Traditional Arabic jewellery complemented winter fabrics, including velvet and silk, to create art and history at the first London Modest Fashion Week (LMFW), held at the Saatchi Gallery in London at the weekend.
The spirit of the two-day event was a celebration of the strength of women, as designers, bloggers and the community gathered to support the modest fashion industry.
More than 3,000 people attended the event, which was organised by Haute Elan, an online modest fashion company.
The sessions on the sidelines of the runway shows included discussions on the rise of the Muslim entrepreneur, while budding designers received advice on building a successful brand. Those who have made a name for themselves in the industry were happy to share the challenges they faced and to tell their life stories.
With dozens of brands showcasing their collections, the sentiment among many designers was one of inspiration.
Here are some of the highlights.
On the runways
It appears green is the colour of the moment and the first runway show of LMFW was testament to this.
Maslea, a Malaysian fashion label, showcased dresses and jumpsuits in green velvet, while Ummiriaz International (another Malaysian brand), sent a collection of long dresses and flared trousers in shades of bottle-green down the runway.
Sara Al Madani Fashion Design, the only UAE label at the event, opened the show with its signature abayas, adorned with leather.
Leenaz Design, a Bahraini brand, focused on open, funky abayas with touches of pastels and white. United Kingdom-based brand Lyra showed modest swimwear, including stylish full-sleeved long tops with leggings.
Art of Heritage, from Saudi Arabia, held a solo show on Saturday night, attracting hundreds to see its traditional weaves styled in modern cuts and looks.
Many of the designs at the show were urban, functional and fun more than feminine.
A milestone
Many designers participating in LMFW said it was an achievement to showcase modest fashion in London.
“It’s a milestone for us,” says Eman Al Sarraf, who was there representing Leenaz Design.
“We always wanted to be in London. It’s a great market to be in. This is the first fashion week we are attending in Europe. It will help to familiarise people with the abayas.”
Sara Al Madani watched the runway shows and was impressed by what she saw.
“It was very out-of-the-box,” she says. “It wasn’t the usual things. There was so much creativity, so much passion and great diversity in the different designers showcasing.”
As modest fashion gains popularity internationally, LMFW marked a milestone – it was the first time many brands had the opportunity to present their collections on the ramp together.
The trends
Modest fashion is not fundamentally so different from mainstream fashion, “it is just more covered”, according to Romanna Bint-Abubaker, founder and chief executive of Haute Elan.
“The trends we are seeing are a really similar replica from mainstream,” she says.
Lace and velvet were popular fabric choices, as they are in mainstream fashion at the moment.
“You can see what’s happening in the mainstream is happening here as well. I think there is a lot of creativity and innovation happening at the fashion week,” says Bint-Abubaker.
An example of this innovative approach was a gown by Roddiva Couture that can become a little more revealing when worn at home, then easily transformed into a more modest garment for wearing in public.
Notable guests
As expected, there were some notable names at the event. Fashion blogger Dina Torkia made an appearance, as did Arab television personality Muna AbuSulayman and Rabia Zargarpur, a veteran modest fashion designer from the UAE.
Rabia Z, as she is popularly known, was keen to see how modest fashion offerings in the UAE compared with what was featured at the event.
“In Abu Dhabi and Dubai our fashion is mostly abayas,” she says. “We don’t have much need to wear modest fashion unless we are travelling.
“Having an event like this in UAE is a work in progress. Turkey had an Istanbul Modest Fashion Week last year and I think that was a great step forward.
“I think they started the big fashion-week event [for modest fashion] which was great because they were able to bring in so many brands and bloggers and influencers from all over.
“That kick-started things and hopefully the momentum will continue.”
The designer says she hopes modest fashion weeks will remain true to the idea behind mainstream fashion events and have seasons twice a year.
Rabia Z says she saw too much uniformity in complete collections on the runway.
“As a designer, I’m a veteran in the industry and I want to see an evolvement in modest fashion and more creativity,” she says.
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ARSENAL
BARCELONA
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- Copa del Rey - 2012
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CHELSEA
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- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Norway v Spain, Saturday, 10.45pm, UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
The%20specs
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
The years Ramadan fell in May
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Racecard
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The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
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RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2 (Heaton (og) 42', Lindelof 64')
Aston Villa 2 (Grealish 11', Mings 66')
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
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