Reactions to the new fashion line are mixed.
Earlier this month, Dolce & Gabbana garnered international headlines when the Italian fashion line announced it had designed a new hijab and abaya collection for Muslim women. The iconic brand rolled out images of a glamorous woman draped in luxurious, silky robes and bright scarves, joining brands like Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, and Mango in an effort to expand offerings specifically to Muslims. While it was refreshing to see a global brand embrace the hijab and abaya during a time when xenophobia and Islamophobia was sweeping through parts of Europe and America, it was hard not to remain a little skeptical of a brand that, just four years ago, used racist imagery of black women as fashion accessories.
How do you feel about Dolce & Gabbana¹s new fashion line for Muslim women?
Sam Elauf: I love to see retailers connect with Muslim women through fashion and the merchandise they sell. Currently many retailers are selling “hijabi-friendly” products without even realizing it because the current trend is all things oversized and longer, which is perfect for anyone with a modest wardrobe.
Linda Sarsour: I think D&G’s new abaya collection is elegant and beautiful. I think it’s commendable of D&G to unveil this line during a time of heightened discrimination and bigotry against Muslims, particularly Muslim women.
Deena Mohamed: My initial thought was: So what? Abayas are already being sold here, and expensive abayas are also being sold here, and this is nothing new. But clearly the issue with D&G’s line is less about the line itself and more about the message it sends. I viewed it from a business and marketing perspective. It seems like an inevitability that big brands would begin catering to a “Muslim” market given the massive consumer base of not just the Arab Gulf, but other abaya-wearing Muslims worldwide. It is actually a little absurd to me that this hasn’t been adopted as the norm yet based on what a massive market it is. It’s a mark in D&G’s favor that they were the first company to act on it on such a publicized scale, but I am too cynical to think of it in terms of a “win for representation.”
It is interesting to look at from a social perspective, in that a bigger company has finally prioritized profit over excluding Muslim women from its market. But at the end of the day, what does a big brand appealing to Muslim clothing mean? For many it seems to infer the “inclusion” of Muslim women into Western culture, an acceptance of sorts, but what does it mean that Muslim women need to be recognized by a major fashion house in the first place? Does adding design and lace onto an abaya change what it fundamentally means? It seems like a shame that it takes this sort of thinking in order to convey “acceptance” and “tolerance” (and, of course, make a profit).
Hassanah El-Yacoubi: To be honest, my appreciation for it is largely
due to the implicit statement D&G made by releasing this line more so than
the fashions themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the line, but the fact that
they are catering to Muslim women and released it during a time where anti-Muslim sentiment pervades most public discourses had me sold in more ways
than one.
Amani Alkhat: I think D&G’s new fashion line could be a great opportunity for Muslim women in fashion.
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Categories: America, Americas, Islamic Art N Exhbit, Islamic Guidance, The Muslim Times, United States