FINAL MAJOR PROJECT
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
BRIEF MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION IN TURKEY
Talking Numbers - Statistics for Islamic Clothing consumption
1. According to the state of the global
Islamic economy report 2013, the Muslim consumer expenditure on the clothing / fashion will expand from the last estimate of 224 billion dollars in 2012 to 322 billion dollar estimate by 2018.
2. Basing on the 2012 data and statistics, countries with high Islamic consumer clothing consumption include; Turkey leading by 25 billion, followed by Iran with 21billion, Indonesia with 27 billion, Egypt with 16 billion, Saudi Arabia with 15 billion and lastly Pakistan with 14 billion.
3. It is therefore concluded that after United States as the largest market in the world, all together, the Islamic clothing consumer market takes second position with 94 billion in spending.
PROJECT TITLE: SECTION REDESIGN OF TURKEY’S ALA ISLAMIC FASHION MAGAZINE Re-design a well defined concept/sector for the conservative Islamic fashion magazine “ALA DERGI”. The Redesign of the magazine sector will include proposed double page spreads featuring contemporary Islamic fashion and related stories or interviews. Statement/Background Information 98% (percent) of the differing degrees of religiosity in turkey is exceeded by the Muslim population. Turkey is a secular country with a high youth demographic and a fast growing economy. Various discussions on how the headscarf fits into the environment and its prohibition of wearing it in public space have exclusively dominated all political and social discussions. The Idea ALA magazine is sensitive to the fashion conscious and faithful female segment positioned in the same category as Vogue and Elle with all its models wearing modest clothing plus a headscarf) covering their hair. ALA DERGI is one of the most recognized conservative and forward fashion magazines in turkey. The magazine is conquering as a potential market leader concentrating on modest Muslim style and trends for the modern and professional Turkish women. The magazine is well positioned reflecting the anticipated readership’s need and desire to be part of the trend.
ALA is an Arabic word meaning “the most beautiful of the beautiful, superb, excellent and this title is definitely suitable for the upcoming frontrunner because it connects Muslims to their faith. The models are both attractive and Islamic which perfectly merges the readers own sense of self. The magazine includes: interviews with successful Muslim women and hijab/ modest attire coordinators, designers, special boutique owners, style suggestions, color trends, blog introducers and editorials. The differentiating point of this magazine is that it caters for the market need of professional Turkish Muslim women requiring relatable fashion guides similar to western publications such as Vogue and Elle but with strong Islamic standards. That is Muslim women who present the niche market calling for the repeated ‘style with coverage’ trend. ALA Dergi expects distribution and international recognition in the forthcoming year with the help of designers and the impact of the magazine. Industry Information / Audience The preliminary release of ALA magazine saw a rise to over 70,000 funs on its facebook page, press recognition and stock increase within the top Turkish bookshops of the city. We want our magazine to have a personal and distinctive feel as vogue but emphasizing our unique feature of contemporary Islamic fashion and the Islamic value of modesty.
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
We discovered that there was a gap to be filled for the modern and conservative Muslim women of turkey who opted for a unique image (fashionable) rather than a generic look like it is perceived in almost every Islamic community. This pushed ALA Dergi to provide a modern and distinctive Islamic style of dress in order to bridge the gap in the current market. Therefore, ALA magazine hopes to help fashionable Muslim women to find and have contemporary Islamic outfits that are original and unique to them. Project Criteria
1. Choosing a section of your
choice, redesign/ create a concept that will make ALA Magazine look more distinctive and unique to its audience.
2. Ensure that the idea suits our target audience and the category of fashion we offer to them.
3. Stick to redesigning the magazines
Double page spreads featuring stories or interviews that capture and attract the target Audience.
4. Make the redesign (t y p o g r a p h y / l a y o u t / material) standout through a contemporary expression of Islamic tradition values in fashion design.
5. Explore all possible outcomes of your concept/idea.
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION IN TURKEY
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
An important visual element in the Turkish dress was garment layering. Clothes were arranged to show different patterns and quality of materials on the coat and attach volume to the body representation. The Turkish clothing was worn according to the occasion and the position of the wearer. The more Layers worn with comfortable materials signified wealth.
