Islamic Fashion combines Islamic practices and the desire to create clothing that can fit in with trends in the broader fashion industry.
The global growth of “an Islamic consumer sector, which explicitly forges links between religiosity and fashion, encouraging Muslims to be both covered and fashionable, modest and beautiful,” is relatively new, emerging in the 1980s.Tarlo E. Hijab in London: Metamorphosis, Resonance and Effects. Journal of Material Culture. Vol. 12(2): 138
The most recent developments in the field have caused varied public discourse on a series of different levels, from the political to the religious to the cultural. Different positions are taken by different participants in the discussion of the politics and cultures of Islamic fashion.
The Islamic Fashion market has expanded internationally, with major fashion brands introducing collections linked to Muslim religious observances and modest dress. The sector has also created opportunities for independent designers, particularly those based in Muslim-majority countries. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has promoted itself as a centre for Islamic fashion through initiatives included dedicated design districts and support for fashion brands.
History of Islamic fashion To understand the Islamic fashion controversy and how it has evolved, it's vital to understand the historical and religious meaning behind the clothing. It's important to remember that the specific styles of clothing vary among time periods and across geographical regions. Arabic dress dates back to the 13th century—men and women from this time period both wore a simple tunic dress with a loose garment over their head. The difference between the genders was that women had to cover more of their body and usually had more accessories and embellishments. Another region that largely influenced modern Islamic dress is Turkey. It was different from Arabic dress in that " traditional Turkish ensemble for either men or women consisted of loose fitting trousers (şalvar, don) and a shirt (gömlek), topped by a variety of jackets (cebken), vests (yelek), and long coats (entâri, kaftan, üç etek)." Something these two regions had in common with their dress is that what people wore was an indication of their social status. In Arabic regions such as Iraq and Palestine, the way men covered their heads, turban or shawl, was related to their status. In Turkey, they also used headgear to show status in addition to layering clothes and using certain "richer" materials. Since Arabic clothing came long before Turkish and other regions' clothing, it's clear it had a large influence on Islamic fashion for all the subsequent cultures. A big part of the current Islamic fashion market is women's headdresses. Although men and women were both supposed to dress modestly, "The veil is a vehicle for distinguishing between women and men and a means of controlling male sexual desire". There are four main styles of wearing a veil or headscarf in Islamic tradition. The first is named the Hijab. The hijab is made with one or two scarves, covering both the head and the neck. The face may remain unveiled. This style is most widely seen in the West, as well as still being popular within Middle Eastern countries. The next veil is called the Niqab, which covers the entirety of the body as well as the face while leaving an opening for the eyes. There are two main styles of Niqab. A half-niqab is identified by a scarf that veils the face while leaving the eyes and part of the forehead uncovered. A Gulf niqab only leaves narrow slits for the eyes. A third veil is the Chador, which is a full-body-length shawl, pinned closed at the neck. The head and body are covered in this style, while leaving the face visible. This style is commonly seen in Iran. A fourth veiling style is called the Burqa. The burqa is a full-body covering where the entire face and body are veiled, and there is a mesh screen in front of the eyes.
Economics of Islamic fashion
Today, the Islamic Fashion market is still in its early development stage; however, according to the numbers provided by the Global Islamic Economy IndicatorState of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2015 . Dinar Standard. the dynamics will rapidly change: Muslim consumers spent an estimated $266bn on clothing in 2014, a number that is projected to grow up to $484bn by 2019. Although the figures show the purchase of clothing that cannot be translated directly into Islamic fashion, the trend clearly proves that the modest fashion industry will be flourishing.
Furthermore, the Pew ResearchThe Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050. Pew Research Center. predicts that the global population of Muslims will equal the number of Christians by 2050; hence, the purchasing power of young Muslim customers will steadily grow that presents new opportunities for both young designers and big fashion brands. As for the seasonal profit the famous companies like DKNY, Hilfiger are starting to pay more attention to observances like Ramadan when the number of Muslim consumers rockets.La Ferla R. For Ramadan, Courting the Muslim Shopper. NY Times. 24 June 2015 However, currently, the world-famous designers present their collections, whether in Gulf States or online only, while omitting the opportunities and growing demand presented in Western countries, as it expressed Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, the editor-in-chief of MuslimGirl.net: “What's the point of having these Ramadan collections from these huge brands and huge designers if they're only being made available to people overseas who are already well aware of Ramadan and inclusive of it? Really, it's here in the U.S. or other Western countries where that kind of visibility would go a long way.” - Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, interview to Fortune, 15 July 2015Petrilla M. The next big untapped fashion market: Muslim women. Fortune. 15 July 2015 Considering the slow realization of emerging capacities by the global brands, the niche of Islamic fashion market would be likely occupied by Middle Eastern enterprises and start-ups. As Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair, a member of the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre board, said in the interview to Bloomberg: “The lack of a global Islamic clothing brands presents a unique opportunity for U.A.E. fashion designers.”Y-Sing L., Solovieva D. Islamic Fashion's Expanding Market Attracts Shariah Financiers. Bloomberg. 9 April 2015 Dubai, after opening Design District, is on its way to become the Islamic fashion capital as well as the global centre of the Islamic economy, even if being challenged by the Turkish Muslim clothing industry. Despite big designer brands making an entrance into the Muslim world, there is still a distinct lack of opportunities for young Muslim designers. This is because in most Muslim countries, fashion is not taken seriously as a career path; instead, math, science and engineering have long taken priority. Recently, with more women entering the workforce, the demand for fashion education has increased. The Creative Space Beirut School of Design is the future of the industry. It provides free education while also emphasizing respecting the cultural differences of students in order to build a safe community and allow talented young artists to create freely.
