Story by: Meha Ahmad
April 17, 2009 – Forty models stood backstage at a recent Chicago fashion show, amid the growing hum of the 400-plus-member audience just on the other side of the curtain. Draped in imported fabrics from local and online boutiques, the female models could taste the excitement in the air before they took to the runway in front flashing lights, cameras, the beat of the music from around the globe and hundreds of people.
The models, all of different ages, different backgrounds, had one thing in common — something rarely, if ever, seen in fashion shows: They were covered from head to toe.
Muslim women and young girls from around the Chicagoland community came to take part in a very rare kind of fashion show at the Muslim Community Center in Morton Grove, April 4. The fashion show catered to Muslim women, particularly those who choose to wear the hijab, or veil, and don’t want to compromise fashion for faith.
The ladies-only event featured the spring and summer fashion lines from modest and hijab-friendly Chicago boutiques as well as several online stores. Contemporary western clothing like bohemian peasant tops, silk jackets and tunics as well as more cultural pieces like saris stood out during the show.
The masterminds of the fashion show were parents and teachers from the MCC full-time school’s Parent Support Group. Jill Alalli, a core coordinator and member of the Parent Support Group, said the mission of the fashion show was to promote the beauty of hijab and show the women and young girls in the community how to be modest and yet stylish.
“Hijab is something that isn’t just a requirement for our girls, but something we’re proud of. Something we find beautiful and strong,” said Alalli, who is also the marketing coordinator for the MCC.
Audience member Samia Suleiman, 21, said she found the fashion show exciting, upbeat, and exactly what she needed for the spring and summer. Many of the outfits from the runway were sold at a post-show bazaar. Suleiman purchased an ensemble, which was not only the right size and style for her, but more importantly, one that fit in the modest way she likes to dress with her hijab.
“That doesn’t happen all the time for me at a store,” Suleiman said.
Hazar Alkhawaja, a Columbia College graphic design student who attended the show, said she found a number of pieces she was interested in buying.
“I’m going to go on some of the designers’ Web sites,” Alkhawaja said. “I saw a lot of long shirts on the runway that would I never, ever find at the mall. The new styles aren’t exactly hijab-friendly.”
This is a common problem for many women who practice Islam, according to Rehana Bhaiji, the chairwoman of the Parent Support Group.
“Going to the mall to find modest clothes is always a problem for working women,” Bhaiji said. “Either the sleeves are too short, the shirt is too short or tight or the neck is too low.”
Though the fashion show was a great opportunity for the women to find loose-fitting clothes they liked, the shoppers and audience members weren’t the only ones who had a good time with the unique pieces. The models also had their fun.
Model Deba Malik, who’s also a teacher at the MCC’s children school, said preparing for the fashion show was exhilarating and very nerve-wracking.
“It was really hectic, getting things on, getting pinned up,” Malik said about the pre-show backstage chaos. “You don’t realize what all that goes into a show until you’re actually part of it.”
But despite the nerves, Malik and several of the other models said they would love to model for the show again if it is put on again next year. Bhaiji said she already has a waiting list of women and young girls who have offered to be models if there is another fashion show.
The fashion show ended with a pretty-in-pink segment, where 20 young girls, ages 3 to 12, strutted their stuff on stage in their own feminine and modest outfits and accessories.
Alalli said the clothes were meant to be as diverse as the models wearing them.
“We really wanted to provide a variety of styles. We didn’t want to just promote purely Western-style looks but also styles influenced by other cultural looks, like the Middle Eastern culture, and Indo-Paki culture,” Alalli said. “Our school on the North Side is one of the most diverse schools in the city. We wanted to promote that on the runway.”
The show’s sponsors, whose clothing lines made up the runway pieces, included Primo Moda, Contemporary Modestwear, Islamic Outfitters, Taj Sari Palace, Artizara, and the show’s headlining sponsore, SHUKR Islamic Clothing.
The fundraising event’s profits will help fund the MCC’s full-time school. Additionally, 20 percent of the profits will be sent to help Palestinian relief efforts, particularly widow and orphan sponsorship in Gaza, according to Bhaiji.
Muslim Women Fashion Show (Morton Grove, IL; April 4, 2009) from Meha Ahmad on Vimeo.