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Modesty blazes a fashion trail
Modesty blazes a fashion trail
By: Terry Ramsey
Last Updated: August 01. 2009 1:23AM UAE / July 31. 2009 9:23PM GMT
Sarah Elanany, a London-based designer, has created a range of contemporary clothing that sticks to Islamic rules. Ian Jones for The National
LONDON // Meeting Sarah Elenany is a striking experience. Not just because she is petite, friendly and brimming with life – although she is. Not because she dresses according to the Islamic rules – in Britain these days that it is unexceptional. What makes her stand out is the way she takes the dress code and turns it into something young, edgy and cool.
Of course, the rules are obeyed: she is covered, apart from her hands and face, and nothing is fitted or revealing. But at the same time, she looks more modern than any girl in tight jeans and a cropped T-shirt.
That’s because Elenany is a designer spearheading a bold new fashion: mixing the Islamic dress code with smart, urban streetwear.
“I know it’s a big statement, but my brand is the first of its kind. There isn’t anything else like it out there at the moment,” she says.
Her recently launched line includes hoodie dresses with dramatic graphics based on Islam, chic baggy trousers and a stylish raincoat that comes with built-in protection for the traditional headscarf.
Although it is Islamic fashion, the aim is to create an edgy, young style for any woman. “In the back of my mind I always wanted to make it appeal to a non-Muslim market as well, for the sake of making it available to more people and also in terms of making it normal fashion.”
The idea is that Muslims will spot the cultural references, while non-Muslims will see fashions they want to wear.
“My sales have proved that non-Muslims are buying the designs,” she says. “So, it’s a niche product but with a mainstream element.”
At 25, she’s no newcomer to clothes-making. “I started making my own from about the age of 16 because there was nothing I liked that covered me up properly and had street cred.”
She became increasingly frustrated with trying to be fashionable and stick to the Islamic code.
“There have been so many times when I have gone out to buy something and I haven’t been able to, because there was nothing that ticked all the boxes. I’d find a dress and think ‘Oh, great!’ and then put it on and discover it came in under the bust too tightly or the sleeves were only three-quarter length, which means I’d have to wear something underneath it.”
She saw other young Muslim women having the same problem. So, after completing a bachelor’s degree in engineering product design and embarking on a master’s in enterprise, both at South London University, she decided the answer was to launch her own brand of street-cred Islamic clothes.
Called Elenany (pronounced Ellen-arny), the company has a tiny office in the unfashionable Elephant and Castle area of London. It launched earlier this summer with nine items, all self-designed. However, Elenany says she is not a fashion designer but a product designer – creating items aimed at a gap in the market.
Before making the clothes she carefully researched her target audience. “We asked them what their style was – feminine, conservative, street or whatever. We asked what kind of things they actually wear. And what they would like to wear.
“Half said they wore streetwear and half said they wore ‘pretty’ clothing. I knew I was happier designing streetwear, so I went with that. I also found out what colours they liked: 80 per cent said dark colours with a bit of brightness. Which was great because black and white is my favourite colour combination, so I used that.”
At the heart of her brand are the graphics that appear on her logo, dresses and jacket linings.
“I tried to think of the things that are relevant to me as a Muslim. So there is one design which is like this [she holds her hands out, palms facing upwards]. It’s dua, and every Muslim knows that. I didn’t want to use traditional Islamic art, which is really beautiful but doesn’t speak to me. I wanted to use graphics to capture the spirit of being a young Muslim. And I wanted people to look at the clothes and get it. And Muslims do – they say ‘Oh look, that’s dua’.”
Another design (and her logo) uses a hand with one finger raised, the sign of shahada, the Muslim declaration of the oneness of God. “But because it also looks like the number one, it is relevant to both markets.”
Elenany admits that when she was growing up, Islamic faith did not play a large part in her life. She is British, with a Palestinian mother and Egyptian father, and the family went to the mosque only for important occasions. Things changed when she was a teenager. “Life happens and you start thinking. First my brother started practising, then my parents followed and so did I. And I did Hajj when I was 19.”
The family home is in Mitcham, Surrey, just south of London, which is where Elenany has her “design studio” in the garage. Although she is as British as they come, selling the idea of an Islamic brand in the UK has proved difficult.