HISTORY TRADITIONAL ISLAMIC DRESS IN TURKEY
Both Muslim men and women enjoyed dressing up modestly. Due to the changing era, the Islamic laws and scholarship has presented more precise directions that have however been observed differently in dissimilar periods and countries. In some Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, women are required to wear hijab although the styles are different whereas in other societies, veiling is a subject of preference.
HISTORY OF ISLAMIC CLOTHING Accoding to Jirousek, Charlotte (2000), for centuries, Islamic clothing has been a religious sign representing decency, formal roles or status, gender distinctiveness and differentiation between Muslim and non Muslim members in a community. Conventionally, Muslim women were required to dress modestly in non revealing clothes with their heads covered in a headscarf. However, Islamic dressing varied in numerous eras and communities which was a result of diverse interpretation and observance. The combined Arab and Turkic/Iranian dress code was most prominent in the east with levels of combination two modes of dress and a great interaction of two cultures.As a common practice of the Roman times (qamīs or thawb), a basic dress for both men and women was created basing on an easy Tunic (bare cloth drawn on to the head). Some of the Arabic dresses that survived and stayed to be used are the unsealed draped attires (izār and ridā´ ). The ihrām is worn by Muslim pilgrims in Mecca and the thawb which perfectly matched the desert heat by providing aeration and shelter from the sun. Broad unfitted veils / coverings ( jallāba or abā; hooded burnus) made from cotton, and fine wool with thick silk embroidery around the collar and borders were also worn with an addition of shawls and sashes. Men also covered with turbans arranged on their heads according to social rank, membership, local usage or realistic need. Turban are prominent Muslim headgears which can be worn with hats and caps under them or hats and caps worn separately. Women’s clothing changed in color, adornment, materials and accessories but with the similar central garment structures. Traditionally, women wore clothes that covered all their body parts to the ground in public. Turkish Traditional Clothing Turkic clothing was very prominent in the Islamic world. By the eleventh century, the Seljuk Turks who came from Central Asia had set up dynasties in Iran and a small area part of Asia. Through the mid sixteenth century, most of the nearby lands of Eastern Mediterranean were covered by the Ottoman Turkish Empire. The conventional women and men’s collection consisted of a shirt (gömlek) matched with multiple jackets (cebken), wobbly fitting trousers (şalvar, don), long coat (entâri, kaftan, üç etek) and vests (yelek). From their nomadic origins in central Asia, a culture of using long coats and trousers was derived.
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
Islamic dress has been used as a symbol of gender, religion and division of rank throughout the Islamic world. For example within the Ottoman Empire and under the ottoman law, dress of several pious societies was regulated with precise colors, headgear types, shoes and garments defined. Throughout the Muslim world, coats were specifically worn for court ceremonies, court welcoming of ambassadors, religious festivals, installation of administrators, or honoring of heroes always called for the awarding of ceremonial clothes and other fabric offerings with the richness of the textiles or fur linings a spot of the level of respect granted to the beneficiary.
There were various limitations on wearing lavish materials like gold thread and silk, although such limitations were disregarded. Wearing silk next to skin was held as a sinful lavishness for good Muslims. The most pious therefore were seen to avoid lavish materials and colors and for clothing of wool, linen or cotton. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, Islamic dress westernization occurred mutually with innovation of political and learning institutions since transformation was attributed to westernization. The development of the textile industry in various areas had an impact on the expensive handmade fabrics that were previously used in traditional clothing. Divergence form the conventional dress extremely stimulated both political and social issues since the dress had long been closely synchronized to the Muslim Law. Great controversy arose after the prohibition of turban and the introduction of the fez and westernized military reforms by the Ottoman Sultan Mahmut II in 1829. These reforms were intended to symbolize modernization of military and administrative institutions, yet a century later the fez had become a symbol of Ottoman traditionalism. Following the founding of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk met resistance when he banned the fez in 1925, and even more so when he urged abandonment of the veil for women. Since mandate ideas of proper dress had for centuries been the means of distinguishing Muslims from non-Muslims, these issues
continue to have great emotional force throughout the Muslim world. In the 1980s and 1990s dress reemerged as a symbolic flashpoint between religious conservative and secularist elements in Islamic societies. A century later, these modifications (fez) that were proposed to symbolize modernization of military and governmental institutions had developed into a sign of Ottoman traditionalism. Following the beginning of the Turkish Republic, the fez and veiling of women was banned by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who was highly resisted in 1925. Since authorized ideas of modest dress had for years been a symbol of differentiating muslims from non-muslims, these concerns continue to have great emotional strength throughout the muslim world.
