Abayas haven’t always been the easiest garment to practice sport in, and with the kingdom making progressive reforms for women to make sports a part of their lifestyles, a Saudi brand has realized the lack of athletic-modest wear in the market.
Lojain Al Refae of Mulu Athletics and her husband, are the duo who came up with the innovative, modest sports garment. Described as light and perfect for intense workouts as well as leisurewear, the ath-leisure abaya is cinched at the ankles, comes in an “extra-stretchy” fabrication, and is available in a plethora of fun colours.
Saudi designer and fitness trainer, Lojain Al Refae, talked about how Mulu Athletics conceptualized when she and her husband started their fitness journey in 2006, “I wanted to mix fashion and fitness together, so my husband and I launched Mulu Athletics with the sports abaya. When I moved back to Saudi from the States, it was hard for me to engage in outdoor activities and be active with my children. The regular abaya didn’t allow that freely. So I came up with this abaya that’s called the ‘free flow’, and the idea is it lets you go about your activities freely.”
Having lived in Saudi, Lojain has witnessed the progressive changes taking place within the kingdom, she recalls and compares that “it was completely different” just a few years ago and now, “Whether it’s running, cycling, or even HIIT outside, you see women doing this. Now we have started doing multiple colors and other athleisure pieces, and even kids pieces. My daughter really wanted one. She kept saying she wanted to look like mum.”