“I have a lot of negative feedback from buyers on the Islamic brand. They look at the designs and I start explaining the story and their faces just drop. In fact, one major High Street chain said it might offend people.
“But I have been told the products are great. So for my next collection I am thinking of keeping everything exactly the same – just not saying anything about Islam. So I am not alienating anyone.
“Now, I have had feedback – like ‘make it a bit more feminine’. So my next collection is still streetwear, but it is more feminine.”
It will be bigger, with 15 pieces for women and two for men.
“I am naming future collections according to the theme of the graphics. The next one is called The Friday Collection. It includes a graphic called Brotherhood, which looks like lots of people praying next to each other. And there’s one called Salaam, which is what people do at Friday prayers. And there’s one with a minaret repeat pattern.”
Although she has had orders from the US, Canada and France as well as the UK, Elenany accepts her clothes are not suitable for all markets – and may not appeal to women in the Gulf, where the full-length abaya is popular.
“My brand is very British. I think they have a different style to Britain and the style might not be right for them.
“I am just trying to provide a choice for people. If people want to wear traditional abaya, then that’s cool. I have seen some of the girls wear it and they look stunning in their abaya. But if they want things that are a bit younger, then my clothes will cover them up so they feel comfortable and be something that’s not traditional.”
Even though, for her new collection, Elenany is listening to feedback, there’s one thing she definitely isn’t changing: her pride in being young and Muslim.
“One design looks a bit like Glastonbury, but it also looks a bit like Muslims at a demo,” she says. “And I know a demo is a bit controversial but I wanted to capture the spirit of Muslim youth.
“I didn’t want to apologise, because I think Muslims in Britain today feel they have to keep apologising because other Muslims do bad stuff. But I wanted it to be a celebration. To say, yes, we’re angsty – but really it’s all right.”
* The National
By: Terry Ramsey
Last Updated: August 01. 2009 1:23AM UAE / July 31. 2009 9:23PM GMT
Sarah Elanany, a London-based designer, has created a range of contemporary clothing that sticks to Islamic rules. Ian Jones for The National
LONDON // Meeting Sarah Elenany is a striking experience. Not just because she is petite, friendly and brimming with life – although she is. Not because she dresses according to the Islamic rules – in Britain these days that it is unexceptional. What makes her stand out is the way she takes the dress code and turns it into something young, edgy and cool.
Of course, the rules are obeyed: she is covered, apart from her hands and face, and nothing is fitted or revealing. But at the same time, she looks more modern than any girl in tight jeans and a cropped T-shirt.
That’s because Elenany is a designer spearheading a bold new fashion: mixing the Islamic dress code with smart, urban streetwear.
“I know it’s a big statement, but my brand is the first of its kind. There isn’t anything else like it out there at the moment,” she says.
Her recently launched line includes hoodie dresses with dramatic graphics based on Islam, chic baggy trousers and a stylish raincoat that comes with built-in protection for the traditional headscarf.
Although it is Islamic fashion, the aim is to create an edgy, young style for any woman. “In the back of my mind I always wanted to make it appeal to a non-Muslim market as well, for the sake of making it available to more people and also in terms of making it normal fashion.”
The idea is that Muslims will spot the cultural references, while non-Muslims will see fashions they want to wear.
“My sales have proved that non-Muslims are buying the designs,” she says. “So, it’s a niche product but with a mainstream element.”
At 25, she’s no newcomer to clothes-making. “I started making my own from about the age of 16 because there was nothing I liked that covered me up properly and had street cred.”
She became increasingly frustrated with trying to be fashionable and stick to the Islamic code.
“There have been so many times when I have gone out to buy something and I haven’t been able to, because there was nothing that ticked all the boxes. I’d find a dress and think ‘Oh, great!’ and then put it on and discover it came in under the bust too tightly or the sleeves were only three-quarter length, which means I’d have to wear something underneath it.”
She saw other young Muslim women having the same problem. So, after completing a bachelor’s degree in engineering product design and embarking on a master’s in enterprise, both at South London University, she decided the answer was to launch her own brand of street-cred Islamic clothes.
