Saudi designers put modest fashion on the international stage

Source: DERZA at Riyadh Fashion Week 2025.

Modest clothing has become a global style statement, thanks in large part to a new wave of Saudi designers. By blending tradition with modernity, they are rewriting the rules of fashion and setting trends that extend far beyond the Middle East, said the Saudi Tourism Authority.

No longer restricted to the traditional black, abayas now appear in a variety of colours, fabrics, and cuts. Hijabs, too, represent confidence and individuality, coming in silk, chiffon, or cotton with lively prints and new hues. 

The message: women can honour their cultural roots while embracing their personal style. That balance between heritage and self-expression is the heart of Saudi fashion’s power.  

Riyadh Fashion Week in October 2025 has emerged not merely as a regional event but as a global barometer for how fashion is evolving—especially for modest, culturally-rooted design. Vivienne Westwood’s debut capsule combined British couture with Saudi artisan embroidery, creating gowns that conveyed heritage through gold threads and delicate stitchwork while previewing the house’s Spring/Summer 2026 direction. 

Local talents such as Tima Abid impressed with crystal-embroidered volumes and sculptural forms that blurred the lines between tradition and contemporary elegance, while Razan Alazzouni showcased her Monotone collection, featuring fluid, understated pieces that highlighted refinement over spectacle. Meanwhile, HINDAMME presented Hejaz, a collection highlighting the heritage of western Saudi in a contemporary style.

What Riyadh signals for 2026: a blending of grounded cultural identity with approachable global style, mirroring Indonesia’s own trajectory. This year, Indonesian designers are leaning into heritage with a light, wearable hand while global fashion looks increasingly to voices who can articulate culture through comfort, climate, and confidence, said the Authority.

Explore

Browse the Visit Saudi website to plan a trip.

For Indonesian travellers, exploring Saudi has become increasingly seamless, with simplified visa options and expanding flight connectivity. Holders of a valid UK, US, or Schengen visa, complete with an entry stamp from the issuing country, can apply for an e-visa or obtain a visa on arrival when travelling to KSA. Those travelling for umrah can also extend their journey beyond the holy cities.

Indonesia Shariah Economic Festival 2025 increases exposure for startups, designers

The Indonesian National Committee of Sharia Economics and Finance (Komite Nasional Ekonomi dan Keuangan Syariah or KNEKS), together with the Department of Economy and Shariah Finance at Bank Indonesia (DEKS), have held a Halal Startup Demo Day (HSDD) as part of Indonesia Shariah Economic Festival (ISEF) 2025. ISEF is Indonesia's largest annual shari'ah economic and financial event. 

Themed Dare to Jumpstart Halal Industry With Ambition, HSDD 2025 brought 20 halal industry startups, investors, mentors, and stakeholders together.

Rp21 B has been set aside for selected startups. Potential business partners and committed investors include the Indonesian Muslim Entrepreneur Community (Komunitas Pengusaha Muslim Indonesia or KPMI), the Gaido Group, Equitree, PUM Netherlands, the Rahmania Foundation, HASAN Venture Capital, BTPN Syariah Venture Capital, and LBS Urun Dana. Other participants included the Indonesian Fintech Association (AFSI), the Venture Capital Association for Indonesian Startups (AMVESINDO), Gobi Partner, and World Startup.

"On behalf of Bank Indonesia, we express our highest appreciation and appreciation to the KNEKS and all parties participating in the implementation of this activity—from the organising partners, supporting institutions, to startups that today will showcase their work and innovation in the halal industry sector," said Yono, Deputy Director of Economics and Finance of Sharia at Bank Indonesia in a statement in Bahasa Indonesia*.

“In line with the great vision of Asta Cita Indonesia, Bank Indonesia is committed through this activity to supporting the acceleration of the national halal startup ecosystem in order to cement Indonesia as the world’s halal industry hub through matching innovators with investors, and opening wider access to Islamic financing. This activity is also a platform to strengthen the halal value chain and nurture superior startups that are ready to compete globally.”

“The Ministry of Industry is committed to supporting the growth of technology startups in the industry through the Startup for Industry programme. This programme is a forum for coaching and acceleration for startups to collaborate with the industrial sector, present technology-based solutions, and strengthen the national supply chain," said Dini Hangandari, Director of IKM, LMEA, Ministry of Industry.

The 20 startups came from a variety of sectors, including food and beverage, fashion, health, shari'ah finance, Muslim-friendly tourism, renewable energy, as well as media and recreation.

