In February, the world’s first entirely modest department store, ADdress, opened in New Jersey.
In Australia, modest dressing is a smaller market. David Jones and Myer have not pursued the category, though there are a number of modest designers here. In Britain, Browns department store has invested heavily in the segment.
“We don’t see it as a separate section,” said womenswear buyer Holly Tenser. “But we cover this wherever possible to ensure our offering caters to modest preferences.”
Ms Tenser pointed to Ramadan in particular as a boon to the industry. “We have been working with brands to create exclusive capsules for the holiday over the past few years, and that has been very well-received,” she said.
Ms Hasiyam, a Somalian refugee, came to Australia at 13 and studied design with Sydney ethical clothing brand The Social Outfit. Her clothing uses pleats and floral embellishments in bold colours like lime green and powder blue, and has been worn by Muslim models Halima Aden and Hanan Ibrahim. Though her clothing is proudly modest, Ms Hasiyam wants to attract a wider audience.
“I think about it like when Yves Saint Laurent introduced suits for women – that was shocking, but now every woman has a suit,” said Ms Hasiyam. “Modest clothing is for women who want to cover, but it’s not just for them. Anyone can wear this and feel beautiful.”
Australian Fashion Week runs from May 15 to 19.
