Muslim Fashions Go Mainstream

Mango, a Spain-based clothing company popular in the U.S., has just released a new line of clothing targeting Muslim women. The timing is meant to coincide with the June 5 start of Ramadan, a period of strict fasting and prayer that lasts for one month.

Muslims are a segment of the population that the fashion industry cannot ignore.

Mango is just one of many companies that are part of a new, mainstream trend toward retail giants catering to Muslim women.

Other companies are heading the same way, such as Dolce & Gabbana, which released their Abaya collection in January. This collection focused on stylized Muslim clothing such as abayas and hijabs for fashionable Muslim women.

Another company following suit is Marks & Spencer, which released a “burkini,” a burka-styled bathing suit that covers a woman’s head and body, resembling a wetsuit. Tommy Hilfiger is also a part of the trend with a release of clothing specifically made for Ramadan.

And two weeks ago in Orlando, Florida, a shop called Verona, with clothes for Muslim women, became the first Islamic fashion store to open in a major U.S. shopping mall. It was started by Lisa Vogl, an American designer and fashion photographer who converted to Islam in 2011 and started her own modest clothing and hijab brand in 2013.

After all, this is big business. Muslims are a segment of the population that the fashion industry cannot ignore. Muslim consumers spend roughly $230 billion on clothing, according to the 2015-2016 State of the Global Islamic Economy Report. Al Jazeera projections say that by 2030, nearly a third of the world’s population will be Muslim.

Mango says its mission is to globalize the brand and reach various different cultures and cities with its clothing. With this mission comes the need to tailor the clothing to the specific culture.

So what exactly does the Ramadan line include? Mango’s collection for the holy month consists of both casual clothing and fancier garments. The clothing tends to be longer and slightly wider than usual, featuring oversized shirts, long tunics, and leggings as well as floor-length dresses. Mango also included body wraps, and midi skirts that reach well below the knee.

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The new clothing line has caused an outrage from people who find the shrouding of women to be oppressive. Some users on Twitter have expressed that it is unacceptable to promote this sexist covering-up of women, while others say it is their choice to be covered.

In France, a country with ongoing tension over Muslim religious expression, leaders have expressed some opposition to this new idea. Pierre Bergé, France’s minister for children and women’s rights and families, spoke out in March on Europe 1 radio, saying he felt scandalized by the idea and that a fashion designer’s role should be to make women feel beautiful and promote freedom.

“It’s not because women are forced to dress that way by their husbands, their families or their entourage that you should go in that direction,” he said. “On the contrary, you should teach them to undress, to revolt, to live like the women of today do across in the world.”

One website, Mvslim.com, which promotes the shared experiences of Muslim life, wrote about the new line, saying it is “a fashionable way in fact to show the outside world that covering up isn’t the same as being oppressed.”