Called Elenany (pronounced Ellen-arny), the company has a tiny office in the unfashionable Elephant and Castle area of London. It launched earlier this summer with nine items, all self-designed. However, Elenany says she is not a fashion designer but a product designer – creating items aimed at a gap in the market.
Before making the clothes she carefully researched her target audience. “We asked them what their style was – feminine, conservative, street or whatever. We asked what kind of things they actually wear. And what they would like to wear.
“Half said they wore streetwear and half said they wore ‘pretty’ clothing. I knew I was happier designing streetwear, so I went with that. I also found out what colours they liked: 80 per cent said dark colours with a bit of brightness. Which was great because black and white is my favourite colour combination, so I used that.”
At the heart of her brand are the graphics that appear on her logo, dresses and jacket linings.
“I tried to think of the things that are relevant to me as a Muslim. So there is one design which is like this [she holds her hands out, palms facing upwards]. It’s dua, and every Muslim knows that. I didn’t want to use traditional Islamic art, which is really beautiful but doesn’t speak to me. I wanted to use graphics to capture the spirit of being a young Muslim. And I wanted people to look at the clothes and get it. And Muslims do – they say ‘Oh look, that’s dua’.”
Another design (and her logo) uses a hand with one finger raised, the sign of shahada, the Muslim declaration of the oneness of God. “But because it also looks like the number one, it is relevant to both markets.”
Elenany admits that when she was growing up, Islamic faith did not play a large part in her life. She is British, with a Palestinian mother and Egyptian father, and the family went to the mosque only for important occasions. Things changed when she was a teenager. “Life happens and you start thinking. First my brother started practising, then my parents followed and so did I. And I did Hajj when I was 19.”
The family home is in Mitcham, Surrey, just south of London, which is where Elenany has her “design studio” in the garage. Although she is as British as they come, selling the idea of an Islamic brand in the UK has proved difficult.
“I have a lot of negative feedback from buyers on the Islamic brand. They look at the designs and I start explaining the story and their faces just drop. In fact, one major High Street chain said it might offend people.
“But I have been told the products are great. So for my next collection I am thinking of keeping everything exactly the same – just not saying anything about Islam. So I am not alienating anyone.
“Now, I have had feedback – like ‘make it a bit more feminine’. So my next collection is still streetwear, but it is more feminine.”
It will be bigger, with 15 pieces for women and two for men.
“I am naming future collections according to the theme of the graphics. The next one is called The Friday Collection. It includes a graphic called Brotherhood, which looks like lots of people praying next to each other. And there’s one called Salaam, which is what people do at Friday prayers. And there’s one with a minaret repeat pattern.”
Although she has had orders from the US, Canada and France as well as the UK, Elenany accepts her clothes are not suitable for all markets – and may not appeal to women in the Gulf, where the full-length abaya is popular.
“My brand is very British. I think they have a different style to Britain and the style might not be right for them.
“I am just trying to provide a choice for people. If people want to wear traditional abaya, then that’s cool. I have seen some of the girls wear it and they look stunning in their abaya. But if they want things that are a bit younger, then my clothes will cover them up so they feel comfortable and be something that’s not traditional.”
Even though, for her new collection, Elenany is listening to feedback, there’s one thing she definitely isn’t changing: her pride in being young and Muslim.
“One design looks a bit like Glastonbury, but it also looks a bit like Muslims at a demo,” she says. “And I know a demo is a bit controversial but I wanted to capture the spirit of Muslim youth.
“I didn’t want to apologise, because I think Muslims in Britain today feel they have to keep apologising because other Muslims do bad stuff. But I wanted it to be a celebration. To say, yes, we’re angsty – but really it’s all right.”
* The National
Friday, August 7, 2009
Henna .. Where to buy it and some designs
If your looking for some place to buy henna for cheap ... go to this website
1 . http://www.shopbeachcombers.com/storefrontprofiles/DeluxeSFItemDetail.aspx?sid=1&sfid=39600&c=621032&i=25855536
and heres another website:
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-MEHNDI-HENNA-Tattoo-BodyArt/dp/B000SSSN3U
and also if u want some designs , here are some posted:
SOMETHIN IS UP WITH MY BLOG, SO IF U CANT SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE HENNA PICS , THEN CLICK ON THEM AND U WILL GET A BIG PICUTRE INSHaLLAH :) OK
1.
