Muslim designers present diverse modest fashion collections in Paris
Muslim designers present a range of floral dresses and boxy streetwear styles featuring headscarves and berets during Paris’s first ever Modest Fashion Week. The event showcased nearly 30 designers whose collections focus on loose, long-cut garments and headscarves, reflecting the clothing choices of many Muslim women who dress according to their religious principles by covering their arms, legs, and sometimes hair.
Significance of Modest Fashion Week in Paris
Hosting Modest Fashion Week in Paris holds particular significance given the country’s history with religious clothing restrictions. France has banned hijabs and other religious symbols in certain public settings, including state-run schools, as part of its secularism policy known as laïcité. This policy prohibits religious clothing in public institutions and public-sector professions such as teaching and civil service.
Despite these restrictions, the event demonstrated a shift toward a more inclusive French culture, according to some young attendees. Paris is home to an estimated 5 to 7.5 million Muslims, and the city is considered one of the leading modest fashion capitals in Europe by Özlem Şahin, head of the organisation behind Modest Fashion Week.
Highlights from the collections
Inside Hôtel Le Marois near the Champs-Élysées, designers presented collections inspired by nature and streetwear trends. Nigerian brand Flaunt Archive’s creative director Rukaiya Kamba chose Paris intentionally to present her work. Turkish brand Miha, led by Hicran Önal, featured romantic floral tulle dresses blending teals, blues, and pinks. Indonesian designer Nada Puspita offered cleaner lines with similar inspirations.
Australian brand Asiyam, designed by Aisa Hassan, incorporated warmer, autumnal colors and included a bucket hat as a nod to her heritage. In contrast, French brands Soutoura and Nour Turbans showcased boxy, jewel-toned garments influenced by Gen Z streetwear. Nour Turbans styled models with berets over headscarves, combining modest fashion with contemporary accessories.
Turkish swimwear brand Mayovera presented burkinis, modest swimwear covering all but the face, hands, and feet. Although burkinis are banned in most public swimming pools in France, they are permitted on beaches.
Growing market and cultural impact
The modest fashion market has expanded rapidly, with global consumer spending expected to exceed $400 billion soon. Initially catering mainly to Muslim women, modest fashion now appeals to other religious communities and secular shoppers as well.
Fatou Doucouré, founder of Soutoura, expressed pride in exhibiting her collection in Paris. She noted that despite past struggles with wearing the hijab in France, she now feels it does not hold her back. Doucouré believes the event sends a message that Muslim women who dress modestly can “take on any role in any society.”
Attendees shared personal reflections on the event’s impact. One young French woman of Malian heritage said the show brought her joy after facing discrimination for wearing a headscarf. Another attendee felt the event marked a change in France, with the hijab no longer dominating political discussions and people beginning to see beyond it in everyday life.