ÂLÂ MAGAZINE RESEARCH
Turkish Women’s Magazine Searches for Intersection of Islam and Fashion
WHY CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC FASHION?
The conservative fashion magazine which outsold Vogue and Elle in turkey sparked off a state discussion over whether Islam and fashion can coexist. In the summer of 2011, Âlâ Turkish women’s magazine was first recognized for its cover that had models covered with the most controversial piece of cloth in turkey (headscarf). A few months later, discussions about the comfortable coexistence of fashion and Islam came up between the Turkish secularists and conventional Muslims. The innovators of the advertising agency account managers Mehmet Volkan and Baruk Birer claim that the main objective of Âlâ magazine(beautiful of the beautiful) is to provide the growing number of professional vigilant women with a monthly collection of Islamic clothing advice, muslim designers and business women interviews, feature stories and travel tips. Since the first publication in July 2011, the magazine’s distribution has quadrupled to 40,000 copies and its extensively released by Turkish media that it has exceeded sales of Elle and Vogue. Âlâ Art Director Esra Sezis stressed that tagging the magazine as an Islamic vogue would be wrong because the concept of Islamic fashion opposes the Islamic idea of Muslim women covering their bodies reasonably. Esra further asserted that there is no Islamic fashion however, the magazine is only intended to be a serving guide for the observant fashionable and conservative women who want to know where they can shop and how they can match and combine their attires fashionably. Much as the conservative magazine caters for the demands of the professional and fashionable muslim women in turkey, critics on online group debates continue to argue that the monthly publication has westernized the idea of modest Islamic dress as well as turning the covered women into the models of Vogue reading and obsessive shopping victims; ideas that contradict the Islamic laws and belief. Both professional and ordinary readers’ photographs are featured in the Islamic magazine. Critics like the chief executive officer of Tekbir Giyim, one of the largest textile businesses providing for exclusively veiled women and the 1992 first organizers of fashion shows with veiled models in Turkey argued that Islam and fashion are not jointly limited. “Our religion and the Koran dictate how to dress modestly and which parts of the body need to be covered up. But that is the only constant: designs and patterns change and evolve, and as long as these changes remain in accord with religious rules, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that,” commented Mustafa Karaduman. With clear observation, Âlâ magazine has covered fashion through firmly finding a market. The magazine has expanded with over 90,000 facebook followers and previously initiated a Germany edition catering for Turkish readers in Western Europe as well.
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
Mehmet Volkan Atay revealed that results of the pre launch survey by the magazine showed that over 15,000 Turkish women wear headscarves but their largest predicament was the poor communication between them and the Islamic textile producers. The Muslim women continued to ask why nobody gets in touch with them. Islamic clothing stores are only scattered in large Turkish cities like Istanbul yet their number strongly depends on the neighborhood. In more conservative areas of Istanbul like Faith, a range of boutiques is offered for the Islamic women and not a domination of non Islamic- oriented clothing store in another place. Âlâ magazine executive Atay, also highlighted that the Islamic fashion market is not an Island unto itself. It was realized that most women who wear Islamic clothing reported that they prefer shopping in stores that sell both Islamic and ordinary fashion clothing. In fact they particularly like mix and match he said. Mustafa Karaduman also asserted that Âlâ magazine has promoted (Tekbir Giyim) their company’s service to cater for that demand through interviewing their designers. As long as the Islamic religious beliefs are well maintained, Mustafa said that they are happy to produce clothes. Âlâ magazine executive also continued to say that today, some non- Islamic companies appeared to have picked up the trend and some textile companies outside Muslim clothing also started requesting for reports. These companies have understood that the growing sector of professional Muslim women, all of which are prospective buyers cannot be ignored therefore aiming at
