The current state of modest fashion is full of contradictions. On one hand, the quiet luxury trend has unintentionally led to more options on the market for those who choose to dress more conservatively, with plenty of Western celebrities and influencers serving as style inspiration — just take Lauren Sanchez Bezos’s buttoned-up coat dress at the Balenciaga couture show, for instance. The Middle Eastern market and its wealthy consumers (who are often Muslim) are also a key target for luxury in 2025, as the region’s solid growth stands out amid challenges in the US and China. At the same time, there’s a growing spotlight on Middle Eastern designers such as Syrian-born, Dubai-based Rami Al Ali, who debuted at couture week this month.
On the other hand, Muslim modest fashion consumers say they’ve noticed a shift in how their style choices are perceived amid growing political tensions. Vogue Business spoke to 10 modest fashion customers from a variety of backgrounds for this story. When asked if they’ve faced discrimination for dressing modestly, there was a stark difference between the responses from Muslim and non-Muslim modest fashion consumers. “Discrimination can sometimes be as simple as a dirty look, and I get that a lot when I am travelling, unfortunately,” says London-based photographer Noor-u-Nisa Khan. She recalls one instance where she was shooting front of house for an international publication at a major Italian brand’s fashion show and was the only photographer who was asked to leave despite having an official badge. “I can’t say for sure it was because of my hijab, but this is the impression I got. It’s honestly a really scary time to be a visible Muslim.”
While independent brands like Merrachi, Sabirah and Khanum’s that take a loud and proud approach to accommodating the modest fashion customer are thriving, larger Western luxury brands are caught between wanting to appeal to Muslim consumers and being afraid of taking what might be perceived as a political stance. Experts say the key to getting it right is understanding the nuances of the modest fashion customer and how to segment and target them effectively.
Quiet luxury: A modest fashion opportunity or setback?
Over the past two years, a “quiet luxury” trend has emerged, characterised by chic minimalistic dressing and more covered silhouettes, including high necklines, maxi skirt lengths and oversized cuts. “Trends like quiet luxury have made certain styles more accessible for modest dressers, but it’s not always intentional,” says Intisar Abdul-Kader, a London-based public health professional, Nike running coach and model who wears the hijab.
Trend analysts have been quick to point out that the rise in quiet luxury can be traced back to a desire for tradition and conservative ideals in the face of the growing uncertainty of the post-Covid world. So while quiet luxury styles may be more inclusive to modest fashion wearers on the surface, the same conservative ideals that are spurring this trend are creating political tensions and growing Islamophobia that make it harder to present as visibly Muslim.
“In the mainstream media, when modest fashion is worn by a non-Muslim woman, words like ‘chic’, ‘elegant’ and ‘demure’ are often used,” says Dubai-based writer Hafsa Lodi, features editor at Vogue Arabia and author of Modesty: A Fashion Paradox. “When Muslims — particularly visibly Muslim women who wear hijab — are pictured in these same skin-covering garments, words like ‘conservative’ are used in some cases, along with cultural and religious stereotypes that reinforce them as ‘the other’.”
In the UK, Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch argued last month that employers should be able to ban staff from wearing burqas and face coverings, following right-wing party Reform UK’s MP Sarah Pochin calling for a ban on the burqa (though this is not her party’s policy). France has had a ban on face-covering attire (including the burqa) in public spaces since 2010 and on school children wearing abayas since 2023, while there have been ongoing discussions about banning the hijab in all sports competitions since the Paris Olympics.
Alice Audrezet, head of the international fashion and luxury management masters course at Institut Français de la Mode, who has published research on the perceptions of modest fashion spanning the past decade, notes that modest fashion collections from brands including Dolce and Gabbana and Marks Spencer created mass controversy in France, which both launched in 2016, despite a growing trend for non-Muslim Parisians to wear headscarves or balaclavas at the time. More recently, Dutch-Moroccan modest fashion brand Merrachi launched an ad featuring the Eiffel Tower draped in a hijab in an effort to comment on Islamophobia in France, which sparked controversy.
Discrimination is often born of fear of the unknown or the other, and Islamophobia is no different. While fashion alone can’t dismantle systemic Islamophobia, Muslim-owned brands are trying to combat the root cause by fostering an inclusive approach. London-based luxury modestwear brand Sabirah’s Iftar in March was an inter-faith celebration that moved many attendees to tears. “I wanted there to be a natural exchange with people gaining more knowledge and understanding, but also given all the Islamophobia and polarisation, I was trying to reduce that and lean into creativity and togetherness,” says founder Deborah Latouche. “Those people who attend will talk to others about their experience, so it creates a trickle-down effect that we hope will help dismantle that lack of understanding.”
