Your Louboutins Go So Well With Your Turban

The Muslim worldwide population is around 1.9 billion with an estimated yearly growth of 12%. Let’s face it, Muslims have lots of kids and they’re no way facing extinction any time soon. The representation of Islam has been mixed, with many religious extremes and political conflicts. I like to think that fashion is the fairest documentation of anything in the world, and I definitely think this applies even to Islam.

We can’t ignore that a distinctive part of Islam is the modesty of dressing for men and women. Even if you’re not a headscarf girl, hijab is a huge part of the Islamic culture and the Middle East, where modesty is praised.

The hijab trends start abroad, oddly enough. Many Muslim Arabs who have been born and raised abroad have managed to turn confusion into beauty. Being Muslim and wearing a headscarf while seeing designer clothes and beautiful retail garments can be a bit hard. So Muslim girls started to embrace their hijab in a very chic way, by focusing on bold prints, rich fabrics, beading, daring spikes and beautiful embroidery.

Lots of fashion bloggers are Muslim girls who practice hijab, styling outfits to be hijab-friendly by adding a blazer, a cardigan, a maxi skirt, or other skin-covering pieces. There are even “hijapisters”, young Muslim girls who wear bold colors, skinny jeans and lots and lots of accessories. It’s not odd now to find a couple of hijab pictures when looking up the word “chic” or “hipster” on Tumblr or Pinterest.

And it’s definitely not odd to see hijab girls looking all stylish on the streets of London or New York. A Muslim celebrated fashion blogger named Dina Tokia, who has an Egyptian father, has been featured on English reality show Style The Nation with her hijab, showing off trendy styles on each and every episode.

One Muslim fashion icon who changed the world’s perception about hijab and modesty is none other than the fabulous Sheikha Mozah. From literally buying Harrods to alternating Valentino gowns to fit her hijab, Sheikha Mozah is officially the modesty extraordinaire ambassador. After she recreated the turban style, Muslim girls started wearing turbans all over the Middle East and outside. Hijab or no hijab, the turban has become an “in” piece thanks to her chic majesty Sheikha Mozah.

Girls in the Middle East followed this mix of Western designer styles and traditional garb accordingly. The mixes are beautiful and unique. Who knew that adding an Hermes belt to a kaftan would look stylish? Wearing the signature Alexander McQueen silk skull scarf as a head veil became a huge trend, and even girls with smaller budgets started to wear the knock offs proudly on their heads.

Muslim countries outside the Middle East, like Indonesia and Malaysia, started a unique trend with Muslim Fashion Week, where the runways are all about hijab and modesty. Arab designers who started to embrace their identity and even started whole lines based on their cultural and religious traditions have been quite succesfful.

In 2009 Lama El Moaatassem, a Dubai-based designer, opened her high-end boutique for her brand Toujouri’s. The best bit was a full line of kaftans and abayas. She even received international attention when Florence Welch stepped out in one of Toujouri’s kaftans.

While Arab designers understand Arab and Muslim women’s need for modesty, comfort and style all in one outfit, international designers have only recently woken up to this “Hijab Spring”. The idea at the beginning seemed funny and unrealistic. Many fashion houses didn’t think that Muslim women were prepared for western style. Fashion retail didn’t consider expanding to the Middle East until the 90’s. They were still questioning what they would do in a nation where women are encouraged to cover-up.

But now, fashion retails such as Zara, H&M, Vero Moda, Promode, Top Shop and others have specific buyers for their Middle East branches to pick appropriate, modest pieces from their collection. High-end designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Valentino are also altering some designs for their Middle East boutiques. Dresses are made not to look transparent, splits are closed up, and matching scarves are offered to cover up cleavage or even to use as a headscarf for hijab.

Smart, high-end brands focus on scarves, shoes, accessories, sunglasses, watches and handbags for hijab women. Even smarter high-end brands are getting inspired by the modest tradition and taking it to the runway. Maxi skirts, layering, longer sleeves and higher necklines are making statements on the runways of designer fashion houses from Chanel and Dior to Givenchy.