Debenhams is first major store to sell the Muslim headscarf

DEBENHAMS is to become the first major department store to sell the traditional hijab.

A range of Muslim clothing including hijabs, tops, dresses, jumpsuits, kimono wraps, hijab pins and caps will be sold in selected stores from May.

An outlet of Aab, an international brand selling ‘contemporary modest wear’ for women, will open inside the Oxford Street branch of Debenhams in London.

The brand will then be introduced to stores in Birmingham’s Bullring, Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush, Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Leicester’s Highcross Shopping Centre.

The Aab roll-out will coincide with launches at international branches of Debenhams in Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia.

A hijab is a headscarf worn by some Muslim women as a symbol of modesty and privacy.

It covers the head and neck but, unlike the burqa or niqab, leaves

‘Contemporary modest wear’

the face clear. Aab also stocks body-covering abaya dresses.

Jeanette Whithear of Debenhams said: ‘Adding the high quality fashion range to our product mix enables us to offer collections that are highly relevant in both international markets and to our domestic customers.

‘This is a step closer to creating a product offer that caters for broader customer needs.’

Nazmin Alim, founder and creative director at Aab, which means water in Persian, said: ‘We started Aab almost a decade ago as a label that redefined modest fashion and one that caters for everyday modern wardrobe staples.

‘The partnership with Debenhams opens up some very exciting opportunities for us.’

In March, Marks & Spencer stocked burkinis for the first time. The company explained that the £4 .50 suit ‘covers the whole body with the exception of the face, hands and feet, without compromising on style’.

In 2014, John Lewis sold the hijab in its school uniform department for the first time. The headscarf was sold in the company’s stores in London and Liverpool.