Runway project: beyond the basic burqa

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — For many, Islamic fashion might seem synonymous with strait-laced garments that leave everything to the imagination, but some Asian designers are trying to equip modern Muslim women with a wardrobe that obeys both sartorial trends and spiritual dictates.

This fusion of creativity and conservatism is showcased in the Islamic Fashion Festival, which has entered its sixth year and runs through today in a Kuala Lumpur hotel. Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates take turns hosting the event.

The festival opened last week to a catwalk-show audience of Malaysian royal princesses and corporate women who cheered an avant-garde celebration of chiffon and crystals that cast off black burqas, austere abayas and homely head scarves. Shows featured 1,000 outfits by top couturiers from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

Diverse influences lent a twist to typically loose tunics and serpentine skirts.

Models strutted the festival runway in silver-shot scarves sparkling with Viennese-made Swarovski crystals. Some designers drew inspiration for their evening gowns, prayer clothes, bridal outfits and full-body Lycra swimsuits from Indian Mughal carpet motifs, Spain's Moorish palace patterns and even Moroccan scenes from the classic film "Casablanca."

Indonesian designer Ronald Gaghana's ensemble, considered the centerpiece of the launch, was adorned with Japanese kimonolike sleeves and intricate African embroidery.

Fashion gurus say Islamic apparel is a fast-growing segment of their worldwide industry, fueled by growing numbers of affluent, liberal Muslims who want to balance propriety with style and globally renowned designers such as Elie Saab whose creations can fulfill religious rules.

"When I went to do my fashion exposition in Paris in September, the clothes that people were interested in were Islamic fashion," said Malaysia's Tom Abang Saufi. "There's going to be money made from this because it's huge."

Tom says she has begun exporting Islamic attire to the United States, where Muslim women "want to be a little bit more trendy than what is being given to them from Yemen." She hopes to expand her collections to other countries with sizable Muslim populations, such as China and France.