Muslim fashion designers exist, however, they are sparse. We set up a forum with the aim of finding out people's attitudes and beliefs towards Muslim fashion designers. Below we share some of the responses collected.
One of the first forum posts was from a young girl currently debating over which course to choose for University. She started her post with 'Muslim fashion designers, is it possible? Is it allowed?' She's a young girl who is frustrated with the lack of 'appropriate yet stylish' clothing available for Muslim women who choose to dress modestly. However, she was unsure if such a career option would be allowed for a Muslim girl. It's unsurprising that there are few Muslim fashion designers given that the youth of today aren't even sure whether it is permissible under Islam.
Many posters replied with similar comments. A theme of responses argued that to become a Muslim fashion designer is permissible under Islam. However, providing that they design clothes adhering to the Shari'ah. The Shari'ah states that all clothing should be designed to cover parts of the body sufficiently, is not see through in any way, nor is it tight fitting or resembles the clothing of the opposite sex. Also, the clothing design should not mock any other non-Muslim attire or people. A Muslim fashion designer should fulfill all of the above requirements.
In contrast, some responders argued that it is not appropriate for the word 'fashion' to be used in connection with Muslim clothing. This is because the way a Muslim should dress was declared more than 1400 years ago. The purpose of the guidelines was not set out to instruct people how to dress 'fashionably' but merely a guide on how to dress as an appropriate Muslim. Moreover, respondents continued to argue that such guidelines are set to prevent both women and men from receiving unwanted attention. Such replies may suggest that there isn't a place for fashion when it comes to the way Muslim's clothes should be designed.
Perhaps the most striking response came from a 31-year-old man, who remains anonymous. He argued that such responses relating to fashion designer adhering to Shari'ah laws were just unhelpful. He argued that such posts do not consider the bigger picture. He questioned, 'what about the Muslim fashion designers who do not wish to cater for Muslim clothing? What about those that want to design clothes for women that are not Muslim or those that choose not to dress following the Shariah guidelines? Not to mention designing men's clothing'. He holds a strong point that many failed to identify.
Do the closed responses concerning only fashion designing for Muslim people illustrate how alienated Muslims can be towards a career in fashion? Likely not. However, it does represent that there is still a range of issues and unanswered questions that exist for those Muslims considering working in the fashion sector. These types of issues need to be addressed and talked about directly among Muslim communities to help future generations make informed decisions.