How Muslim women dress
The creative work of five Malaysian designers have been included in the Contemporary Muslim Fashions exhibition at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
DATUK Bernard Chandran, Melinda Looi, Hafizi Radzi Woo and Izree Kai Haffiz of Fiziwoo, and Haslinda Abdul Rahim of Blancheur are among 45 designers or so across the globe whose curated works are being showcased at the exhibition called Contemporary Muslim Fashions, the first major museum exhibition to explore the complex and diverse nature of the Muslim dress code worldwide.
Taking place at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in the United States from Sept 22 until Jan 6 next year, the pioneering exhibition examines how Muslim women — those who cover and those who do not — have become arbiters of style within and beyond their communities and, in so doing, have drawn attention to the variations and nuances of their daily lives.
VIBRANT SCENE
In recent years, there has been a heightened awareness of Muslim consumers as an important segment of the global fashion industry.
With more than 1.8 billion practicing Muslims worldwide (including 250,000 in the Bay Area alone), the complexity of the topic is wide and highly nuanced.
As Islam is a multi-cultural faith, the dress code of its practitioners is shaped not only by religious traditions but also by local customs and global trends. In the West, however, the image of Muslim women is often monochromatic.
“There are those who believe that there is no fashion at all among Muslim women. But, the opposite is true, with modern, vibrant and extraordinary fashion scenes, particularly in many Muslim-majority countries,” says the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco former director and chief executive officer Max Hollein in a press statement.
“Contemporary Muslim Fashions is an overdue, much-needed exploration of a multi-faceted topic as yet largely unexplored by museums. This exhibition stands out in our long history of outstanding fashion exhibitions and will shed light onto larger political, social, and cultural understandings and misunderstandings.”
INTERPRETATIONS OF MODESTY
Highlighting places, garments, and styles from around the world, the exhibition focuses on clothing that responds to individual and collective interpretations of modesty.
It takes a closer look at other parts of the globe where consumers are wearing highly fashionable garments, with a specific focus on the Middle East, Southeast Asia and diasporic communities throughout Europe and the United States. “Fashion is at its best when it both adapts to the needs of society and reflects its social and political undercurrents. It’s in this transformative moment where we now find modest fashion,” says the museum curator in charge of costume and textile arts Jill D’Alessandro.
The exhibition opens with an introduction to the modest fashion industry (currently valued at US$44 billion per year). The profiles of established and emerging Muslim designers are boosted by the interest of major Western retailers as demonstrated by the recent Verona collection at Macy’s.
The exhibition’s regional exploration begins in the Middle East and features the work by Faiza Bouguessa, Mashael Alrajhi, and Wadha Al Hajri, highlighting the fusion of traditional clothes including abaya with global trends, among others.
The rich textile and costume traditions of Indonesia are portrayed by designers such as Itang Yunasz, Khanaan Luqman Shamlan and NurZahra who employ luxurious fabrics in vibrant colors and complex patterns in their modest wear designs.
Malaysia is pictured as a country where an explosion of social media platforms and e-commerce has produced a rapidly growing market for halal beauty, technology, food and fashion. The four participating Malaysian designers showcase mainly the highly-demanded bespoke looks for the Muslim elite.
There is also a section on the influence of global social media influencers such as Iranian-American Hoda Katebi, Indonesian Dian Pelangi and African-American Leah Vernon on the Muslim modest fashion, portraying how personal styles can lead to meaningful conversations concerning gender, racial and religious inequalities and misconceptions.
HIGH-END FASHION
Since the second half of the 20th century, elite Muslim clients have been important patrons for the couture houses of Paris, where designs were often adapted for regional and religious sensibilities. Today, the tradition continues among Western design houses that offer special collections for Ramadan and Eid.
The final section of the exhibition explores high-end fashion designs including work by American Oscar de la Renta that have been customised to accommodate such diverse needs, which go beyond the Muslim communities.
In addition to about 80 ensembles drawn from established and emerging designers in high-end fashion, streetwear, sportswear and couture, the exhibition includes about 40 photographs contextualising the garments on view including headscarves. For details on Contemporary Muslim Fashions, visit deyoungmuseum.org