Paris Modest Fashion Week was held last month at Hotel La Marois on the Champs-Élysées, where models walked through the venue's gilded salons in embellished satin tailoring, corseted silhouettes and full-coverage eveningwear. Influencers, buyers and journalists filled the halls as the runway program unfolded.
One model wore a denim maxi dress with cargo pockets and a matching cropped jacket. The same model also wore a black crochet balaclava adorned with oversized crystals that covered her head and most of her face, a piece from French label Soutoura presented as a streetwear interpretation of the niqab. France has banned the niqab since 2010.
The event was organized by Think Fashion, which has previously staged Modest Fashion Week editions in Jakarta, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam. The platform continues to provide a showcase for smaller, homegrown and start-up labels.
"Bringing it to Paris was a natural step in positioning modesty within the global fashion dialogue. It's also a statement that the industry has reached a level of maturity, where it can be presented at prestigious venues on the Champs-Elysees, with top model agencies, leading choreographers and strong execution. The message is clear: Modest fashion has the potential to be a leading force within the international fashion scene." Think Fashion CEO Ozlem Sahin said.
Muslim spending on fashion is forecast to reach $433bn by 2028, according to DinarStandard's State of the Global Islamic Economy report. By 2030, Muslims are expected to account for nearly a third of the world's population, with more than half under the age of 25, the report stated.
Between 2014 and 2018, labels including DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Mango and H&M launched Ramadan capsule collections aimed at shoppers in the Gulf. By the late 2010s, brands were flying hijabi influencers Dina Torkia, Ascia al-Faraj and Maria Alia to fashion weeks in New York, London and Milan, dressing them in curated looks and placing them in the front rows of luxury shows.
Yemeni-Kenyan creative strategist and content creator Junaynah El Guthmy addressed the role of dedicated platforms in the industry. "These events create a sense of safety, belonging and shared identity. That kind of grounding is essential if the goal is to eventually move beyond tokenism and into true, natural integration within the mainstream." she said.
El Guthmy also pointed to the geographic origins of the category. "It has deep roots in the GCC. It came from us. If anything, it's our perspective that has shaped how the rest of the world engages with it, not the other way around." she said. Writer Hoda Katebi offered a parallel observation: "When you wear a turtleneck, you're elegant; when I wear one, I'm oppressed."