It’s the first time in the New York Fashion Week that collection of model walked the runway while wearing hijab is presented. It is also one of the first shows in the famous annual event that an Indonesian Muslim designer Anniesa Hasibuan is present.
There is an intense debate about dress of Muslim women currently due to which many call it a historic event to bring hijab in the conventional dressing line.
Trousers, gowns and flowing tunics in embroidery and rich fabrics with hijabs are presented by Hasibuan who is inspired with her hometown Jakarta. The 30 year old Hasibuan presented her show earlier this week and received huge applause with the audience.
She wrote on Instragram that they were opposed by many but the team worked hard to achieve this success.
Melanie Elturk is CE of US brand selling Hijab, Haute Hijab, said on Instagram that it is possible to normalize hijab in USA by eradicating misconceptions and this show is an important step for this purpose.
Now retailers are also trying to take advantaging of this booming Islamic fashion as Uniqlo is partnering with a Muslim designer, Dolce & Gabbana is releasing line of abaya and hijab and H&M releases an ad with Muslim model clad in hijab. It is part of fashion’s ‘modesty movement’.
Now Muslim designers are getting creativeness in Islamic clothing with traditional designers are experimenting with modest dresses like one-piece bathing suits.
Singapore based designer Putri Soediano told that fashion in Indonesia is diverse due to which it is seen as an innovator in this region for Islamic dressing. She thinks that hasibuan’s show has proved that fashion is possible in Islamic dress also while it is different from the standard black Arabian burqa.
But there are conservatives in Muslim society who dislike the approach of Hasibuan. Islamic Studies professor at Victoria University Dr Eva Nisa told that modesty and decency is necessary in Islamic clothing that can save women from gaze of men while this recent fashion adopted by Muslim designers is against the essence of Islamic dressing.
She thinks that a movement abiout hijab Shari’a has also started as a reaction to this fashion which include long and loose dress to hide women’s curves.
Saediano says that they are only presenting that they like to wear.
