Muslim fashion: devout, not drab

When Gwendolyn Dawan converted to Islam in 1973, she wore a long skirt, a long top and wrapped her hair.

Today, she designs pinstriped suits and ankle-length denim skirts for Muslim women that are modest, yet follow current fashion trends.

"I get a lot of requests from businesswomen for suits with skirts," said Dawan, who also offers colors such as sage green and patterns such as paisleys in her collection. "Nothing in the Quran says we can't wear color."

Many Muslim women have always worn designer labels underneath their outer garments.

But now more Muslim women — many who are black and live in larger cities — are jazzing up their outerwear, too, shattering perceptions that devout means drab. As a result, more designers are catering to them in specialized stores and in runway presentations as sophisticated as the ones held for non-Islamic customers.

Earlier this month, 15 designers showcased their cutting-edge fashions specifically for Muslim women in Philadelphia. It followed a similar show in Atlanta now in its 20th year.

The demand can be seen on the street, as more stores have been popping up along urban boulevards, selling jeweled overgarments and tie-dyed head wraps alongside incense and scented bath oils.

In Islam, modesty is a key virtue, and Muslim women must cover their bodies in public.

But there are degrees of required modesty, depending on the culture. In the strictest Islamic cultures, women wear burqas that cover face and neck, exposing only their eyes. In others, they only have to wear khimars, a type of head covering.

And other practitioners wrap their hair in stylish scarves, and wear their overgarments with jeans peeking out.

For years, Taalibah Kariem White had the hardest time finding suits appropriate for work. Then she learned about Dawan at a fashion show. Now, each year, she looks forward to seeing what the designer will show on the runway.

"I wear my hair wrapped up every day when I go to work," White said. "Every day I'm totally covered, but people still take the time to compliment me."

The Philadelphia event was a celebration about what Muslim women could wear, not what they couldn't. The more than 300 audience members were dressed modestly, but that didn't mean they were ready to forsake fashion one bit.

"I love the furs," said Jamilah Abdullah. "I love the mix of all the ethnic cultures in these new fashions."

Not all of the show's 22 models were Muslim. Men were not allowed, so bathing suits and lingerie were included as were tighter jeans and dresses that could only be worn with an overgarment.

A presentation featuring models in tinted aviator glasses wearing ponchos kicked things off. Lots of skirts, tunics and easy-to-wear pantaloons were shown.

"I liked all of the looks," said Fatimah Adekola, who attends the show every year. "I liked the blending of the fabrics and the textures. These are looks I'd be comfortable in and proud to wear."