Rabia Z, a fashion designer from UAE says “I was living in the US back then. It was right after 9/11 when a lot of my friends were taking off their hijabs because of the historical moment. I didn’t want to, and because I come from a background in fashion I decided to style my own hijabs and clothing. People liked it, so I decided to put my creation online.”
Surprisingly the number of fashionista’s, designers and entrepreneurs are rushing to seize an opportunity in an industry which motivates fashion plus modesty. There has been a sharp rise in hijab industry and mostly youngsters tend to lean more towards it.
Modanisa, A Turkish based e-commerce platform found to be rising sharply in market, was founded in 2012 by Kerim Ture. It has its magic spell on about 60 countries and more than 200 Islamic fashion brands present their hijab products on this platform.
Neslihan Cevik, author of a book on the transformation of the role of women in Islam and the founder of M-Line Fashion says “Within certain standards of modesty, Muslim women have hundreds of different needs”
“Also, it’s important to point out how these have increased in the last years and are, in part, a response of women across the Muslim world engaging more in public activities, having jobs, living outside of the house.”she added .
Dilyara Sadrieva, a Russian Muslim, the successful entrepreneur and designer behind
says “”I started making Islamic clothes as a hobby, because I wanted them for myself. Most of the halal clothes sold in Russia come from Turkey or the Middle East, but they are not suited for our climate or taste so I decided to do something about it.”
Amazingly within two years Bella Kareema started selling hundreds of items and took part in fashion shows in London , UAE and Turkey.
“My secret, I think, is elegance, combining culture and tradition with the need for a personal touch. And I know I am good at it: half of my customers are non-Muslim women that like the style and are looking for a sober dress.”Saidreva said.