.
"At any one time, I have no less than 1,800 bishts in the showroom in that
one type of material. And we have the handmade fine Najafi, exclusive and
expensive Kashmiri or Pashmina Bishts apart from the affordable 'Japaney' and
the less common English materials to consider depending on the client's budget
and preference for the official functions they need to attend wearing the
cloak," Amer said.
BEDOUIN DESIGN
The Saudis prefer their Bishts similar in design to that of their earlier
users, adopting the Bedouin design.
The colours they choose are also quite conservative and more earth based,
reflecting the colours of borderless sandy deserts that they live in; black,
brown and white.
In comparison, the Kuwaitis prefer the more civilian or modern designs and
are willing to wear sky blue as well as green-coloured Bishts.
These customary attire is mostly worn at weddings where the groom adorns it
on the most important occasion of his life.
"Children do not wear the Bisht, they are not required to as there is a
special way to wrap the Bisht when wearing it.
"There are no buttons in front, nor strings to secure the Bisht when worn.
The left side of the open Bisht needs to be held in a special manner by tucking
it under the arm and holding it close to the body of the wearer," Amer
demonstrated via the visuals available on his website www.bisht.com
OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS
Other than at weddings, the Bisht is mandatory for government officials at
official gatherings.
Besides that, they are worn at funerals too.
"Many wear this exclusive traditional attire during the holy month of
Ramadhan too. It is an honour to wear your own traditional costume to mark the
importance of a function and occasion that you attend.
"Of course the expensive Bisht will give the wearer's status in the
gathering, as the more expensive Bishts have intricate and extravagant ornaments
and designs on it. The Bisht worn in winter is definitely thicker than the ones
worn during summer.
"The gold thread used to add design to the front of the Bisht, makes that
big difference in elegance and price," Amer said smilingly as he described the
different Bishts and their usage as well as their price tags.
Bisht Al Kattan had recently received an e-mail from a 16-year-old girl who
wanted to surprise her brother, who was graduating from his Islamic studies
course in a university in Canada, with a Bisht.
Although the family from Canada had no Arab heritage, the young sister
wanted her brother to wear a traditional Arab costume to mark his very important
day.
"I was very touched by her intention," Amer said
"So we decided to give a Bisht as a present. Furthermore the young sister
told us that she was buying the Bisht with her own money and that she had hoped
for some discount.
"My father and I decided to give it to her free of charge," said Amer who
glanced affectionately at his Taher Al Kattan who was seated nearby.
ARAB BISHT PRICES
The price of a specially designed Bisht actually depends on its material and
frontal design particularly its elaborateness.
A Najafi-made Bisht can fetch up to 400 Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) which is
equivalent to RM5,200 (US$1,625) and the material is made up of thread weaved
from the goat's hair.
"The Najafi Bisht is very light. That is why it is expensive, besides the
fact that the Najafi women in Iraq weave this thread by hand. A traditional and
tedious method but it is one way of preserving its fineness and quality in
consistency," he said.
A 'Japoney' Bisht, stitched from the range of made-in-Japan fabric costs
about KD130 or RM1,690 (US$528.12) and it happens to be popular for weddings
among the Bisht wearing countries.
The most expensive would be the Kashmiri or Pashmina Bisht which can cost
close to KD1,200 or RM15,600 (US$4,875).
"We have been assigned to provide Bishts for the Crown Prince of Kuwait,
the Prime Minister is also our very important and special client. It is not only
because of the money earned that our family continues to be involved in this
business.
"It is more for the relationships we build and nurture over time with the
royal families, politicians, elites, fellow Arabs and fellow Muslims from all
over the world," Amer explained.
COMPLETING THE BISHT
A Bisht used to take more than 10 days to be completed by one person.
However today, the different parts on the Bisht are stitched by five
different workers. A Bisht takes slightly more than 15 days to complete in the
hands of five people working simultaneously on the allocated parts.
This is because the motifs on the Bisht are more complicated now.
The gold thread used to create designs on the front part of the Bisht is
costly and fine in texture.
Thus they must be carefully handled.
There are only four families involved in the traditional Bisht business and
they all originate from Hofuf, an area in Saudi Arabia.
The Al Kattan family is the only Bisht producer and supplier to still hold a
Saudi citizenship although their business is in Kuwait City.
With a well maintained big showroom in the heart of Kuwait City, Bisht Al
Kattan is keen to continue supplying the traditional Arab Bisht for generations
to come.
--BERNAMA
