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Bringing the Drama

Dior’s intimate venue was where the modesty ended, beautiful sculpted corsets, satin underwear and elaborate skirts were unashamedly hot. More modest, but just as dramatic was Givenchy’s collection. With heavy Middle Eastern influence and striking cuts a slick canvas was created for the gold trims and jeweled adornments. For a closer look see my previous feature on Givenchy’s couture collection

So Fresh and so Clean

With the same richness of fabric and attention to detail but without the fuss, Elie Saab and Armani Prive had beautiful looks and sleek cuts. Armani Prive has that classic chic down to a fine art and this collection was no exception. The textures were magnificent, as they were at Elie Saab. Infact at Elie Saab the textures and silhouettes were what counted as the line was completely devoid of colour. But this icy white collection was not short on impact.

Full Volume- Maxi skirts had more oomph at designers like Dior and Valentino.

Bonnets- Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier both hit a trend with hijab friendly bonnets.

Velvet- Sumptuous fabrics were key, velvet made a sophisticated come back from Armani Prive to Givenchy

Bold Embellishments- Florals at Elie Saab, Embroidery at Lacroix and Chanel, and oversized jewel studs at Givenchy the bigger the better!

Drape- Delicate headscarves and sheer veils rocked runways, and for exaggerated folds see Dior’s maxi skirts.

Rich Colours- Blue and black together are dramatic but modest, choose from royal, navy and electric blues. Or try black and white for a crisper look, Armani Prive put monochrome to test with a smart and beautiful collection. And with Elie Saab’s snowy line you can indulge in a white winter.

(images:style.com)

Autumn 2009

Dressing, the Balance

In terms of modesty designers were at extremes, with elaborate full maxi skirts, pinched wasp waists and more than a peek of underwear, Christian Dior headed the sexier side of the spectrum. But with soft draping, loose silhouettes and long lengths Alexis Mabille brought back the balance with a simple collection. I have to admit by favourite collection, Valentino, was edging further towards the Dior camp, but there were beautiful details and stunning textures to take inspiration from.

Valentino

Valentino totally took my breath away, and the more I looked at the collection the more I realised that these were modest designs posing as something a little more raunchy. The sheer black was layered with flesh tones that gave the impression of showing through, but actually they hid a lot more than they gave away. There were modest shift shape tunics and full volume skirts. I’m not suggesting that we all go for the corseted sheer looks, but layering sheer fabrics could be wonderful.

Alexis Mabille

Definitely the most Muslimah friendly couture collection there were abaya like shapes and hooded tunics. The maxi dresses and evening gowns were definite highlights, but the tailoring also shared the spotlight. Not the most creatively exciting or technically beautiful his collection seemed unfinished, some looks missed the mark, while others were stunning.

(images:style.com)

Couture Fall 2009

And Another…

This week I’ve combined these two stunning dresses into one hijab friendly outfit. I absolutely loved Valentino’s couture collection, and I’ll be doing a full couture report next week inshAllah.

Hijab Style

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(inspiration images: style.com)

Designer Modest Fashion

As Fall is fast approaching I’m trying to cling on to the last days of summer and what better way to do that than with Valentino’s stunning summery collection. The lemon yellows and lush greens are modest but beautiful and bright, and to counteract all that colour there are the most exquisite, original embellishments and decorative details.

Abaya Style

Valentino is one of those labels that manages to combine modesty and a bit of glamour, the long sleeved maxi dresses have abaya like silhouettes and the draping beautifully covers up body shape. I did a Hijabi Sketchbook entry on this collection which you can find here.

Good Little Actions

Read the Qur’an even if it’s just a few words, and if you find it difficult know that there are so many blessings in the struggle.

Hadith of the Day

“May God have mercy on a servant who spoke well and gained good, or kept silent and avoided harm.” Ibn al-Mubarak

The Content of Character, Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazuri

• Don’t Forget to vote for your look of the week

Islamic Fashion: In the mood for polka-dots today, a slice of Italian chic

Hijab on the Runway

I really love this top (or dress, depending on how you wear it). It’s simple and fussy at the same time, but manages to look complete. Very Italian, not quite day wear, not quite evening, but I think that’s part of the charm. You can dress it up or down, here I went for maximum impact by framing it in black, the chiffon on the headscarf softening dark tones. I think the key is to keep it simple, otherwise you’ll get that over complicated feeling.

Hijab Style: keeping it simple and rather grown up, well I guess we can't be silly all the time