Viral hashtag inspires love of traditional Maldivian dress
#LibaasSabbees prompted a flurry of posts celebrating local culture.
30 Jul 2019, 9:00 AM
Maya Mauroof
A hashtag launched by a pair of young women went viral as the Maldives celebrated its 54th Independence Day on July 26, prompting a flurry of posts celebrating the traditional dress called libaas.
Dubbed #LibaasSabbees – as Independence Day is commonly referred to as Julaain Sabbees (July 26) in Dhivehi – the hashtag was born out of a Twitter conversation between Mariyam Rifga Rasheed and Hawwa Sanaya.
The viral hashtag #KimOhNo “made Sanaya realise how little focus and importance we’ve given to our own traditional dresses,” Rifga told the Maldives Independent.
Synonymous with Maldivian culture, the unique dress showcases an embroidery technique known as kasabu viyun on the neckline and is worn with an underskirt called feyli.
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