Muslim women making it in modest fashion mainstream

By John Saunders – London Loves Business

While we swoon over luxury fashion labels and their efforts in the modest fashion industry, Muslim women are creating companies around the world and are making their marks. Blending trends and style with faith, these companies make covering up look chic and elegant.

Modest fashion is now a movement – and it is no longer exclusive to Muslims. Its appeal stretches beyond those with specific religious beliefs, growing into a trend that is going to get even bigger with time.

Here are some of the leading Muslim companies in the modest fashion industry:

Established about a decade ago, Aab Collection is a prestigious fashion design outfit set up to fill a void in the modest dressing market, especially for Muslim women looking to maintain their traditional modest fashion tastes while wearing stylish clothing pieces that will make them stand out in the society. The company has built a reputation for providing quality luxury dresses for women, including jilbabs, traditional abayas, hijab headdresses, and kaftan dresses. The ultimate aim of Aab Collection is to ensure women who prefer modestwear have a range of simple and stylish clothing that offer a blend of practicality, comfort, and style.

  • Inayah

Inayah is a popular London-based fashion label that offers modest, classic, and elegant, clothing pieces that effectively maintain a balance between modesty, function, style, and comfort. Elements of soft hues, vintage silhouettes, and florals make great wardrobe pieces. The clothing selection on offer feels modern and the wide selection of head covers means there is always a scarf to match any outfit. Inayah hijab collection is typically made up of timeless pieces that you can wear over and over again, mixed with different dress styles, patterns, and colors. The fashion designer is in the mid-price range, offering reasonably priced quality clothing.

Birthed in 2010, Haute Hijab strives to be a faith-based modest fashion alternative that offers modern high quality hijab-friendly clothing with a blend of inclusiveness and vibrancy. While Haut Hijab’s collection targets the modern Muslima, the headdresses can be used by anyone. Haut Hijab also features skirts, stylish wraps, and stunning dresses, and on the co-founder’s YouTube channel, you are sure to find fashion tips and makeup tips that will help you take your modest dressing a notch higher.

  • Anna Hariri

Anna Hariri is modest fashion designer who offers a wide range of clothing pieces for the teeming modest-conscious population. While her wardrobe pieces are ion the pricier side, they are quality handmade clothing from luxury fabric materials. From sell out skirts and beautiful dresses to abayas and a host of patterns, Anna Hariri draws inspiration from traditional and modest designs. If you are looking for durable, guaranteed quality, Anna Hariri is your one-stop shop.

Inspired by her Egyptian heritage, YouTuber Dina Torkia is appreciated for her unique and innovative fashion sense. She has already released an Egyptian-themed headscarf line, featuring amazing ombre dip dyed head covers that became an instant hit. Unsurprisingly, her newly released Debut Collection was also a complete sell out – an evidence of her innovative efforts in the world of modest fashion. Dina Torkia’s modest fashion selection line features professional, colorful, and creative pieces – clothing that every woman would yearn to have.

  • Subeena Z

Modest fashion also includes luxury attire that offers an audacious yet effortlessly posh and elegant look. In the Muslim world, it is important that modesty is observed in every aspect of a person’s appearance, and this is advocated by contemporary designer Subeena Z. Her “simplicity inspires me” mantra is a major highlight in her efforts to ensure modesty can be achieved without using overtly extravagant materials.

Modest fashion is now the new “black”. It is no longer the business that concerns only Muslim women. With luxury brands like Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, and Dolce & Gabbana offering special modest Ramadan collections, the modest market is fast growing into a trend. The global market is booming – and is expected to be worth well over $300 billion by 2020. Modest fashion means different things to different people, and it isn’t inherently “Muslim”. Yes, many stores like Hidden Pearls now offer quality Hijabs and Abayas as well as other modest wear.

The entry of foreign brands into the modest fashion industry means more choice for the modest-conscious consumer. As more and more Muslim companies go into the industry, it will hardly be long before we find stylish, modern and modest outfits in every high street store in London. An increasing number of women now prefer modest outfits to conventional clothing pieces that reveal important parts of the body. More and more women now realize that they can be covered-up and still appear trendy and classy.

The modest fashion trend is expected to blossom as it has lots of potential. And more fashion labels and retailers are expected to join the train and invest their marketing efforts into this largely untapped market.