Looking around, you can easily say that modesty in fashion is no more. More and more people are showing of more and more skin, and the pressure on ladies to look sexy has never been more real. Beauty should really come from the inside out; however, we live in a society that says the less you wear, the more beautiful you are. But there’s something beautiful about mystery.
Just recently, Dolce and Gabbana launched a range of luxury hijabs and abayas [these are simple, robe-like dresses], made from the same fabric. Labels such as DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger also recently produced one-off collections that featured flowing gowns and wide-leg trousers that coincided with the celebrations of Eid and Ramadhan.
With a growing presence and influence of the young demographic seeking to not only follow the latest trends but also be modest about it, there is an equal need to produce more fashion lines that are not just about covering your body, but make you feel good while you do. There is also a need to discourage the myth that women of faith – especially Muslim women – don’t care about fashion.
AL-MUSLIMAH MAGAZINE on Instagram: Off the runway @ms_sham_ @hafsa_shakir#NMFW https://t.co/gnUbwb1zRL via @webgramco
— Rayhab Gachango (@potentash) October 4, 2016
When you Google ‘Muslim women’, what fills your screen is mostly women in black. It’s almost like black is the new black, not that there’s anything wrong with it, it mostly stems from the fact that they want to avoid attention, a factor that is prevalent in many countries. But modesty is not boring.
In Nairobi, the Al-Muslimah magazine, a progressive women’s magazine that gives a voice to over 6 million Muslim women living in Kenya, is on a mission to show that modesty is in fact cool and women should embrace modesty more in their everyday fashion. The magazine partnered with the Kenya Tourism Board & Kenya Airways to bring you The Nairobi Modesty Fashion Week, an international event that gathers local and international fashion designers and industry players in the modesty wear industry.
The event brought together stakeholders and fashion enthusiasts to showcase the unique diversity of multi-cultural and multi-ethnic fashion excellence and also aims to be the most prestigious event of the fashion industry making Nairobi a hub of reference and a trendsetter for the industry.
The initiative included 4 workshops that aimed to support, inspire and motivate homegrown talent, increase global presence by including women from all parts of the continent to participate and also give a supportive platform to benefit women who aspire to join the industry. There was also an array of unique attractions and cultures from locally sourced materials and beadwork showcased.
The Nairobi Modesty Fashion week happened on 1st and 2nd of October at the Ole Sereni.
