Debenhams partners with modest fashion brand

Department store Debenhams will stock clothing from London-based women’s modest fashion brand Aab in selected UK and international stores, including United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

In the UK, Debenhams will host Aab pop-up shops within its flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, as well carrying the range in Westfield London, Birmingham Bullring, Manchester Trafford Centre and Leicester.

The partnership will also see Aab’s full collection launch in May across 14 international Debenhams stores, including locations in the United Arab Emirates and Asia Pacific in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia.

These include prime retail shopping destinations such as Mall of Emirates in Dubai, Avenues Mall in Kuwait City, Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi, Red Sea Mall in Jeddah and Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.

“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 and is a step closer to creating a product offer that caters for broader customer needs,” said Debenhams trading director international Jeanette Whithear.

Aab founder and creative director, Nazmin Alim, added: “We started Aab almost a decade ago as a label that redefined modest fashion and one that caters for everyday modern wardrobe staples that are thoughtfully designed with the highest quality.

“The partnership with Debenhams opens up some very exciting opportunities for us. Debenhams is a quintessentially British department store and among the few department store brands with a truly global reach.”

Debenhams to stock Aab modest fashion brand in UK and international stores

Alim added: “With its international stores in prime retail locations, this partnership places Aab in front of our target markets in the Middle East and Asia Pacific, which aligns perfectly with our vision and future growth."

Aab launched in 2007 and offers abayas, hijabs, kimonos, long-sleeve shirt dresses and accessories. In March 2015 the brand opened its first standalone store in the East Shopping Centre in East London, followed by its second in Bradford.

Modest fashion is one of the fastest growing sectors in the fashion industry, with the latest Global Islamic Economy report forecast it to be worth 327 billion dollars globally by 2020.

This forecast expenditure is why mainstream brands and retailers including Mango and DKNY have already begun launching Ramadan collections to capture this market, while House of Fraser started stocking Shorso sportswear hijabs in 2015 and burkinis were stocked at Marks & Spencer’s last year.

This month will also see the first London Modest Fashion Week taking place at the Saatchi Gallery, organised by Haute Elan, an online retailer targeting Muslim women. The event will take place from February 18-19 and will showcase more than 40 modest wear brands including emerging local designers and international brands.

Images: courtesy of Aab