Balancing style and modesty
Umma juggles the two with practical yet stylish pieces, writes Nadia Badarudin
STRIKING a balance between being fashionable and dressing modestly is a common dilemma faced by most Muslim women who just started wearing the headscarf or tudung and have a flair for fashion. Fashion entrepreneur Zairin Zainul Azman was in the same boat when she decided to wear the headscarf three years ago.
With fashion as one of her passions, Zairin discovered that it was quite challenging to choose modest clothes that suit her taste and her active, always on-the-go lifestyle.
The limited choices in the modest wear market have inspired her to venture into the ready-to-wear clothing business with the label Umma.
EFFORTLESS STYLE
“I started wearing tudung after I had my second child. I’m always keen to find headscarves that can be styled up effortlessly in no time.
“Finding the right pieces in the market to suit my taste has always been an exhaustive experience for me. That inspired me to create one — It’s called Azra. It’s a semiinstant chiffon tudung with an attached inner made of breathable lycra.
“The story of Umma began with the launch of Azra early last year,” says Zairin who ran a fashion accessories shop in Bangsar Village 2, Kuala Lumpur for 10 years.
Umma also carries a wide range of headscarves (with a new design every month) and modest clothing such as dresses, jubah, tops, long skirts and pants.
The brand also sells accessories including a volumniser to create that fuller, bun-like hair effect under the headscarf as well as a scarf mist to help keep it smelling fresh throughout the day.
Although a newbie in the local modest wear fashion scene, the brand has already garnered a steady customer base especially among urban Muslim communities in the Klang Valley via its e-commerce platform.
“Umma or ummah is an Arabic word which means community or people. In Islam it means the community of Muslims bound together by the same religion or belief.
“I chose the word as a brand name because I hope customers can relate to it.
“It also reflects the union of like-minded women who face the same dilemma as I did in finding the balance between modesty and being trendy at the same time,” she says.
COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE
With the help of in-house designers, Zairin ensures that each piece is practical and exudes a subtle sense of style.
Playing with delicate fabrics like chiffon,
crepe and satin polyester to create flattering silhouettes, the collections mainly come in plain and basic colours that can be easily mixed and matched with wardrobe staples.
“I want the Umma woman to feel at ease and comfortable while wearing our collections.
“Keeping it simple yet stylish is a must in our collections. I want customers to feel and look good and be confident in what they wear anytime and anywhere,” she says.
Apart from retailing online (via its own platform as well as several online fashion retailers including Zalora, FashionValet and Lazada) and engaging local social media influencers to boost sales, the brand has a physical presence at Isetan Suria KLCC, Isetan The Gardens Mall and Sogo.
FLUIDITY
For Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Umma rolls out Fluidity, a collection comprising readyto-wear pieces for women and men.
Fluidity is designed with comfort and versatility as the main features, thus making each piece versatile enough to be worn daily rather than only on Hari Raya.
Staying true to the brand’s earthy shades and soft pastel hues, the collection features mainly two-piece modern baju kurung sets with flowy details. For the men, there are tops inspired by the traditional baju Melayu teluk belanga and cekak musang.
“The collection is inspired by the movement of water. It envisions the marriage of the comfort of fabrics and constancy of nature.
“The concept of Fluidity puts forward freedom and the comfort of fabric flowing on your skin. It’s all back to basics,” says Zairin.
“It embraces fluidity in every aspect of life — it’s about going with the flow, fighting against the current and being fluid in your thoughts and movements,” she adds.