Bank Indonesia (BI), the Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, and the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC), as part of the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF), kicked off the inaugural Indonesia International Modest Fashion Festival 2022 (IN2MOTIONFEST 2022) in Jakarta, Indonesia on 6 October.
The five-day festival covered deluxe ready-to-wear fashion, streetwear, eveningwear, cocktailwear, and officewear.
"Indonesia's
inaugural global modest fashion festival has been a huge success. It is
expected to become the biggest international modest fashion festival.
This can be done through strengthening the branding of Indonesia's
modest fashion, increasing capacity and network between domestic and
global business actors. We'll continue to nurture Indonesia's cultural
heritage and share it with the world," said Governor of Bank Indonesia
Perry Warjiyo.
Attendees caught up to 1,256 looks of wastra*
Nusantara from designers such as Dian Pelangi, Itang Yunasz, Khanaan,
Laudya Chintya Bella, Syahrir Nurdin from Malaysia, Yod Koko from
Thailand, as well as A3 from France X Emmy Thee.
"Wastra from
Sabang to Merauke, such as songket, ikat, lurik and batik, have been the
highlights of this year's festival. It is amazing to share our cultural
heritage with the world and see the same joy we feel when seeing these
amazing fabrics," said Ali Charisma, National Chairman of the IFC.
"By
involving hundreds of designers with the use of 14 types of wastra, we
hope that in the future more stakeholders will be involved in the effort
to make Indonesia a trendsetter in the world's modest fashion
industry," added the Minister from the Indonesian Ministry of
Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki.
According to Statistics
Indonesia (BPS), Indonesia is the world's 13th exporter of Muslim
clothing in 2021 with the value amounting to USD 4.68 billion, up by
12.49 percent compared to 2020.
*Wastra derives from Sanskrit and means "handwoven textile". The term
has rich cultural and historical meaning. Most wastra are made by
skilled artisans, and much appreciated for their beauty.
Source: Think Fashion and Red Connect. Dubai’s first-ever Modest Fashion Week ends on a high note.
Following on from successful series in Istanbul, Turkey and London, UK, the first Dubai Modest Fashion Week(DMFW) saw global faces of modest fashion, award-winning designers and VIPs flock to one of the world's biggest modest fashion movements.
The two-day style event that took place 8-9 December saw established and emerging designers from over 20 countries take part in 40 fashion shows, with 50 brand booths, workshops and talks, fashion and art exhibitions attended by 100 celebrities and influencers, from HE Sheikha Hend Faisal Al Qassemi, Arab superstars Diana Haddad, Hisham El Hajj to Bollywood diva Gauahar Khan.
The event lineup included high-end designers Rasit Bagzibagli, Muslima
Wear and Selma Sari, famous modest fashion designers Safiya Abdallah of
Dulce by Safiya, Zaskia Sungkar, Norma Hauri, Ria Miranda and ETU, as
well as ready-to-wear collections from Annah Hariri and bridal wear by
Miss Ayshe. Huw Roman Tokyo (Japan), Fllumae (US), Mizaan (Germany),
Yours Truly (Canada), Sumayya & SSS (Indonesia), Zeina Ali (Jordan),
aere (Malaysia), and Anotah (Kuwait) also made appearances.
DMFW is organised by Think Fashion (led by Franka Soeria and Ozlem Sahin) and Red Connect (led by Arif Ebrahim).
Hitting the UAE for the first time, Dubai Modest Fashion Week (DMFW) follows on from the success of the London and Istanbul series, which feature international icons and award-winning designers from around the world.
Dubai Modest Fashion Week debuts 8-9 December at Burj Park, Downtown Dubai. Created by the founders of Think Fashion (Franka Soeria and Özlem Şahin) and Red Connect (one of the biggest names in creative media and events across the GCC), the event will showcase the latest modest fashion trends while driving the message that dressing modestly is a style choice.
Working towards coining Dubai as a hub for the multibillion dollar modest retail industry in the Middle East, organisers say the #DMFW roster will include more than 30 fashion shows from five continents, 50 brand booths, talk shows and workshops, plus a fashion exhibition. Confirmed industry talents include hijab supermodel Halima Aden, icon Dina Tokio, the face of modest fashion Mariah Idrissi, and Bollywood celebrity Huma Qureshi.
DMFW will also host the Emerging Modest Fashion Designer Award (EMFDA) with The Modist where one budding modest designer will showcase their collections on the runway and win an editorial with a prestigious fashion publication. Complementary art exhibitions offer immersive works from local and international artists and photographers.
Starting with a spectacular opening ceremony and the exclusive show of Modanisa.com, the weekend will see renowned brands and designers take to the runway, including shows from Huw Roman - Japan's leading modest fashion designer, and high-end modest label Fllumae-USA. India's first abaya designer Murcyleen Peerzada will be there. The final day will host an exclusive Wardah Beauty Show, featuring modest designers Etu, Norma Hauri, Ria Miranda, Zaskia Sungkar and Vogue Arabia's Modest Muse Dulce by Safiya Abdallah of the UAE.
Source: Tokyo Modest Fashion Show website. Halal Expo Japan debuts this November.