2.
And here are some simple deisgns :D
ENJOY!!!
1 . http://www.shopbeachcombers.com/storefrontprofiles/DeluxeSFItemDetail.aspx?sid=1&sfid=39600&c=621032&i=25855536
and heres another website:
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-MEHNDI-HENNA-Tattoo-BodyArt/dp/B000SSSN3U
and also if u want some designs , here are some posted:
SOMETHIN IS UP WITH MY BLOG, SO IF U CANT SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE HENNA PICS , THEN CLICK ON THEM AND U WILL GET A BIG PICUTRE INSHaLLAH :) OK
1.
2.
And here are some simple deisgns :D
ENJOY!!!
New Magazine in Vogue for American Muslim Girls
New Magazine in Vogue for American Muslim Girls
Posted on: Thursday, 3 May 2007, 06:00 CDT
The glossy pages of most teen mags feature articles on dating, celebrities' jaunts to and from rehab, and the latest miniskirt trend _ topics of little relevance to girls who grow up practicing Islam, which frowns upon such things.
But inside Muslim Girl magazine, which premiered its first issue this year, readers will not find "Guys: Decode His IMs" or "585 Sexy New Looks." Rather, the magazine offers a profile of a professional woman (Mishal Hussain, a BBC broadcast journalist), a fashion spread in which models sport cute-yet-conservative clothes, and advice on dealing with crushes in a culture that looks down on dating.
Started by Ausma Khan, a former lawyer who taught international human rights law at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Muslim Girl is aimed at 12- to 19-year-olds.
"I wanted to provide girls with an alternative to Cosmo Girl! and Seventeen, where they would see fun stories about popular culture but ... also provide guidance and information to boost their self-esteem, develop their self-confidence," said Khan, who lives in Evanston. "We wanted to tell the stories of real American Muslims."
Muslim Girl joins a growing number of publications _ on and offline _ catering to contemporary Muslims living in the United States. The comedy Web site Islamica News, for instance, pokes fun with satirical articles such as "Santa Myth Exposed: Muslim 2nd Grader Ruins Christmas for Entire Class."
The new publication also demonstrates how women are increasingly asserting themselves as Muslim Americans. A feature on the magazine's Web site asks girls, "What's going on in your mosque? Is it girl-friendly?" _ a potentially provocative question given that the topic of men and women sharing prayer space continues to be controversial.
In fact, one of the magazine's biggest challenges will be appealing to a diverse population. For example, not all young women in the magazine wear the hijab, or headscarf, which could be objectionable to some Muslims.
"We make an internal motto to be as inclusive as possible," Khan said. "The North American Muslim community is actually incredibly diverse, in terms of how they practice their religion. We work hard to represent girls from all these different backgrounds."
While in another country such a broad approach probably wouldn't work, the magazine is likely to thrive amid the cultural diversity and openness of American culture, said Mamoon Syed, executive director of the Nawawi Foundation, a nonprofit education organization based in Burr Ridge, Ill., that provides Islamic teachings to first- and second-generation Muslim Americans.
"If there's anywhere in the world where you have the opportunity to be able to agree to disagree, it's the United States," Syed said. "As they say, `I may not agree with your voice, but I'll defend your right to say it.' You can't do that in a lot of other Muslim countries."
Muslim Girl follows in the footsteps of the Atlanta-based Azizah magazine, founded in 2002 and aimed at contemporary Muslim women. The publisher and editor-in-chief of that magazine, Tayyibah Taylor, said Muslim Girl could fill a significant void for younger Muslims.
"Being a person who is not of the dominant culture has an effect on people who are absent in the mainstream media or have negative portrayals of themselves," Taylor said. "It's a very subtle but very powerful process by which you internalize a sense of, `Oh something's wrong.' Having your own media and being able to see a positive reflection of oneself is a very empowering thing."
The development of media directed at Muslim women is evidence of the group's growing influence in American society, said Taylor, whose magazine has a circulation of about 45,000. Muslim Girl currently claims a circulation of 50,000 and is hoping to double that number within the next few years.
