Celebrating modesty in all of its forms and empowering women all over the world
M O D E ST
Every journey has a beginning...
Contents
1 a thought 4 Hiding Beauty 9 my wish - a poem 12 Purity 20 Modern Woman 32 Coffee and Flowers 41 Culture of Colours 52 Rare as True Friendship 59 Thank you
a thought...
1
Modesty isn’t anything new and shiny. It’s been in our lives since the beginning but its meaning grows and changes just like we do. For some of us, it’s a daily part of our journey and just like every journey this one comes with its ups and downs as well. It is something so personal to each individual and their worldview that it is impossible for it to have a singular definition. Sometimes it is easy to see modesty as a negative term and assume it is only for people of a certain religion. It seems limiting, restrictive and even boring and that’s not how we like to feel or to be seen. But, in fact, modesty isn’t any of those things. It isn’t full of rules that we have to obey for us to be considered modest because actually we have the control of defining what it means and looks like to us. Modesty is beautiful because it is gives us the ability to express ourselves in the fullest sense and reveal our true beauty. It’s about time to break the stereotype of modesty only being about “covering up”.
A narrow minded idea of modesty being about wearing baggy clothes to hide our bodies and minds from the world and steer away from attention. It’s not about not looking attractive, it’s about being free and not restricting ourselves to a certain mold. It should not take away our expression of our personalities but lead to an even fuller expression of it. The surprising beauty of modesty is actually the word itself with all of its beautifully diverse meanings and interpretations. For one it can be about eating chocolate only once a week while for another one it is about wearing a headscarf. It can be anything from the way we visually portray ourselves to the way we behave. Influenced by the diversity of modesty and strong women, MODEST is about inspiring and empowering women to be themselves and to have fun with it. Modesty doesn’t come in a one size, shape or colour. We are all incredible and beautiful individuals and we should be proud to show it to the world.
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Hiding Beauty
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my wish
I wish to be free, as free as one can be, I wish to be me, the me who is truly me. I am constantly told what to do and what to wear, these constant voices in my head are driving me to despair. These views and remarks keep making me feel sad, this feeling of helplessness is driving me mad. Is it wrong for me to wish to be free? Is it really that bad for me to be me? If I wish to be me, I need to be bold. If I wish to be me, I won’t do as I am told. I will make my own choice, for this is my heart’s voice. I will express myself through my clothing, I know from experience this is what is truly rewarding. The clothes I wear may cause others to stare, the clothes I wear may cause others to glare. But I will wear them with confidence no matter how people talk, for this path of freedom is the only path I shall walk. I should wear more, I should wear less. Why does it matter to others how I should dress? True freedom does not lie within other’s voices, for true freedom lies within my own choices. I will take a stand and let myself shine, I will embrace this freedom and make it mine. No longer will I allow myself to be held back, now is the time for me to fight back. So, I will make my own choice, for I have already found my own voice. I will stop dreaming, and start doing. I will stop wishing to be free, I WILL be as free as one can be. I will stop wishing to be me, I WILL be the me who is truly me!
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Purity
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mini series
MODERN WOMAN*
*winter edition
”I’ve been living on my own for a year now in a new city because of university but only recently has it felt like home for the first time. Moving from home was difficult. It was hard enough to leave my family and friends but also my hobby of 10 years, cheerleading. I didn’t find people alike me on my course but I got back into cheerleading recently and instantly got really good friends. They’ve welcomed me to the team with open arms and I see them almost every day now. I feel so grateful and lucky to have met them.”
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”My dad didn’t believe army would be ”the place” for me. He laughed when I told him that I would join the army after graduating high school. I had already made my decision on it and his reaction only made me want to do even more and show him that I can do it. I was 20 years old when I started in the army and I have to admit it was tough at times. Swimming across a river when it was snowing or walking 35km with a 35kg backpack on wasn’t fun but it taught me strength and that I can do whatever I want as long as I believe in myself. Life’s good. I finished army and am working as a border guard at the airport now. Going to the army was probably one of the best decision I’ve ever made so far.”
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”I’ve had to learn to accept my vulnerability. It hasn’t been easy. Being vulnerable can be scary and distressing especially around wrong people. You feel alone and broken. In these past few years, I’ve realised that when I value myself I can experience irreplaceable moments and create the most beautiful relationships. I am now 21 years old and I hope that one day I can learn to be unconditionally in love with myself. After all, isn’t it the best way of being in love?”
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”I’ve lived in Germany for almost three years now. I think moving to a foreign country is an experience that will change you for good. It’s like a fresh start which has encouraged me to try more new things and learn about a different culture. I’ve become so much more open-minded and learned that there isn’t always a right and wrong way to a situation. Having my support system thousands of kilometers away has been difficult at times but I’ve learned to be more independent and overcome a lot of challenges on my own. Living abroad isn’t always easy and fun but I wouldn’t ever change my experience. I’ve met so many amazing people and I am sure that I will cherish this.” 27
”What still kinda surprises me to this day is that after all the years I lived in Saudi Arabia, where wearing the hijab is commonplace, I never really considered wearing one. Sure, I wore an abaya but the hijab was different. Hijab is a commandment from God and it is not limited to the scarf I wear on my head. It is the way I speak and dress, my manners and how I conduct myself as a person. My actions should be carried out in order to please and obey God, not for the ever changing expectations of others, which I find very liberating. My fear was that I would disappoint God but also tarnish the physical view of hijab in a world where it’s already under condemnation but then it hit me. If I’m not going to try now, when? So cut to fifteen year old me, surrounded by immense support and better God consciousness, hijab became a part of me. It makes me feel closer to God. It makes me feel empowered and I want to help others feel the same. To make them feel empowered and I want them to see that although society may try to make us feel like we can’t, we most definitely can.”
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Coffee and Flowers
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”My love for coffee is related to the history of my home country, Libya, as it was invaded by Italians and obviously Italy equals cappuccino. My love for coffee grew even more when I visited Milano and tasted the best cappuccino ever. Now I am always searching for the best cafes wherever I go. A good cup of coffee is life. Ok, maybe I’m a tiny bit addicted.”
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Culture of Colours
�India is actually really vibrant and filled with the brightest colours. Having grown up in a such a vibrant country, I’ve learned that colours have so much more meaning both religious and personal than what meets the eye. We celebrate Holi, the celebration of colours, because Hindu Gods conquered good over bad and to celebrate brotherhood and bring everyone together.�
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�The colour yellow symbolises purity and good luck. My mother would usually put a lot of turmeric on my forehead and neck to give me good luck for my exam back in high school.�
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”Brigh pink or ”rani pink” as we call it in India really symbolises the state where I am from, Rajasthan. My dress is actually made from a local fabric ”chunari”. This fabric on my dress actually used to be my mum’s. She wore it as a saree but I loved it so much and the beautiful hand dyed print that I got it made into a gown.”
Rare as True Friendship
” We’ve known each other since September when uni started. We’re not actually on the same course but have some modules together. To be honest we didn’t really like each other at the very beginning but clicked straight away once we started spending more time together. ”
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Thank you Models: Meiihad Osman Vilma Taavitsainen Eslam Ghazala Shivangi Agiwal Anisah Javed Mina O’Keefe Modern Women: Heli Heikkinen Elli Paukkonen Reetta Simpanen Riikka Miettinen Reem Siraj
Photography, editing & words by Anna Parkkinen