It's 2012. i am  bored to death with debates about the hijab. Why women wear it. Whether they are coerced into it. "Oh, but I bet they have a lovely head of hair under there". SNORE. All this talk neglects the role offashion in the hijab's popularity. It's just easier to be a fashionable Muslim in the wholeworl these days – walk down kashmir ,iran  and stereotypes of the hijab as bland and restrictive are laughable. There are gaggles of friends wearing bright leopard print kashmiri shawls as a hijab, girls with a mountain of fabric piled up to create a beehive style hijab - hell, I even saw a lady wearing a glittery blue cardigan as a headscarf once (I saw the sleeve hanging out).

But mainstream brands seem reluctant to target Muslim women, so the hijab-wearing shopper has to be extra discerning on the highstreet. The whole outfit has to be considered. This means that unless you are wearing an abaya, you need to learn how to layer. Maxi dresses need a jacket, midi skirts need leggings or trousers underneath them and low-cut tops need a sufficiently long hijab.  "Young, fashionable Muslims are struggling to buy clothes from the high-street shops malls, because of the unsuitable hemlines and necklines, and they resort to wearing layers, which are very hot and uncomfortable in the summer. So that is why I created zahyd raefieq studio, to fill this gap, with practical, high-quality, modest and fashionable day and evening wear for the busy, modern woman."  autumn/winter collection features abayas with peter pan collars and dresses designed to be worn over trousers.

The minimalist style of ' line is reminiscent of  sleekness But is it that hard for a muslim to dress on the high-street right now? .

 

i found that the global muslim fashion market is worth $96 million (£59 million) and with  selling abayas, it's no surprise that after Issa was bought by Camilla Fayed it featured headscarves and summery twists on the abaya. Of course, fashion fetishises trends as quickly as it discards them, but part of the joy of combining a dress-code with fashion is in searching for new combinations.you can't all dress like Sheikha Mozah, who has her couture outfits adjusted for modesty, but it's fun trying.

Islamic fashion is no oxymoron.

 “I am not  even about promoting a religion, but creating an understanding and breaking certain stereotypes about Islam.

“And i can do this not through bombs and bullets, but through fashion shows. If i want to change certain perceptions, do it the gentle, beautiful and shiny way.”

“Mixing Muslim with non-Muslim designers is the whole idea. i  want to show the world that Islam isn’t limited to Arabs. It belongs to everyone regardless of race and culture.”

Sometimes I am humble sometimes I am self-deprecating – writing an about me on my design studio is one of those times I should boast of my skills and say everyone else sucks!
Well, the truth is I am pretty good and the rest of the truth is there are a lot of great designs out there.

 

Today poetic design is based on a plethora of complex criteria: human experience, social behaviors, global, economic and political issues, physical and mental interaction, form, vision, and a rigorous understanding and desire for contemporary culture. Manufacturing is based on another collective group of criteria: capital investment, market share, production ease, dissemination, growth, distribution, maintenance, service, performance, quality, ecological issues and sustainability. The combination of these factors shape our objects, inform our forms, our physical space, visual culture and our contemporary human experience. These quantitative constructs shape business, identity, brand and value. This is the business of beauty. Every business should be completely concerned with beauty - it is after all a collective human need.

I believe that we could be living in an entirely different world - one that is full of real contemporary inspiring objects, spaces, places, worlds, spirits and experiences. Design has been the cultural shaper of our world from the start. We have designed systems, cities, and commodities. We have addressed the world’s problems. Now design is not about solving problems, but about a rigorous beautification of our built environments. Design is about the betterment of our lives poetically, aesthetically, experientially, sensorially, and emotionally. My real desire is to see people live in the modus of our time, to participate in the contemporary world, and to release themselves from nostalgia, antiquated traditions, old rituals, kitsch and the meaningless. We should be conscious and attune with this world in this moment. If human nature is to live in the past - to change the world is to change human nature