While Khan and her editorial team initially envisioned the magazine for younger teens, "what we found is that college-age girls are really interested in the magazine," she said. "The issues we cover actually have a broad appeal."
Aneesa Arshad, 21, a junior at Northwestern University, said she has heard of the new publication and was excited that it focused on career and life goals rather than the latest Nicole Richie/Paris Hilton feud.
"Those are definitely the articles that I would want to read," Arshad said of the career features in Muslim Girl. "As I'm looking at what career decisions I want to make, those definitely relate to where I am in life right now, more than an article about a celebrity."
Muslim Girl doesn't ignore fashion, but the styles are conservative, unlike the short-short, midriff-baring looks flaunted in Seventeen. It's an aspect of the new magazine that Aamna Anwer, 19, said she found appealing.
Anwer, who was raised in Galesburg, Ill., and now attends Northwestern, said she used to subscribe to Allure and Vogue and loves fashion but couldn't always wear the clothes she saw on the models.
"It would be convenient if sometimes when we were looking through a fashion magazine, there would be more that would be available to Muslim women, or women who were more modest," said Anwer, whose parents were born in Pakistan.
For Khan and Taylor, one final goal in promoting Muslim media is to change the perceptions of Muslims in the United States.
"Oftentimes, because Islam and Muslims are reported on in the Middle East and politics, there is an association with terrorism and bombings," Taylor said. "It is painful to watch that and see that that's the definition of Muslims in the world. Creating our own media allows us the opportunity to say, this is who we are, this is what we've done, from our frame of reference."
Source: Chicago Tribune
Posted on: Thursday, 3 May 2007, 06:00 CDT
The glossy pages of most teen mags feature articles on dating, celebrities' jaunts to and from rehab, and the latest miniskirt trend _ topics of little relevance to girls who grow up practicing Islam, which frowns upon such things.
But inside Muslim Girl magazine, which premiered its first issue this year, readers will not find "Guys: Decode His IMs" or "585 Sexy New Looks." Rather, the magazine offers a profile of a professional woman (Mishal Hussain, a BBC broadcast journalist), a fashion spread in which models sport cute-yet-conservative clothes, and advice on dealing with crushes in a culture that looks down on dating.
Started by Ausma Khan, a former lawyer who taught international human rights law at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Muslim Girl is aimed at 12- to 19-year-olds.
"I wanted to provide girls with an alternative to Cosmo Girl! and Seventeen, where they would see fun stories about popular culture but ... also provide guidance and information to boost their self-esteem, develop their self-confidence," said Khan, who lives in Evanston. "We wanted to tell the stories of real American Muslims."
Muslim Girl joins a growing number of publications _ on and offline _ catering to contemporary Muslims living in the United States. The comedy Web site Islamica News, for instance, pokes fun with satirical articles such as "Santa Myth Exposed: Muslim 2nd Grader Ruins Christmas for Entire Class."
The new publication also demonstrates how women are increasingly asserting themselves as Muslim Americans. A feature on the magazine's Web site asks girls, "What's going on in your mosque? Is it girl-friendly?" _ a potentially provocative question given that the topic of men and women sharing prayer space continues to be controversial.
In fact, one of the magazine's biggest challenges will be appealing to a diverse population. For example, not all young women in the magazine wear the hijab, or headscarf, which could be objectionable to some Muslims.
"We make an internal motto to be as inclusive as possible," Khan said. "The North American Muslim community is actually incredibly diverse, in terms of how they practice their religion. We work hard to represent girls from all these different backgrounds."
While in another country such a broad approach probably wouldn't work, the magazine is likely to thrive amid the cultural diversity and openness of American culture, said Mamoon Syed, executive director of the Nawawi Foundation, a nonprofit education organization based in Burr Ridge, Ill., that provides Islamic teachings to first- and second-generation Muslim Americans.
"If there's anywhere in the world where you have the opportunity to be able to agree to disagree, it's the United States," Syed said. "As they say, `I may not agree with your voice, but I'll defend your right to say it.' You can't do that in a lot of other Muslim countries."
Muslim Girl follows in the footsteps of the Atlanta-based Azizah magazine, founded in 2002 and aimed at contemporary Muslim women. The publisher and editor-in-chief of that magazine, Tayyibah Taylor, said Muslim Girl could fill a significant void for younger Muslims.
