Muslim fashion in focus: "Contemporary Muslim Fashions"

An exhibition in Frankfurt caused a stir even before it began. That's not because of the clothes on display, but because of the questions it raises: Do veils and women's rights go together? By Stefan Dege

  • A woman in a black dress with a billowing scarf walks across a sand dune (photo: Modanisa)
    Market worth billions: "modest" is the name given to fashion for Muslim women, which means "modest", "discreet" or "less body-oriented". The market for Muslim fashion is worth a hefty 44 billion dollars a year. Labels from all over the world want a piece of the cake. Our picture shows Rasit Bagzibagliʹs "Desert Dream Collection" for "Modanisa"
  • Four young women with headscarves walk along a street (photo: Sara Aghajanian)
    A fashion accessory? Opinions are divided on the headscarf: some wear it voluntarily, others have no choice. In Muslim countries such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan or Yemen, strict clothing regulations apply. In Germany the headscarf is sometimes a political signal. Our picture comes from the video "Somewhere in America". For these young women, the headscarf is a fashion accessory
  • Only the eyes are visible peeping out through slits in this fashionable Chanel scarf (photo: Wesaam Al-Badry
    A blow to women's rights? Are the exhibition organisers trivialising Islamic dress codes as a fashion trend? This is what a group of "secular migrant women" believe. The exhibition, they write, is "a blow to women's rights and makes common cause with the religious police in some Islamic countries". One prominent member of the group is Iranian women's rights activist Monireh Kazemi, who lives in exile in Frankfurt
  • Young Muslim girls throwing javelins (photo: Tanya Habjouqa)
    Fashion controversy: from haute couture to streetwear to sportswear, the exhibition in Frankfurt's Museum fuer Angewandte Kunst (Museum for Applied Arts) focusses on the phenomenon of contemporary Muslim fashion. Even before its opening, the show, which comes from San Francisco in the USA, had already begun making waves. Our picture shows young Muslim women throwing javelins in the West Bank
  • A Muslim woman swims in a hijab full body swimsuit (photo: Shereen Sabet/Splashgear LLC)
    Strict controls: body scans and bag checks just like at the airport – security precautions at the entrance to the museum are strict. And apparently also necessary: the museum curator has received threats. Feminists protested that the exhibition would only be acceptable if the image of a stoned woman were shown. That alone reveals how political the exhibition is. In the picture: a Muslim woman in a hijab swimsuit
  • A woman wears a scarf that covers her head and neck (photo: Wesaam Al-Badry)
    A sense of foreboding: exhibition initiator Max Hollein expected massive criticism when the exhibition opened in San Francisco in the autumn of 2018. He suspected he might be accused of paying homage to fashion that celebrates the oppression of women. But then the public focus switched to Trump's ban on Muslim nationals. A wave of criticism has hit Hollein's colleagues in Frankfurt instead
  • A female boxer wears a Nike full bodysuit (photo: Nike Inc.)
    Fashion meets politics: major sporting goods manufacturers are also major players in the Islamic fashion business. The picture shows a boxer in a Nike full body outfit. The exhibition also addresses the topic of Islamophobia: the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution is printed on a bomber jacket in Arabic script. It guarantees freedom of religion
  • Fashion images on Instagram (photo: DW/A. Binder)
    Fashion on Instagram and co.: countless bloggers, influencers and fashion magazines are dedicated to the Muslim fashion world. On Instagram, so-called "hijabistas" celebrate the traditional headscarf as a fashion must-have. This aspect is also addressed in the exhibition "Contemporary Muslim Fashion", which will run in the Museum fuer Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt until 1 September