designing items that cater to the veiled women. Feyza Akinerdem, the Turkish gender studies specialist agreed that Âlâ magazine is a level beyond the vogue of Islamic fashion. She commented that the most outstanding element of the magazine is the displayed self confidence seen with in the veiled young women who are featured in the magazines pages. Akinerdem also said that although the featured women in Âlâ magazine embrace the spending way of life, she does not see that awful reaction of being dissimilar from everyone else in society with in their eyes. Possibly, it is mission accomplished for Âlâ Turkish Islamic fashion magazine. Constanze Letsch Nov 21 2011
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN ISLAMIC FASHION
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN MUSLIM LIFESTYLE
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH MODERN MUSLIM LIFESTYLE
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ ONLINE MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ DIRECT COMPETITION: AQUILA STYLE MAGAZINE
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ DIRECT COMPETITION: AQUILA STYLE MAGAZINE
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ DIRECT COMPETITION: AQUILA STYLE MAGAZINE
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ DIRECT COMPETITION: AQUILA STYLE WEBSITE
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
MOOD BOARD EVALUATION
RECOGNIZED PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
EVALUATION: ALA Magazine: If the previous and current mood boards are critically observed, Islamic fashion magazines are similar to the already existing non-conservative / Islamic publications like Elle and Vogue. The models featured in the Islamic magazines are elegant and stylish; attracting the targeted audience. ALA magazine title is simple, well emphasized and attractive to the reader. The magazine’s photographs and colors are also professionally selected and this makes its compositions convincingly calm. However, the limited text and content within the magazine reduces the communicative presentation of the content through exceptional use of typography and photography to create visually powerful layouts which can attract more readers who may opt for conservative/ modest fashion without being Muslims. Previously, the poster designs that were created completely relied on celebrity endorsement and a general impression of modern fashion magazines. Although the poster designs were based on modern fashion, Islamic fashion was not thought of as an interesting section to explore in fashion and magazine layout.
ALA magazine which is more attractive and appealing to both Muslim and non Muslim women who are interested in conservative fashion. Turkey’s ALA Magazine was chosen as a case study because it was among the top Islamic conservative magazines which is said to have outsold Vogue and Elle. The magazine was analyzed and it is clearly understood that it is trying to emulate Vogue’s design style as a top fashion magazine and the women’s’ favorite.
Vogue has stood to be among the top influential magazines in the fashion industry since its creation in the late 1800’s. In the December 2006 edition ‘The New York Times’ revealed vogue as ‘The world’s most influential fashion magazine.’ With in different languages, the magazine is published in at a monthly schedule over 20 countries. Aquila Style Magazine:
However, Vogue has managed to maintain top position because it mastered its audience and it produces an exceptional and attractive layout which is not yet the case for ALA Magazine. The expression through typography and photography is at an extremely creative level which I believe is one of the underlying positive elements that have kept the fashion magazine on top of women’s fashion worldwide. ALA Magazine: Competitor Brands Vogue Magazine:
I broadly developed my final major project in the section of Islamic fashion out of dissatisfaction with the less exciting ways in which designers communicate to the rising group of fashionable and professional Muslim women who I am also part of. I want to redesign a commercial section of
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
Conclusion Aquila Style Magazine is an English-language and award winning fashion and lifestyle magazine known for its innovative/ outstanding photography and appealing Islamic fashion designs. The magazine was founded by Dina Toki, a well known stylist, blogger, vlogger with an upcoming ready to wear collection. Aquila represents modern Muslim living, pairing lifestyle with spirituality.
I want to improve on the graphical content of ALA magazine by experimenting and redesigning attractive page spreads through expressive use of typography, photography, color and layout. I will reflect on existing works of graphic design, photography, page layout, typography, art direction, color and Islamic art in order to come up with unique page spread designs for the commercial sector of ALA magazine.
