Rise of modest attire fuses faith and fashion
Fashion fused with faith is making its own way into social media as Muslim women bring modesty to the global fashion scene.
By SARAH PRICE
Trading short skirts and revealing outfits for loose clothing and veiling, the Western fashion world is becoming more dynamic and trending modest wear.
Major multi-national clothing line H&M broke barriers this month as they advertised veiled model Maria Hidrissi for their new fall collection in response to the "modesty" breakthrough.
In Australia, Muslim women are breaking through on social media sites such as Instagram and running fashion shows without compromising modesty or their hijab.
One of those women is successful Melbourne blogger and fashion designer Zulfiye Tufa, also known as the hijab stylist.
With an Instagram following of over 34,000, Ms Tufa said her love for modest fashion “is more than just about fashion”.
“I feel like the ultimate goal is to contribute in some way to help women become who they are most confident in being, who they want to be.
“For me right now, I feel like the way to [do this] is through fashion, because it is an area where a lot of Muslim women are struggling, especially expressing who they really are through their dress,” she said.
Born and raised in Australia, Ms Tufa is a pharmacist by day and blogger by night.
Sick of the lack of options available in Australia to Muslim women and women who want to dress modestly, she decided to start a YouTube channel series called HijabifyMe and BrownMuslimGirl. The series deals with the cultural dynamics and assumptions she experiences in the wider Australian community.
The modest-fashion blogger travelled to Malaysia this year to meet similar bloggers, such as British/Lebanese hijabi sensation Habiba Da Silva (of LifeLongPercussion). She also participated in the Faith Fashion Fusion runway at the Melbourne Immigration Centre where she received praised for her fashion design.
When asked what hijab meant to her, Ms Tufa said: “There are multiple reasons and therefore no one explanation for it.
“Ultimately, I prioritise God in my life at all times, and it is a prescription for Muslim men and women to dress and act modestly.
[gallery type="slideshow" ids="6810,6809,6807,6806,6805,6804"]
“Another reason for me personally is because I love to show my identity as a Muslim – I feel like that is something that is often challenged in Australia and sometimes people feel ashamed they are a Muslim or want to hide they are a Muslim, and I don’t want people to feel that way.
“I feel like you can be an Australian and a Muslim at the same time,” she said.
Ms Tufa doesn’t have a fashion inspiration but rather finds beauty in thousands of different women.
“I don’t follow trends … I do follow fashion bloggers such as Basma K and Ascia AKF,” she said.
“I look up to women more so for their strength and their confidence in how they hold themselves.”
The modest fashion enthusiast wants to provide a platform for all women, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, to dress modestly in the current “hyper-sexualised climate” and show you can be fashionable without compromising your faith or modest ideals.
“Dressing modestly is also a way of me taking a stance against the way women are portrayed in the media, especially movies and magazines,” she said.
“Our outer beauty has become the most important thing and what’s prioritised – it’s my way of saying there’s more to me than that and just because covering is becoming more foreign as time goes by doesn’t mean there’s not a good reason or benefit for doing so.”
Ms Tufa has featured in articles Australia wide, most recently in Marie Claire for her success in the fashion world as a Muslim woman.
“The response has just been so positive and I feel people [are] comfortable to come up and ask me why I dress the way I do,” she said.
As to where the future leads, Ms Tufa said she “doesn’t really know.”
“It’s taken me to places I never thought it would, so I only hope that I help women become the most confident version of themselves and inspire others.”
