Fashion influencer hunts out stylish modest looks
747 views · Published 30 December 2018 · 4:30 · Indexed 16 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(25 Dec 2018) LEAD IN A fashion influencer from Belgium is on a mission to prove that modest fashion doesn't mean compromising on style. Sarah Dimani hunts out clothes in the trendiest stores in Antwerp and shares her fashionable finds Instagram. STORY-LINE A store full of colourful clothes fresh from the runway - predominantly Western in style and revealing the latest trends. It's one of the places in Antwerp that modest fashion influencer Sarah Dimani, along with stylist Farah El Bastani, come to experiment with new looks. The two are on a mission to find trendy clothes which are both fashionable and fit for religious women like Dimani. In recent years a new generation of practicing Muslim women in Europe has been breaking away from their mothers' and grandmothers' shopping habits, no longer relying on traditional, Middle-East inspired clothing stores. Rather, Muslim milllenials shop the popular Western brands, often layering the non-traditional clothes so as to look both a la mode and modest. Born into a Moroccan family, 25-year-old Dimani is a fashion influencer in her native Antwerp.Through her Instagram account she blends her religious background with her European upbringing, advising other modestly-clad young women on how to look their best. "For the modest woman it's a challenge to dress modestly because the stores don't always serve modest clothing. But that's the thing, you can see it as a curse or something, but I see it as a challenge to make fun for myself," she explains. "Sometimes I just grab a piece and say 'Ok, how can I make this modest?'. Put a vest on it, wear something with a higher neckline underneath, just combine a sweater on it." For Dimani, dressing according to her religion is anything but bland or boring. Rather, she adds, it's a chance to tap into creativity: "With my Instagram, first of all, I want to show that modest fashion is not frumpy, or dark, or basic or minimalistic. I'm trying to teach people that modest fashion is fun, that modest fashion can be colourful, that you can create a whole new look." Twenty nine-year-old El Bastani doesn't usually sport modest clothes, but thanks to her Moroccan family roots she understands the needs of observant women like her own mother. As long as you cover the parts that need to be hidden, anything's possible, she says. "For example you go to the store and you find this beautiful dress which would not be appropriate for you because it has no sleeves, right? So imagine it's summer, I would say put under like a little shirt with short sleeves so you can just be naked from here down," she says. "Or if it's winter you just wear like a little pull (pullover) with a high neckline for example." Whether one is inspired by religious, cultural or personal reasons, the trend of covering up is growing offering an untapped market potential to fashion brands. In November the city of Antwerp hosted Belgium's first modest fashion forum. The conference put modest fashion influencers and models shoulder to shoulder with fashion industry managers, fashionistas and journalists. Dimani, who was a speaker at the forum, hopes brands will seize the opportunity by broadening their options for the modestly-clad. El Bastani agrees. With the majority of clothing shops in Europe ignoring modest fashion the stylist hopes the industry will finally start to pay attention. In multi-cultural Antwerp it's easy to spot conservatively dressed women in the streets. They form a somewhat silent group, unrepresented and ignored by the fashion industry in the West, observes Dimani. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9e4911f66d451d4590b89883063ee817