Halal Expo Japan 2016 takes place in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan this November. Themed 'halal for all', the event will also host the first modest fashion show in Japan, Tokyo Modest Fashion Show 2016, featuring 10 fashion designers.
Estimated to be worth over US$230 billion worldwide, the modest fashion industry grew out of Islamic traditional wear, and has since been reimagined by designers and influencers from Muslim as well as non-Muslim cultures across the globe.
“Modest fashion is easily the fastest-growing trend in the global fashion industry, and in recent years, world-renowned fashion labels such as D&G, DKNY, H&M, Zara and many more have awoken to the opportunities that exist in this space. This has been further bolstered by the rise of social media and the emergence of several global fashion influencers from traditional Islamic markets such as the GCC. Today, we are seeing a confluence of these – labels are looking to work with Middle Eastern and Islamic fashion influencers, and more and more customers are looking to Influencers and brands to fulfil their need for fashion trends and designer labels, but within the Islamic context,” said Ritu Upadhyay, Middle East Correspondent of Women’s Wear Daily, who moderated a panel on the topic at Global Islamic Economy Summit 2016.
Panelist Soha Taha, a modest fashion influencer from Egypt and the UAE with over 187,000 followers on Instagram, recently started her own fashion label and online store to fulfil customer demands globally. She says that this was a natural move considering the unique requirements of the modest fashion consumer.
“The need for modest fashion among Muslim women gave rise to an all-new industry, and social media became the platform through which I could share my take on the latest trends and instantly communicate with those who valued my opinion. Followers became buyers, and today I receive orders from and deliver to more than 75 countries around the world,” said Soha.
Turkey-based global modest fashion e-commerce store Modanisa.com gets more than 9 million visitors a month, and carries more than 45 designers and 300 brands. Kerim Ture, Founder of Modanisa.com said: “This sector has been seeing a strong upward trend since we began in 2011, and we have even created the Istanbul Modest Fashion Week as a response to this trend. Even with the groundswell, we believe that this is a largely untapped sector, and we are currently serving only 4% of the addressable market. Whether it is fashion in daily wear or for special occasions, the modest fashion consumer looks to us and to influencers to bring them options, and we also play a key role in creating awareness around specific culturally unique trends that may not be seen elsewhere.”
Social mMedia platforms have emerged as the communications media of choice, as influencers and brands are able to engage with the consumer in real-time. This has also created a community of like-minded individuals. During instances such as the recent ‘burkini ban’ debate in France, this community saw strong support from Muslims and non-Muslims around the world, and both Soha and Ture reported increased sales in response to this sociopolitical issue.
Instagram and Snapchat were touted as the best platforms to engage with the modest fashion enthusiast community, and video content sees the most engagement when it comes to proactive content sharing from brands and sellers. This content includes designers and influencers sharing thoughts on designs, fabric, and patterns, as well as ‘how to’ videos to demonstrate the correct wearing of scarves and gowns to young girls or non-Muslim consumers.
“An influencer in this niche area needs to find their authentic voice and style, and not be afraid to change or experiment. Modest fashion need not come from only modest designers, but can actually be created by understanding the core concepts and mixing-and-matching from anywhere,” said Soha.
Modanisa.com is looking to brick-and-mortar as the next stage of their evolution. “We have built our community of more than 2 million followers on Facebook and 25 million views on YouTube, and are now looking at reaching our customers through a chain of retail stores. We have begun in Turkey, and will be bringing these stores across the region in the near-term,” said Karim.
Interested?
Modanisa tracks the latest fashion trends on its YouTube channel (Turkish). At the time of writing the channel had nearly 46,000 subscribers.
SHUKR Islamic Clothing, a producer of modest and Islamic clothing for Muslims, has recently announced its summer collection, which displays the beauty of Islam in different seasons.
Source: SHUKR International edition website. Summer dresses.
SHUKR serves people of all religions who find that their faith encourages them to dress modestly, without having to sacrifice style and beauty. Over the years, the brand has attracted a loyal customer base of people searching for long sleeved shirts, long dresses, abayas, skirts and wide leg jeans—which can be difficult to find in mainstream clothing stores. "We’re very proud to be an Islamic clothing provider, and it is our hope that our customers will be proud to be dressed Islamically as well,” said Anas Sillwood, Managing Partner of SHUKR.
In addition to a summer collection, SHUKR also provides different collections throughout the year – spring, fall, winter and Ramadan/Eid (holiday) included. Said Sillwood: "It’s a perfect way to help distinguish ourselves from competition and brand ourselves as a religious Islamic brand with a contemporary, relevant, and sophisticated air.”
Interested?
