She has collected over 2,000 dresses, costumes, textiles, and jewelry over 50 years, seeking to preserve a culture that has been largely dispersed by conflict.
[2] Her father Jalil was a teacher and head of juvenile school system in British Mandate government of Palestine.
[2][3] Kawar has made her collection available for public viewing and has mounted exhibits of Palestinian dress around the world.
She collaborated with Margaret Skinner on A Treasury of Stitches: Palestinian Embroidery Motifs, 1850–1950 (Rimal/Melisende).
She has established the Tiraz Centre which runs small museum in Amman, housing her collection and dedicated to the preservation of Palestinian and Jordanian cultural traditions.