"Being a person who is not of the dominant culture has an effect on people who are absent in the mainstream media or have negative portrayals of themselves," Taylor said. "It's a very subtle but very powerful process by which you internalize a sense of, `Oh something's wrong.' Having your own media and being able to see a positive reflection of oneself is a very empowering thing."
The development of media directed at Muslim women is evidence of the group's growing influence in American society, said Taylor, whose magazine has a circulation of about 45,000. Muslim Girl currently claims a circulation of 50,000 and is hoping to double that number within the next few years.
While Khan and her editorial team initially envisioned the magazine for younger teens, "what we found is that college-age girls are really interested in the magazine," she said. "The issues we cover actually have a broad appeal."
Aneesa Arshad, 21, a junior at Northwestern University, said she has heard of the new publication and was excited that it focused on career and life goals rather than the latest Nicole Richie/Paris Hilton feud.
"Those are definitely the articles that I would want to read," Arshad said of the career features in Muslim Girl. "As I'm looking at what career decisions I want to make, those definitely relate to where I am in life right now, more than an article about a celebrity."
Muslim Girl doesn't ignore fashion, but the styles are conservative, unlike the short-short, midriff-baring looks flaunted in Seventeen. It's an aspect of the new magazine that Aamna Anwer, 19, said she found appealing.
Anwer, who was raised in Galesburg, Ill., and now attends Northwestern, said she used to subscribe to Allure and Vogue and loves fashion but couldn't always wear the clothes she saw on the models.
"It would be convenient if sometimes when we were looking through a fashion magazine, there would be more that would be available to Muslim women, or women who were more modest," said Anwer, whose parents were born in Pakistan.
For Khan and Taylor, one final goal in promoting Muslim media is to change the perceptions of Muslims in the United States.
"Oftentimes, because Islam and Muslims are reported on in the Middle East and politics, there is an association with terrorism and bombings," Taylor said. "It is painful to watch that and see that that's the definition of Muslims in the world. Creating our own media allows us the opportunity to say, this is who we are, this is what we've done, from our frame of reference."
Source: Chicago Tribune
Friday, July 31, 2009
Look At how reese witherspoons dress is soo modest! MashAllah
Look At how reese witherspoons dress is soo modest! but yet the muslims these days are not wearing modest clothes! just take some of the celebs outfits if u want to fit in, even u dont have to fit in! omg .. Allah just wants us to be modest!~ .... but u can be modest and stylish at the same time! Wallahi anjad, its soo cool! just take a look at my blog! .. i have some outfits i put together i wear them all the time! Subhanallah ... i even asked my mom if i could start wearing an abaya! <3 so thats what i have been doing sometimes!
The PUNK Look <3 =)
The PUNK Look <3 =)
Anyways, u can wear a long sleeve shirt underneath the short sleeved shirt, i would advise the color white long sleeved shirt ;)
THE OUTFIT :
1. The Elsie Wrap Hijab - $12 - artizara.com
2. Tiered Crinkle Maxi Skirt - $38 - ardenb.com
3. Skyla multi buff check shirt - $40 - delias.com
4. dELiAs Converse Ox - $46 - delias.com
5. Blue and Pink Wooden Teardrop Earrings - $3 - amocacushi.ecrater.com
6. Coach :: Poppy Patent - $368 - coach.com
7. Turquoise Bead Bracelet with Diamond Piece - brownsfashion.com
I LOVE THIS OUTFIT!! OMG!!
Anyways, u can wear a long sleeve shirt underneath the short sleeved shirt, i would advise the color white long sleeved shirt ;)
THE OUTFIT :
1. The Elsie Wrap Hijab - $12 - artizara.com
2. Tiered Crinkle Maxi Skirt - $38 - ardenb.com
3. Skyla multi buff check shirt - $40 - delias.com
4. dELiAs Converse Ox - $46 - delias.com
5. Blue and Pink Wooden Teardrop Earrings - $3 - amocacushi.ecrater.com
6. Coach :: Poppy Patent - $368 - coach.com
7. Turquoise Bead Bracelet with Diamond Piece - brownsfashion.com
I LOVE THIS OUTFIT!! OMG!!
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