SHUKR's e-commerce store serves its customers through its three regional websites, for the US, UK, and the rest of the world (international). The Summer/Eid catalogue can be requested through the home page
The Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC), in partnership with Thomson Reuters, and in collaboration with DinarStandard has shared initial trends from the 2015-2016 edition of the State of the Global Islamic Economy report and the accompanying Global Islamic Economy Indicator ahead of the Global Islamic Economy Summitthat will run in Dubai from 5 to 6 October, 2015. Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of DIEDC, said, "The launch of this year's State of the Global Islamic Economy report reiterates the commitment of Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, along with Thomson Reuters and DinarStandard to nurture a knowledge-based Islamic economy within the emirate and wider UAE as part of our continued priority to develop Dubai as the capital of Islamic economy. We are confident the report will inspire and empower entrepreneurs, industry leaders and investors from within the Arab world and beyond to evaluate and develop an actionable, practical and high impact market strategy focused on growing the opportunities for Islamic economy in their own geographies." The report, which is being compiled for the third consecutive year, is set for release in the fourth quarter of 2015. Examining latest development trends and statistics across a number of key sectors that comprise the US$2 trillion Islamic economy currently featuring predominantly Muslim consumers, the report focuses on categories such as Islamic finance, halal food, tourism, clothing & fashion, media & recreation, and pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Mustafa Adil, Acting Head of Islamic Finance at Thomson Reuters, said: "Through this report, we have introduced a first-of-its-kind, quantifiable measure of the development of the global Islamic economy." The report will also feature an update to the Global Islamic Economy Indicator, which was introduced in 2014. The indicator is a composite index that presents the current outlook of the Islamic economy sectors across 70 countries beyond the growth of its assets, focusing on awareness, governance and social metrics. Furthermore, a special focus report on the Islamic digital economy will be launched this year alongside the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report.
Pointing out that 2015 is a significant year for Islamic economy, Rafi-uddin Shikoh, CEO and Managing Director of DinarStandard said, "2015 marks the tipping point for Islamic lifestyle economy services moving from establishing a business case to focusing on building successful business models and quality execution strategies. As more Islamic economy success stories emerge - such as the ones highlighted in the report - the momentum is also starting to shift towards solutions that have a wider, values-driven, global audience appeal for socially responsible products and services." Key trends include:
Islamic finance New markets are emerging, with African countries launching debut sovereign sukuk and East Asian countries enabling their domestic markets to tap into Islamic financing. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have formally launched a US$500 million grant facility to address poverty and diseases in IDB member countries. Halal food
As the demand for safe, wholesome and humane food grows around the world, producers of halal food who truly adhere to the concepts of halal (حلال) and tayyib (طيب) foods have an opportunity to become the global standard for this segment. Tourism There have been many success stories in the ever-burgeoning halal travel sector. HalalBooking.com, a travel search and booking website for halal-conscious travelers, has achieved tremendous success. The website's booking for Turkey-based hotel clients has exceeded millions per resort, and hopes to reach 10 million per hotel for many of its properties by end 2015 and through 2016. This is in addition to other success stories such as Yamsafer, a hotel booking startup from Palestine that raised US$3.5 million from Global Founders Capital. Clothing & fashion In stark contrast to the pressures the mainstream fashion industry faces in the aftermath of the global recession, the modest fashion space continues to expand. Muslim fashion e-commerce platforms such as HijUp and Modanisa are receiving further investments to grow their user base, while mainstream fashion players such as UNIQLO*, Mango and Tommy Hilfiger are following the lead of haute couture houses such as DKNY in tapping into the modest fashion market.
Islamic digital economy A new frontier in the Islamic economy is its digital component. This segment has woven itself into the lives of many Muslims worldwide as an integral part of their lifestyle. From Quran and halal travel mobile apps to online Islamic education services and tools for locating the nearest halal restaurants, the Islamic digital economy has emerged as a high growth segment. Success stories include Zabihah.com, a leading location-based guide to halal restaurants and markets with a digital reach of 10 million unique users, MuslimPro, a prayer, and the qibla (قبلة) tracking mobile app with over 10 million Android downloads in 16 different languages. Pharmaceuticals & cosmetics This sector offers several success stories and opportunities for growth. The halal cosmetics sector in particular is growing quickly in the Asia Pacific through smaller brands, forcing large companies such as Unilever to start looking at halal cosmetics to ensure they maintain their strong presence in this region. South East Asia is leading the development of halal vaccinations for meningitis, hepatitis and meningococcal disease for Hajj pilgrims. The Global Islamic Economy Summit 2015, organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, DIEDC and Thomson Reuters, will build on the momentum of the 2013 Summit and continue to serve as a thought leadership platform for over 2,000 policy makers and business leaders. Interested? Read the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2014-2015 Report Hashtag: #2015GIES
*UNIQLO launched its modest wear collection, created in collaboration with designer and Internet personality Hana Tajima, on July 3 in Singapore. The UNIQLO X Hana Tajima Collection is available exclusively at UNIQLO 313@Somerset and online store. In line with UNIQLO’s LifeWear concept, the collection is designed to meet the needs of women who value comfortable and relaxed wear. This inaugural collection takes inspiration from an international approach in appreciation of diverse culture and style. The collection features office-appropriate pants (S$49.90), skirts (S$49.90), rayon blouses (S$49.90) and long dresses (S$49.90 to S$59.90) with a comfortable, relaxed fit. The collection also includes hijab headscarves (S$24.90 to S$29.90), as well as inner AIRism hijab headscarves (S$4.90) and headbands (S$14.90). AIRism is a UNIQLO-patented material that is thin, light and absorbs moisture for extraordinary comfort especially in tropical climates.