The Director of Business and Entrepreneurship of Sharia at KNEKS, Putu Rahwidiyasa, said that HSDD 2025 is an important part of KNEKS' commitment in driving the growth of the innovation-based sharia economy. “We want to help startups be ready to compete in the domestic and global markets by taking advantage of funding opportunities and a wider network,” he said.

HSDD 2025 is here to address the obstacles faced by many startups in obtaining adequate access to funding, networking, and business assistance. Through this activity, startups are expected to gain access to funding, guidance from experienced mentors, and expand the network with investors, buyers, and strategic partners. The programme also provides mentoring through the development of pitch decks.

Wahyu Wicaksono, Director of Applications, Ministry of Creative Economy, Indonesia, shared that the development of halal-based creative economic startups has been prioritised. "Through digital technology and creativity, startups can deliver halal products and services that are more inclusive, competitive, and have a broad economic impact,” he said. 

“Continuous collaboration between stakeholders — governments, financial institutions, investors, academia, and the entrepreneurial community. The hope is that this activity will give birth to a generation of halal startups that are innovative, competitive, and make a real contribution to the progress of the nation," said imbuh Irwansyah, Asdep Incubation And Digitalization of Entrepreneurial Deputy for Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs). 

"HSDD 2025 is expected to be a strategic meeting point that strengthens the synergy between stakeholders and opens up greater opportunities for halal startups in Indonesia," Putu added.

The Indonesia International Modest Fashion Festival (IN2MOTIONFEST) 2025, also part of ISEF 2025, showcased 1,785 modest fashion works, highlighting the richness of Indonesian wastra***.

Organised by the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC) together with Bank Indonesia, IN2MOTIONFEST is committed to optimising the use of Indonesia's rich cultural diversity and wastra in sustainable modest fashion products. This approach aligns with the implementation of a green economy within the Indonesian modest fashion industry, positioning it as a strong player in the global market.

Themed One Vision, One Movement: Advancing Indonesia Modest Fashion Through Synergy & Collaboration the event emphasised collective action, cross-sector collaboration, and synergy among industry players to enable Indonesia's modest fashion to dominate the domestic market and compete globally.

A wide variety of wastra from across Indonesia—including batik, songket, ikat weaving, ATBM (non-machine weaving), lurik, tapis, sasirangan, jumputan (tie-dye), embroidery, knits, and ecoprints—were showcased in diverse modest fashion styles. These pieces were designed by members of IKRA (Indonesia Sharia Creative Industry), fashion brands, MSMEs, and fashion school students.

Source: IFC. The Grand Finale on Opening Day at IN2MOTIONFEST 2025. Models wearing Khanaan fashion.

IN2MOTIONFEST 2025 featured a fashion show and trade exhibition, presented modest fashion collections from 214 designers and brands, both local and international, along with 100 wastra artisans participating in the Wastra Business Matching programme. This year, IN2MOTIONFEST collaborated with 11 international designers from Thailand, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Malaysia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Australia, and the UAE (Dubai).

Explore

View catwalk videos from the at https://www.instagram.com/in2motionfest/?hl=en

*Parts of this content came from an e-translated press release and may be inaccurate as a result.

**Asta Cita refers to the eight aspirations conceived by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto towards achieving the vision of a Golden Indonesia in 2045. The aspirations cover welfare, economic resilience, food and energy sovereignty, education and human resource development, and strong national defence.

***Wastra refers to traditional Indonesian textiles, such as batik and tenun ikat, which come with a rich cultural heritage, and are associated with complex symbolism and quality craftsmanship.

Modest fashion extravaganza kicks off in Indonesia

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.

Dubai's first Modest Fashion Week declared a success

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). 

Explore:

View the event video.

DMFW to put Dubai on the modest fashion map

Source: DMFW website. Poster advertising the Emerging Modest Fashion Designer Award.

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.

Details:

View the full event schedule and register for free entrance

Halal Expo Japan debuts November 2016, includes modest fashion show

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.

Interested?

Halal Expo Japan runs from November 22 to 23 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Taito-kan. View the list of exhibitors for Halal Expo Japan

View the agenda for Tokyo Modest Fashion Show 2016

Contribute more event listings to the Suroor Asia events page

Modest fashion is worth over US$230 billion globally

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.

Hashtag: #GIES2016

Bye Felicia #HijabFlip

A photo posted by Soha MT سهى (@sohamt) on Oct 27, 2016 at 12:40pm PDT

SHUKR introduces summer collection

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

Islamic trends for 2015 unveiled

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 Summit that 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.