Designer collections and fashion’s most important platforms are proving how modest wear, believed to be one of the fastest growing areas in the fashion industry, is gradually becoming mainstream.
It’s hard not to witness the growing trend of retailers curating capsule hijab and abaya collections for Muslim customers. Realising modest wear, which the Global Islamic Economy report calculates to be worth $327 billion by the year 2020, is now a major player, global brands have been targeting fans who like to dress more demurely. During Ramadan we’ve seen designers like Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Mango join the drive. Additionally, luxury e-retailers like Net-A-Porter and Moda Operandi are producing special merchandise, including caftans, which have also been a big business for haute brands like Christian Siriano and Marchesa.
Anniesa Hasibuan's autumnwinter 2017-18 collection at New York Fashion Week
However, things seem to be moving quickly, with modest wear now being incorporated into main lines and shopping choices. For example, Dolce & Gabbana recently revealed another abaya collection for spring 2017. Plus, British department store Debenhams announced it is to be home to a collection by leading modest wear brand Aab. The London-based company, which aims to change people’s perspective about prim fashion, will have its collection displayed come May, starting with Debenhams’s London store.
A Push For Modest Wear At London And New York Fashion Weeks
Last year, Indonesian Anniesa Hasibuan made her New York Fashion Week debut by being the first ever designer to present a full cast of hijab-wearing models at the event. This year, Hasibuan’s international assortment of models also wore hijabs while presenting her vibrant autumn collection, “Drama.” As always, the Jakarta-based designer’s collection was created with an aim to appeal to women who don’t have to dress conservatively. And clearly, the rise of fashion influencers like Hasibuan and UAE-based designer Rabia Zargarpur is changing the way everyone perceives modest wear.
Front row at London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week (LFW) is also leaning towards welcoming more modest wear. In fact, two days were just dedicated to this progressive turn in the fashion industry with Modest Fashion Week (MFW), a first of its kind event, which took place at the Saatchi Gallery 18-19 February. The newcomer to the LFW calendar is organised by Haute Elan, a UK-based e-commerce company established by Romanna Bint-Abubaker. The event showcased over 40 international brands from countries like Turkey, Malaysia and Somalia. Saudi Arabia’s Art of Heritage and Bahraini label Leenaz were among those showcasing hijabs, maxi dresses and scarves. The programme also included workshops, pop-up stores and discussion panels, with big fashion influencers like Dina Torkia, more familiarly known as Dina Tokio and Ascia Akf attending.
Muslim Models in the Spotlight
The slowly growing numbers of models who proudly wear the hijab are also making a difference. Up-and-coming Somali-American model Halima Aden made headlines during New York Fashion Week after she slayed in her first catwalk gig for Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 show. IMG Models, the world’s biggest modelling agency, booked Aden, their first hijab-wearing model, after spotting her in Minnesota’s Miss USA competition, where she wore a burkini for the swimsuit section. The 19-year-old, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp, is undoubtedly one of the faces to watch out for. She also appeared in “CR Fashion Book” and has other big jobs lined up.
Hijab-wearing model Halima Aden
Then there’s Mariah Idrissi, the first hijab-wearing model to feature in an H&M campaign. The 24-year-old Pakistani-Moroccan appeared in the Swedish retail giant’s video for its recycling initiative, ‘Close the Loop.’ The first hijab-wearing model to appear in a high profile fashion campaign was scouted in the Westfield shopping centre. She’s opinionated as well as beautiful, never holding back her wish to make modest fashion trendy. Living in London and working with the renowned Select agency, Idrissi is highly in demand and has over 48,000 followers on Instagram.
Hijab-wearing model Mariah Idrissi at the Aspinal of London presentation, London Fashion Week
Plus, in 2016, Japanese retailer Uniqlo featured hijab-wearing model Yuna for a campaign. The Malaysian modeled some of the ‘Uniqlo x Hana Tajima’ collection, a collaboration with famous Japanese-British Muslim designer Hana Tajima.
