Intersection of Fashion & Appropriation: The Exploitation of Hijab for Economic Purpose
While cultural appropriation has been a recurring topic in the last decade, religious appropriation has fallen by the wayside, none more relevant as Milan’s fashion week wraps. Fendi, Boss and Max Mara all give a nod to Muslim women, as fashion’s elite prepares to migrate to Paris.
Modest dressing and Hijab are two different things though becoming more blurred though the fashion lens and some of the new breed of models riding this wave. Wearing a hijab isn’t simply a fashion choice. It is a commitment to a modest way of life with focus on quality, ethics, and sustainability.All integral parts in equal measure of a halal way of living. At the very root of the 3 C’s; Capitalism, Colonisation and Climate Change.
The muslim fashion market is estimated to be worth £226 billion by 2020, consistant with the State of Global Islamic Economy. It is no wonder luxury brands are keen to capitalise, where exploitation of hijab for economic purposes becomes more prevalent, and religious appropriation becomes an issue.
Hijab can nowadays be regarded as a social incubator. Generally regarded as a sign of oppression in the west, now deemed acceptable or tolerable in the hands of western corporations. In contrast, the habit worn by Catholic nuns is regarded as a sign of piety and modesty. Both religions dictate a certain rather identical style of dress for women who strive to be closer to God. Both also beckon their believers to maintain modesty not to attract attention.
Unapologetic Muslim women site the hijab to “signifies a level of self-confidence and self-worth that transcends the attention you get for your beauty.” There has been a positive focus on muslim Hijab representation pushing back against narratives of oppression and submission with the rise of the hijab wearing quartet of models; Halima Aden, Ugbad Abdi, Ikram Abdi Omar and Amina Adan. On the flipside concerns circulate on whether this is staying true to the purpose of hijab as some of these models come under scrutiny for their choices on social media or runway attire. So one might ask what is the misconception of hijab and head scarfs exactly? If we are to extract the moral or spiritual side and concentrate on the physical external representation it would define as the complete cover of head, hair, ears and neck excluding the face along with the complete coverage of the body in none fitting or body clinging clothing with the exception of the hands and feet that can be exposed. Hence any variation of one or the other by models can read as a misrepresentation and the religious meaning lost. The general consensus further adheres to make-up be at a minimum if at all, facial features should remain natural and unaltered, no eyebrow tweezing ect.
Brands should be critical of the capitalisation or commodification of a spiritual symbol that has a lot of personal significance to those who wear it. When a brand like Dolce & Gabbana launch into this market given their track record of insensitive cultural appropriation it is safe to say they are seizing the moment to capitalise on what the market has to offer.
Fashion is an industry of consumerism and objectification. Each season you buy more than you need only to be judged by what you wear. Both of which oppose islamic values, that extends beyond looks, into purchases and wastes. Inline with and echoing calls for sustainability and factors affecting climate changes. In the same way sustainability is ecological, economical and sociological so is Islamic doctrine. While it might be liberating for a Muslim woman to purchase her fashions from the High street one must ask how liberating it is for a muslim woman making these garments in the global south out of a sweatshop under exploitative codtions.
