Burkini designer taps into rich trend

Muslim swimwear may provoke hot debate around the world but one Kiwi designer is using it to be part of a multibillion dollar market in Muslim fashion, writes Anuja Nadkarni.

WHENKiwi designer Carena West featured a burkini at last year’s New Zealand Fashion Week she wasn’t making a political statement – she was launching into a billion-dollar industry.

Despite the controversial swimwear prompting a ban in France and headlines around the world, West says she was creating an all-inclusive way to cater to the needs of New Zealand’s diverse women.

‘‘I was proud of how the public reacted,’’ she said.

Since being featured on the runway, the $399, made-to-order burkini has garnered demand in New Zealand, as well as from the UK and Middle East and West says, despite the political atmosphere, her design has been well received.

‘‘It is in the company’s best interests to adapt to the changing market and include these products in their collections.’’

Globally, Muslim consumers spent around $266 billion on clothing and shoes in 2013, a report by Thomson Reuters revealed last year.

That’s more than the UK ($107 billion), German ($99 billion) and Indian ($96 billion) clothing markets and a figure that is expected to balloon to $484 billion by 2019.

The latest to join this phenomenon is Nike, as the sportswear giant recently announced it would be launching its sports hijab (headscarf) for female athletes.

Last year, luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana released a high-end collection of designer hijabs and abayas solely for its Middle Eastern clientele.

International high street brands like Mango, Uniqlo and