ÂLÂ INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
ÂLÂ INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
VISUAL RESEARCH INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE LAYOUTS
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
RESEARCH GLOBAL ISLAMIC FASHION
Muslim Fashion Presently, the fashion industry is displaying its next year’s spring/summer collections. However, large fashion trend brands will possibly question how to reject a turn down in the industry. For Instance, Dolce & Gabbana declared the closing of their diffusion collection. But the global Muslim fashion is one expansion section which is presently waiting to be brought into the mainstream of the industry. When people hear of Muslim fashion, they are always surprised and continue to wonder whether it isn’t all about long black coverings and harsh headscarves. It’s far away from that: It has been projected by Bloomberg that the Global Muslim Fashion may perhaps be worth $96 billion compared to the whole UK fashion industry, which is valued at 21billion pounds. Making it even more gorgeous is to realize that the drivers of the development of Muslim fashion stem from a youthful demographic. According to FT.com, there are approximately 1.8billion Muslims in the world, and nearly half or 43% (percent) are below the age of 25 – which indicates that of all world population, Muslims make up more than 11% (percent) Milan fashion week has been prudent enough to invite Malaysia’s Islamic fashion Festival to showcase its designers. Under the patronage of Malaysia’s first lady, the Islamic Fashion Festival was started six years ago and it has already been hosted in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jakarta, Astana, Monte Carlo, New York, London, Singapore and Bandung. It is not only in Malaysia that the muslim fashion industry is developing at a fast rate but also in other countries like Turkey, Indonesia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and etc. Abu Dhabi fashion week has aimed at combining tradition and modernity so as to cater for Muslim women who are looking
for echoes of their traditions and religion in their fashion. Therefore in Abu Dhabi, this calls for the inclusion of the traditional abaya in the upcoming fashion weeks. What if ALA Magazine concentrated on showcasing/ echoing modest women’s traditions and religion in their fashion? The headscarf is currently the most controversial religious piece in Turkey and it has become a popular discussion across all media platforms and has been criticized in several debates. Could the headscarf/ modest clothing be perceived as anything representing tradition, modernity and religion? Mostly however, this is a working class development by young Muslim women who love to join their affection for fashion with a craving to sustain the belief of Islamic faith. And here lies a chance to open up an underserved section and meet the justifiable unexploited requirement. These fashion driven Muslim women have recognized the defective high street around the world. They have been motivated to design their own clothing collection, displaying different styles of wearing hijab (Islamic wear) in a more fashionable way, and arrangement of blog connections to discuss how and where to find hijab like clothing s in retail stores as well as fixing online tutorial videos that teach you how to wear your headscarf in a trendy way. And this is where magazines like ALA have intervened to cater for this trend. The Islamic belief has fixed religious recommendations for women’s modest dressing which rules must observed – long sleeved and reasonably wobbly clothing regularly topped with a headscarf. However, with these rules carefully observed, these realistic fashion driven Muslim women who are now and then called ‘hijabistats’ – a
HANAN HUSSEIN • MA INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN • FINAL MAJOR PROJECT • PROJECT DEVELPMENT
word derived from Hijab which means head covering are as much interested in fashion styles as their non-muslim friends. Modesty may be diversely observed by other religious beliefs but the description permits for bounty of intersection and abundance of space for fashion brands to articulate it in their clothing collection whilst observing the diversity with which the subject is approached in different faiths. Even though not linked to faith, modesty is actually requested by women in general and according to Ft.com news, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson challenged and encouraged female observers when she came out to the Australian beach with her body fully covered causing fellow women to contemplate on whether they could be as brave to wrap up. Muslim/ Islamic fashion is an overall issue which cannot be restricted to one country or community. However, cultural and regional multiplicity stays behind – for example the different ways the headscarf is worn, its colors and the prints used – these are supported by collective principles from muslim in all parts of the world. The end result is that designers, fashion brands, marketers, labels who are looking forward to meet the demands of this underserved section will be able to develop hijab friendly clothing collections and designs that appeal to a universal audience. The principles that support the universal Islamic fashion are precisely that – universal. Shelina Janmohamed is a senior strategist at Ogilvy Noor, a specialist consultancy for building brands with Muslim consumers. Ogilvy Noor is part of Ogilvy & Mather. References Janmohammed, S. (2012). Muslim Fashion/ Islamic Branding consultancy and Marketing for Muslim consumer markets Ogilvy Noor. Muslim Fashion .