Politics and culture
Fashion, as all creative and artistic fields, does not exist in a vacuum; it has to relate with the socio-political culture in which it exists, and therefore the way such culture responds to it. Islamic Fashion has witnessed a series of commentaries since mid-2014, when DKNY launched its first ever Ramadan fashion line,Gandhi L. DKNY Launches First Ever Ramadan Fashion Line. NBC News. 9 July 2014 as many others did such as Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar de la Renta, Mango, UNIQLO, Zara, H&MSanghani R. How the hijab went high-fashion and divided Muslim women. The Telegraph.18 February 2016 and Dolce & Gabbana.Minthe C. Exclusive: The Dolce & Gabbana Abaya Collection Debut. Style.com/Arabia. 3 January 2016
Internal criticism
Considering the controversial nature of the topic, a plethora of reactions was expected, and it was varied in nature and sources. Internal reception was varied, encompassing reactions such as the one by fashion graduate Tabinda-Kauser Ishaq, who designed a ‘poppy hijab’ for Remembrance Day,Sanghani, Radhika. "Why British Muslims Need a 'poppy Hijab' to Remember World War One." The Telegraph. 10 Nov. 2105 who welcomed the arrival of mainstream Islam fashion and deemed it “a good move for the business of fashion”, and the one by Mariah Idrissi, the first hijab-wearing model in an H&M adHalime, Farah. "Meet the First Hijab-wearing Model in an H&M Ad." Fusion. 25 Sept. 2015 who said that, "Seeing Dolce & Gabbana launch in this market is definitely a positive thing".
A reminder of the religious connotation of the hijab came from Shelina Janmohamed, author of Love In A Headscarf, who pointed out how, “Today's fashion industry is about consumerism and objectification - buy, buy, buy and be judged by what you wear. Muslim fashion is teetering between asserting a Muslim woman's right to be beautiful and well-turned out, and buying more stuff than you need, and being judged by your clothes - both of which are the opposite of Islamic values.”Sanghani, Radhika. "How the Hijab Went High-fashion and Divided Muslim Women." The Telegraph. 18 Feb. 2016 On the subject of the high-end commercialization of Islamic fashion, Ruqaiya Haris explained how Dolce & Gabbana's hijab range was aimed at people like her and yet made her feel excluded: “It is difficult for me to feel excited and grateful for a fashion line that supposedly caters to me and the requirements of my faith when it feels as though the overwhelming message is that the only desirable Muslim is a wealthy one; that Muslim fashion is acceptable, but only when legitimised by a major western fashion label. And that ultimately western society will always have the monopoly on what is fashionable and relevant.”Haris, Ruqaiya. "D&G's Hijab Range Is Aimed at People like Me – so Why Do I Feel Excluded?" The Guardian. 11 Jan. 2016
Similarly, Somali-American model and humanitarian Halima Aden, who is credited with being one of the first Hijabi women to appear on the cover of Vogue, spoke out in 2020 about the darker side of being a trailblazer for Muslim women within the fashion industry. After setting out to give back to the Muslim community through humanitarian aid work and increasing visibility for Hijabi women in fashion, Aden famously took a step back from her career when she revealed that she was becoming less and less in control of her ability to stay true to her Muslim values due to violations of contract clauses, and feelings of being tokenized by the organizations that she worked with. Aiden stated in one 2021 interview with BBC “I just decided I'm done with the NGO world using me for 'my beautiful story of courage and hope' On this ethical side of the discourse the argument made by Sabah Haneen Choudhry, a third-year Social Anthropology student at SOAS, was that in 2016, the rise in Islamic fashion must be seen as a political matter: “My issue is this: why is the hijab ‘acceptable’ only when it's appropriated and managed by major corporations— Western regimes that, in other words, have the power to permit and regulate what is deemed tolerable, capitalizable and not? Why can't Muslim women decide the parameters of their Islamic identity and sexual morality, without facing harsh scrutiny from within and outside the ‘imagined’ Muslim community?” The premise of the cultural appropriation side of the discourse, addressed online by different sources,Torkia, Dina. "DESIGNER ABAYAS, WHAT’S NEW?" DINA TORKIA. 07 Jan. 2016 can be summed up by Haris’ words when she states how Dolce & Gabbana’s range “looks like an appropriation of existing traditions without giving them any real recognition.”