Ask anyone growing up in the 80s or 90s wearing hijab, and they will tell you about the struggles of finding modest, fashionable clothes, especially in the summer months. Layers over layers of clothing, endless hours of hunting for a white, long sleeve undergarment that covers everything without being too heavy, and coordinating outfits like a professional stylist, was all part of the package. In fact, dressing modestly meant having to sacrifice high fashion brands, trendy cuts and silhouettes, and a sense of style.
However, in recent years, this has been changing. We’re now witnessing somewhat of a modest fashion movement, with designers and high street brands offering collections suitable for Muslim women.
It first started to gain momentum in 2014 when the New York fashion house DKNY launched a bespoke modest fashion collection. One year later, in 2015, Mariah Idrissi became the first hijabi model to appear in a mainstream western fashion campaign, posing for H&M. Later on that year, Japan’s Uniqlo teamed up with Brit-Japanese designer, Hana Tajima, to launch its LifeWear collection composed of separates, hijabs, and accessories. In 2016, Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana announced it was designing a line of headscarves and abayas.
Even sportswear brands have gotten in on the act – Nike released a hi-tech sports headscarf, called the Nike Pro Hijab earlier this year.
So why now? Well, it’s a big business opportunity. According to the Thomson Reuters ‘State of the Global Islamic Economy’ report, it is estimated that Muslims around the world spent $243 billion on clothing alone in 2015. Looking ahead, modest fashion is estimated to be worth $368 billion by 2020.
We’re even witnessing the rise of Modest Fashion Weeks, which have had successful runs in cities such as Istanbul and London, and this month saw the inaugural edition of Dubai Modest Fashion Week take place in the United Arab Emirates.
Rami El Malak, founder of Emirati modest wear brand Miella and member of Dubai Design and Fashion Council – who was exhibiting at the event – explains why modest fashion is becoming so popular.
“The modest fashion industry is growing as it continues to speak to a wide range of audience all around the world. The market is hungry for modest wear that is of high quality, trendy, affordable, and most importantly ethical, and that’s what we try to achieve.”
He goes on to add that social media is largely to thank, with shoppers following hijabi bloggers posting about their ‘Outfit of the Day’ or #OOTD as commonly known online.
“Bloggers started curating content for mainstream fashion brands to post their OOTD. As a result, that helped shed a light on modest fashion [because before it was once considered somewhat ethnic/traditional wear], which in turn made brands want to use bloggers as a marketing tool to reach a wider audience and grow their follower base.”
THE INFLUENCERS
With everyone seemingly calling themselves a blogger or an ‘influencers’ these days, it can be difficult to know just who is making a difference in the scene. But after compiling research from modest fashion brands, Modest Fashion Week organisers and media, here are the five you need to know about.
Dalal Al Doub: The 32-year-old Kuwaiti started her blog in 2012 and soon became one of the most influential bloggers in Kuwait. The social media star garnered over 2 million followers in five years and collaborated with tens of brands via influencer marketing.
Ascia Al Faraj (aka Ascia Akf): A self-labelled ‘hybrid Kuwaiti/American’, Ascia started her blog “The Hybrids” in 2012 with her husband. What started as a social practice soon turned into a fashion venture. The Instagram sensation has amassed over 2 million followers.
Dina Tokio: The 29-year-old British-Egyptian started out by making her own clothes at home and posting them on social media. Soon, her audience started requesting vlogs on how to wear turbans, how to style outfits, and how to create fashionable modest looks. Since then, Dina hasn’t stopped vlogging, now garnering over 75 million views on YouTube and one million followers on Instagram.
Sara Sabry: If there’s one thing Sara is known for, it’s her sense of humour. The Instastar’s witty posts have attracted over 700 thousand followers worldwide. Originally Egyptian, the popular former Viner is now known across several different channels.
Fatma Husam: Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management from Emirates Aviation University, the Emirati blogger decided to pursue a career in fashion instead. Her latest venture is a jewellery line called Mas.