Islamic Branding Consultancy & Marketing for Muslim Consumer Markets - Ogilvy Noor This article was published today on FT.com. The fashion industry is currently showcasing its wares for next year’s spring/summer collections. New York and London have already strutted their stuff and with Milan winding up and Paris on later this week, you might be forgiven for thinking Europe and North America have the global fashion business stitched up. (Pun intended.) Not so. Big fashion brands may be wondering how to stem a decline in business – Dolce & Gabbana for instance announced the closure of their diffusion line last week. Muslim fashion? Milan Fashion Week has got wise to this. Indonesia has an Islamic Fashion consortium whose chairwoman hopes to establish Indonesia as a global centre for Islamic fashion. Far from reviling the abaya, Muslim women are showing pride and love for this traditional fashion form, and increasingly re-inventing it, and aspiring for it in the Western world. These fashion forward women have found the high street wanting around the world.
British Fashion Council At a press conference to open London Fashion Week Natalie Massenet, Chairman of the British Fashion Council, announced updated figures showing substantial growth in the UK fashion industry over the past five years. The direct value of the UK fashion industry to the UK economy is £26 billion; up from £21 billion in 2009. Showing an increase of 22% in nominal terms (source: Oxford Economics 2014) The UK fashion industry is estimated to support 797,000 jobs (source: Oxford Economics 2014). This is a decrease of 2.3% from 2009 Whilst employment figures have dropped overall the increased contribution to UK GVA reflects higher productivity within the fashion sector. The British Fashion Council is committed to supporting growth in the sector which it hopes will lead to more employment opportunities Fashion’s total contribution to the economy via both indirect support for supply chain industries and induced spending of employee’s wage income is estimated to have risen to over £46 billion.
Amenakin, Author at Aquila Style Amenakin reflects on the kind of union where two people come together to serve and love each other – as they serve and love God. Hijab has become increasingly available, varied and accepted as a form of artistic expression. Amenakin traces its recent contemporary history. Amenakin offers tips on how to stay well-adjusted and positive – it starts with treating your body well. Amenakin reports on a recent benefit event and shares details on other charitable causes that help those in need, from Palestine to Pakistan. On the recent World Hjab Day, Amenakin went to London to invite non-Muslim, non-hijabi women to try on a headscarf. After meeting with Pearl Daisy fans in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Amenakin goes to Dubai where an informal meet-and-greet session creates quite a stir. Who says learning has to stop when one leaves a formal education system? Resolutions are just one of the ways in which we can take a closer look at ourselves, writes Amenakin. Forget fictional characters.
Fashion research and publications High-end & Designer manufacturing report This report, published by the British Fashion Council, contends that supporting high-end manfuacturing is essential to the high end designer fashion sector in the UK. It identifies 137 UK businesses involved in the manufacture of high-end clothing, footwear and accessories with a combined turnover of £1.76bn a year. Published: March 2015. Download report. British fashion council 2013-14 Annual Review The annual report from the British Fashion Council estimates that the industry contributes £26bn to the UK economy, and outlines the organisation's five strategic pillars. Published: September 2014. Download BFC reports from here. Commercialising Creativity Understanding the importance of product development, manufacturing and funding are key factors behind the success of British designers' fashion businesses, according to a report commissioned by the British Fashion Council in collaboration with London Business School and Land Securities.
Covertime Magazine - Modest Fashion & Pop Culture London Fashion Week: Fashion industry worth £26 billion to UK economy New figures published by the British Fashion Council on the first day of London Fashion Week value the fashion industry's contribution to the UK economy at £26 billion BY Ellie Pithers | 14 February 2014 A model appears on the catwalk during the London College of Fashion MA Show at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Aldwych Photo: PA The British fashion industry is worth £26 billion to the country's economy, according to figures published today by the British Fashion Council. At a press conference to open London Fashion Week Natalie Massenet, chairman of the British Fashion Council, announced the increase of 22 per cent; up from £21 billion in 2009. The fashion industry is estimated to support 797,000 jobs according to research by Oxford Economics. "The international spotlight is on us and we aim to make the most of it. READ: Natalie Massenet appointed chairman of the British Fashion Council READ: Net-a-Porter founder: UK internet fashion industry can lead world
Muslim women can buy 'sporty hijabs' at House of Fraser “We use the finest material in order to provide the best level of comfort and inspire you to be active, without compromise.” The hijabs come in a range of colours and patterns – such as leopard-print - and are made of 80 per cent nylon and 20 per cent spandex to ensure they are light and durable. Each one can be adjusted fit a woman’s head and typically cost around £12 to £15. An image of a young model in an unitard (Shorso/Facebook) Another product, the unitard, available for £40, provides full body coverage, but the streamlined fit means women can “be active and feel good at the same time”. Muslim women will also be able to buy a ‘jeans hijab’ designed for every day wear, as well as hijabs that use Velcro instead of typical pins and clips. The hijab in sport has previously been controversial – Qatar’s women’s basketball team withdrew from the Asian Games in South Korea back in 2014 after being told they could not wear the hijab during matches.
