Designers bank on Ramadan collections

Middle Eastern designers have long tapped into the potential of Ramadan collections and fashion houses like Salma Khan, Zad for Zakia Attar Designs and Max have come up with stunning designs this year as well. Even New York fashion house DKNY released its first Ramadan collection

this year, just in time for the holy month, which started on June 28 and will end on July 28.

DKNY’s capsule collection was designed by Yada Golsharifi, fashion editor of Styles Magazine, and

Dubai-based fashion designer Tamara Al Gabbani. “The fact that this collection has been styled by Muslim women who are professionals in the fashion industry is a brilliant move on the part of DKNY: these women aren’t just experts in their field, but they know the context and requirements of the women the collections are aimed for,” comments Bina Shaw in The Independent.

More is more during Ramadan, even in fashion

Dubbed ‘halal couture’, Ramadan collections tend to be conservative without skimping on fashion. Designers keep in mind that women observing Ramadan need to dress modestly without letting style go for a toss. That means arms and legs need to be covered, necklines can’t be plunging and silhouettes cannot be see-through. “The fabrics drape around the body, encasing the curves that nature gave Middle Eastern women without making them obvious, or attempting to disguise them in bag-like abayas. They walk the fine line between cosmopolitan and conservative, luxurious and ostentatious,” says Shah.

Thus, a typical Ramadan collection (if there is one) will include long, flowing dresses and skirts, jumpsuits, pants and shirts and jackets with full or at least three-quarter-length sleeves. The 12-piece DKNY collection thus features a pant-and-blouse combo, a long, side-slit skirt, an orange long sleeve maxi dress and sweeping dresses in monochrome, navy and soft jewel tones.

Middle Eastern designers like Dubai–based fashion boutique Salma Khan Fashion House, Jeddah fashion label Zad for Zakia Attar Designs and Omani clothing brand Max have long been fulfilling the rising demand for Ramadan fashion and have even come up with special themes like Arabian-inspired fashion, lightweight clothing and Ramadan wear for kids, respectively.

As the various collections show, more is certainly stylish and given that many customers observing Ramadan often do a year’s worth of clothes shopping during the holy month (just like buying news clothes on holidays is considered auspicious in many cultures), it makes perfect business sense for brands and retailers to take note and be ready with appropriate choices.

Photos: DKNY, Salma Khan