Calgary Herald

San Francisco museum shows off modern Muslim women’s fashion

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SAN FRANCISCO The head covering is among the most identifiab­le elements of Muslim women’s dress and most likely to be portrayed as drab and restrictiv­e to the Western eye.

But a new exhibition in San Francisco shows that the covering used by some Muslim women can be a bright yellow head wrap or a loose drape of rose; a black silk and lace scarf by Dolce & Gabbana; or a hood attached to an extra-long girls’ dress.

Contempora­ry Muslim Fashions opens Saturday at the de Young Museum with about 80 ensembles by nearly 60 designers from around the world, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The clothes are vibrant, elegant and playful, ranging from high-end couture to sassy streetwear.

The people behind the installati­on, which is the first major museum exhibition of its kind, hope to spark a deeper understand­ing of the women who are part of the second-largest religion in the world.

“At a time when Muslim women are being increasing­ly targeted for using their fashion choices to assert their independen­ce and identity, we hope that this exhibition will allow a positive review and examinatio­n of a community that’s often talked about, but rarely given the chance to speak and present itself,” said Gisue Hariri, one of two Iranian-born sisters whose architectu­re firm designed the galleries.

The exhibit comes amid conflicts in Western countries over Muslim clothing.

Denmark recently banned face veils in public, saying the move was critical to ensure public safety and uphold Danish values. Austria, Belgium and France have similar laws.

In the U.S., President Donald Trump issued a controvers­ial ban on travel from several majorityMu­slim countries.

But the idea for the exhibition predated Trump’s election, said Jill D’Alessandro, curator in charge of costume and textile arts for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which includes the de Young Museum.

She said the seed was planted in 2016, when France was in an uproar over a ban on burkini swimsuits worn by some Muslim beachgoers.

At the same time, D’Alessandro was seeing examples of chic “modest fashion” embraced by young Muslim women who wanted to express their religious piety.

“It was the dichotomy we were interested in,” she said.

“That was the kernel. It was like, ‘Look at this. Isn’t this so funny? They’re so fashionabl­e and yet people want to discuss what they can wear at the beach.”’

Modest fashion has become a $44 billion industry, with more Western fashion houses catering to Muslim consumers.

Last year, Nike introduced a headscarf made of high-tech fabrics. A Max Mara fashion show in 2017 featured a model in a hijab, her body wrapped in one of the company’s long tailored coats — a common look among wealthier Muslim shoppers.

The Institute for Social Policy and Understand­ing, an organizati­on that studies American Muslims, released a poll that showed most women said they wear a hijab for religious reasons. Only one per cent said they were required to do so by family.

Dalia Mogahed, the institute’s research director, is delighted the de Young has taken on the topic. Mogahed, who is not affiliated with the show, balks at government­s that force Muslim women to cover themselves in a certain way and those that won’t let women cover up as they wish.

“The perception that people have of Muslims in America or Muslims globally is often shaped by sensationa­l headlines that ignore and minimize what the majority is all about,” she said.

Designers featured hail from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore, Iran and other countries.

 ?? ERIC RISBERG/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Stylist Saba Ali talks about her Pakistani wedding ensemble of red silk in the exhibit Contempora­ry Muslim Fashions at the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco.
ERIC RISBERG/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Stylist Saba Ali talks about her Pakistani wedding ensemble of red silk in the exhibit Contempora­ry Muslim Fashions at the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco.

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