Clothing sales drive online shopping growth, says ONS Clothes have been the most popular items bought on the internet this year, according to official figures. Some 74% of adults had bought goods or services online this year, according to a snapshot of the way the internet is used in our daily lives. Almost half had bought clothing, with 64% of 25 to 34-year-olds buying clothes online, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Internet activity has risen significantly in recent years. The ONS said that 38 million, or 76%, of British adults accessed the internet every day. Internet shopping had grown in popularity, rising from 53% of adults buying goods and services online in 2008 to 74% now, it added. Younger age groups have been regular users of online shopping, notably on smartphones, with nine out of 10 people aged 25 to 34 having shopped online. Some 40% of those aged 65 and over bought online in 2014. Other financial transactions have also risen in popularity online.
Region: Middle East-North Africa The Muslim population in the Middle East-North Africa region is expected to grow by more than a third (37%) in the next 20 years. It is projected to grow from 321.9 million in 2010 to 439.5 million in 2030, which is more than double the number of Muslims in the region in 1990 (205.9 million). Roughly nine-in-ten people living in the region today are Muslim (91.2% in 2010). A fifth of the world’s Muslims (19.9%) now live in the Middle East-North Africa. The annual growth of the Muslim population in the region is projected to be 1.4% between 2020 and 2030, down from 1.8% between 2010 and 2020 and 2.1% between 2000 and 2010. Although Muslim population growth in the region is projected to slow over the next 20 years, it is expected to be slightly higher than the projected rate of growth for non-Muslim populations in the region. Sub-Regions and Countries in the Middle East-North Africa Sub-Regions in the Middle East-North Africa Countries in the Middle East-North Africa Spotlight on Israel
Debenhams' size 16 mannequins are great. Now we need even more diversity The average woman in the UK is 5ft 3in tall, weighs 11 stone (70.2kg) and wears a size 16. So the first thing to say about the mannequins launched today in department store Debenhams is that they are not "plus" size, they are bang on average. So ingrained is the idea that the typical British woman must need to shop at a specialist retailer for chubsters that even the BBC suggests that size 16 is "plus size". Which is why the use of size 16 mannequins in Debenham's flagship store in London's Oxford Street, the busiest retail street in Europe, is to be welcomed. Debenhams director Ed Watson says: "Having worked on this project for three years, we hope that it will help people in some small way to feel comfortable about their bodies and, crucially, that other retailers will follow." He may not have said as much, but using average-sized women is also good for business.
Muslim Fashion Market Poised To Skyrocket As Retailers Like Uniqlo Embrace ‘Modest’ Lines When H&M featured a Muslim model donning a hijab in one of its video ads in September, the news went viral as Muslims around the world celebrated the step toward inclusion taken by the second largest apparel retailer on the planet. But for some Muslim women, it wasn’t enough. “Thank you for showing us a hijabi model, H&M. AlGhani, a convert to Islam who worked in the modeling industry, is not the only fashion-savvy consumer asking that question. Janmohamed, who spoke with International Business Times from London, added that such women are desperate for retailers to offer clothing that is both stylish and helps them adhere to Islamic dictates of modesty. “There is a growing market for what I broadly call ‘modest fashion,’” said Reina Lewis, author of the forthcoming book “Muslim Fashion: Contemporary Style Cultures” and a professor of cultural studies at the London College of Fashion at the University of Arts London. Money To Spend Turning To D.I.Y. Ibtihaj Muhammad is one such example.
Should we stop calling women plus sized? | Life Women are weighing up the pros and cons of 'plus size' clothing AS soon as we step foot inside a shop we are asked to define ourselves by our size. Are you a 10 or a 16, are you tall, petite or plus size? These labels are supposed to be helpful, showing us where we'll find the right clothes for our body type but is the latter doing more harm than good as it implies a woman is bigger than normal? Australian presenter Ajay Rochester thinks so and has started a social media campaign for the fashion industry to "Drop The Plus". The campaign has generated a lot of interest over the past few days as well as celebrity supporters including Dita Von Teese and lingerie model Stefania Ferrario, who despite being a slim size 12 is deemed plus size in the industry. Stefania says: "Unfortunately, in the modelling industry if you're above a US size four you are considered a plus size and so I'm often labelled a plus size model. So is it time to ban the term plus size once and for all? YES says DEBBI MARCO
Faith & Fashion - Current Projects Thursday 12th March 2015 With the increase in faith schools, uniforms are often asked to do more than simply ensure that students are neat and tidy and easily recognisable. For faith schools, uniforms may serve to ensure adherence – or, at least, the appearance of adherence - to religiously related codes of conduct and modesty, for teachers and parents as well as students.
TWIGGY - THE OFFICIAL SITE Back in 1966, Lesley Hornby was about to change her name and experience her first taste of fame which all began on a January afternoon and a trip to Leonard's hair salon in Mayfair.... "I was in the salon for about seven hours and they were cutting and colouring it, it was all extremely exciting for me. He was brilliant, I went from this mouse like brown to the colour which I have kept now." Following the hair cut, Twiggy tells of the photo shoot that was to follow. "Well after the hair cut I got on the bus to Barry's (Lategan) and met this really sweet lovely man who was to take my photos, I mean I'd never been in front of a camera before!" Barry Lategan, describes the first photo shoot which were to produce the shots for the Face Of '66 Barry Lategan, talks of the photos taken at the session "There are so many adjectives to describe what 'photogenic' actually is, but my photos of Twiggy show the result of that."