29/10/2026
The Last Stitch by Amin Rahimi
Beyond being a form of covering, the burqa is part of the visual memory and identity of women in southern Iran. Its form, color, fabric, and stitching techniques reflect the cultural and geographical diversity of the communities along the Persian Gulf coast.
This series focuses on the Lafti burqa, a distinctive type recognized by its Shileh fabric and its characteristic indigo color. The making of this burqa is a form of traditional knowledge passed down through generations, not through books, but through hands, experience, and memory.
Ameneh Ali is the last woman who continues to make this particular type of Lafti burqa.
These photographs document more than a traditional garment. They record the hands, tools, fabric, color, and gestures that bring a burqa into being. They capture a moment in which a craft, before disappearing from everyday life, still lives on in the hands of its maker.
The Lafti burqa: a record of a tradition, a skill, and a memory on the verge of disappearing.
This series documents the making of the last burqa of this kind, sewn by the last woman who continues to practice this craft.
