Modest-fashion designers talk 2018 style trends

Collage of modest-fashion. Photos courtesy of Barcha, Nesci, Iman Aldebe, and Kashkha.

Interest in modest fashion is still on the rise among retailers and customers alike, and everyone wants to know what 2018 holds for the modest woman in Europe. My Salaam asked some of the modest fashion designers for their predictions, and here’s what they told us.

Iman Mestaoui, Barcha, Paris, France

A sweatshirt from Barcha’s Girl Squad collection featuring women with different styles.

I think 2018 will be the year of the woman. The girl power movement is spreading all around the world, in the social sphere (the public denouncements of sexual harassment), at work (parity in the boards of directors and equality in terms of salary), and in the media (the powerful speech by Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globes and the #TimesUp campaign).

This feminist trend largely inspires the fashion and modest-fashion industry. We see bold cuts and patterns, strong feminist messages printed on jackets and shirts. Empowering clothing, very masculine sometimes, to prove that women can wear whatever they want and still be feminine and not be regarded as objects.

In December, when we launched our latest Le Souk collection for Barcha, we teamed up with an illustrator who managed to depict our vision of the Muslim woman in 2018, proud of her religion and her cultural background. We imagined a Girl Squad, a group of friends with different origins, including a hijabi, going out together and having fun, [not caring about] what people may say.

We also worked on the drawing of a Berber woman, her face covered with tattoos and wearing traditional jewelry, with the message “We Are All Feminists.” We really wanted to overturn the cliches of hijab-wearing women and Arab women in general, staying at home and not being able to speak up for their rights.

Enaam Ahmed Ali, owner of Nesci, a modest-fashion label in The Netherlands

Enaam Ahmed Ali of Nesci Netherlands. Photo courtesy of Enaam Ahmed Ali. 

In 2018, floral is here to stay. This is a trend that has been steady for the past few years. In the upcoming year, I expect them to become bolder and more colourful. We will be incorporating this into our fabric prints, but also in 3D bold flowers stitched on our clothing. This way, you steal the show wherever you go.

At Nesci, expect to see bold floral prints. Photo courtesy of Nesci.

Iman Aldebe, Swedish fashion designer

Swedish fashion designer, Iman Aldebe. Photo courtesy of Iman Aldebe.

I think we will see modest brands try to be a part of regular fashion shows and try to stand out more with their brand, with the quality of their garments and their personal signature in their pieces.

Iman’s statement turbans have successfully crossed over to mainstream fashion. Photos courtesy of Iman Aldebe.

Latifa Youssoufi, Kashkha, Paris, France

Sketches and embroidery by Latifa Youssoufi from modest-fashion brand, Kashkha, Paris, France. Photo courtesy of Kashkha.

We’re certain that 2018 is the year of modest fashion. We can see that modest fashion is gradually getting bigger all over the world. We’ve noticed that the Valentino, Balenciaga, Chloe, D&G and Carolina Herrera fashion shows feature lot of conservative and respectful yet glamorous designs, with long hemline garments, supersized or structured long arms, high necks, and hidden decolletage. Modest fashion is also becoming ever more important on social media thanks to thousands of bloggers who proudly wear the style and carry the message of an open culture where women stand together for their love of fashion.

Basically, we’re excited to see a lot of modest-fashion trends this year, and we expect contemporary coat dresses, flared shirt dresses and a wide range of kimonos to be very prominent.

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