Strategies for success
The modest fashion customer’s key values and variety of preferences are essential to keep in mind, as most larger brands and retailers are taking a more subtle approach to targeting this demographic. While Muslim consumers have a clear affinity for modest fashion and have been the driving force behind the popularisation of the term, there’s notable variety within the modest fashion consumer demographic.
Berlin-based photographer Noa Lesche grew up in Miami and was bullied for reaching puberty and developing breasts when she was seven years old, so she started dressing in loose, oversized silhouettes to detract attention from her body, for instance. New York-based fashion entrepreneur Karina Trofimova dresses more modestly depending on what she deems appropriate for that environment. UAE-based stylist and consultant Erin Crystal September’s modest style is influenced by growing up in a multi-cultural environment in South Africa, equally shaped by Christian and Hindu values. Khan sees modest dressing as an act of worship in Islam, while Switzerland-based modest fashion consultant and content creator Yousra Zein sees it as an expression of her personal style.
There’s a range in what consumers consider to be modest, too: for some, it’s covering everywhere besides the hands and feet, some choose to cover their shoulders and thighs, and some opt for baggy silhouettes when wearing T-shirts or long shorts. Some are inspired by Audrey Hepburn, while others cite Billie Eilish.
Audrezet sees brands channelling their customer research into a segmentation strategy. This usually involves targeting social media ads for specific demographics; merchandising the collection in different ways according to local tastes; and dedicating specific sales associates to Muslim customers who can show them which products might work best or how to style certain items to be more modest. Often, modest clothing items are shown on what Audrezet calls a “beige icon”: a model or celebrity who has no discernible political affiliations and sometimes has a somewhat ethnically ambiguous appearance. In instances where brands portray head coverings such as scarves or balaclavas, they’ll often select a white model who doesn’t appear to look stereotypically Muslim, she notes.
“It’s less risky,” she explains. “If a big brand obviously targets the Muslim market, there could be a reaction from the non-Muslim demographic. That reaction is a combination of Islamophobia and a feeling of rejection — ‘why am I not being targeted by this brand?’”
There have been a number of recent examples of brands including looks that may subtly appeal to the Muslim modest fashion customer in subtle ways in their collections. Last season, Valentino, Burberry, Balmain and more included more modest looks worn by models with their heads covered (in hats, scarves or balaclavas, for instance).
Harrods takes a “hybrid approach”. “We work with brands that specialise in modest dressing with a modern edge that resonates with our clients, but we also look for modest styles within broader collections that meet our customers’ needs,” says head of fashion buying Clemmie Harris. The retailer aims to disperse modest fashion options throughout the store across all of its brands. “This allows clients to shop seamlessly without feeling segmented. That said, for customers who are specifically seeking modest fashion — or who may not have time to browse — we offer tailored support through our private and personal shopping teams.”
Brands taking a quieter approach to targeting the Muslim consumer should still keep their needs in mind throughout the design process. British-Bangladeshi designer Rokeya Khanum, founder of London-based eveningwear brand Khanum’s, says she uses focus groups (including her own family and community) to understand their needs. “We launched a multi-use scarf and didn’t market it as a hijab, but in our fit session, we had hijabi customers try it to make sure the fabric doesn’t slip or that it won’t get damaged if they’re putting pins in it,” she says. She’s been including modest styles in each monthly drop for the past year and a half and says they are consistently bestsellers.
Independent brands are finding success in being intentional about who they’re targeting. “[Bigger] brands understand they need to cater to the Muslim market, but they won’t necessarily say it. With us, we absolutely do say it, because we want people to know that if you want modest fashion, you can get it here, and that it’s not going to be a stereotypical vision of what a Muslim woman should be wearing,” says Sabirah’s Latouche.
“The mistake brands make is sometimes using modest fashion tokenistically or as a cash grab without making that customer feel safe,” adds Khanum. “It was important to me that we also worked with a hijabi photographer, stylist, makeup artist and model because I wanted our Muslim modest customers to know we respect them. The double standard in how modesty is read through a lens of race, religion and culture reinforces the need for modest fashion created by and for the communities who live it, not just those who borrow from it.”
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