Hijab Style hosts an interview with Sarah Elenany, a young British designer who caters to young Muslim women in England. She says:
I researched clothing currently on the market and found that most clothes for the Muslim youth were things like Islamic slogans, written in a graffiti style on t-shirt shirts and hoodies. For girls, it was either jilbabs or buying a “Western” dress then customising it, for example by wearing a long sleeved top under a short sleeve dress—and of course the dress would be bought in a larger size to make it more loose fitting.
Since art is deeply rooted in Islam, and that the Muslim youth clearly like graphics (with their graffiti t-shirts etc) I though the brand should be defined by its graphics. Almost every piece of Elenany clothing will incorporate a graphic which captures the spirit of the Muslim Youth.
[…]Lastly, a lot of people asked me why I don’t just produce clothing then let a big high street chain sell it under their own name. I thought about this, but then based on my experience of Muslims, I really thought there needed to be a brand—a brand which they could feel happy buying from, which would not exploit people who make the clothes and who wouldn’t donate profits to anything Muslims didn’t agree with. So the business ethics also reflect the needs of Muslims.
Read the full interview here.