Gautami Dakoji

Professor Steven Karl

English 121

21 November 2010

Donatello Versace, Givenchy, Galliano are only some of the designers

who incorporated middle eastern fashion in their mens collection in 2009.

Whether it is the turban look that is coming back to fashion or the keffiyeh that

have been worn as scarfs over the years; these are just a few references of

middle eastern fashion that has made it's mark even in the streets of the Western

world.

Middle Eastern Fashion has had an influence on it's regions in a number

of ways, some of which include the image of women in society, the growing

economy of these countries and it's youth. The Middle East comprises of the

following countries- Algeria, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan,

Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Palestinian

territories. The main religion this region follows is Islam. Islam has played an

important role as well as shaped the lifestyle and culture of the Middle East along

with their fashion.

The history of the middle eastern fashion has been interpreted

differently over time. The veil in the near east was first introduced by the Assyrian
kings for the royal women whereas the remaining nomads were not recquired to

wear the veil until it became compulsory during the tenth century. Later on the

laws became strict, men had the upperhand due to which the emancipation of

women came into being. This is became a new interpretation of the Quran.

Since this region is mainly Islamic, women are required to dress

accordingly. The attire for women in the Middle East is a hijab, unlike western

fashion which is to be extraordinary or extravagant; the muslim attire is about

purity and for women to reveal themselves only to their husband.

"Women have been required by law since the 1979 Islamic revolution to

cover their hair and wear long, loose clothing. The ideal dress is considered to

be the chador, a black head-to-toe garment. In the early days of the revolution,

women were flogged, jailed and fined for what was considered immodest dress."

In a recent BBC report, a new design of swimsuits known as the Sharia

swimsuit were showcased at a fashion show. These new swimsuits were to

encourage muslim women to swim without their religion and customs holding

them back. The swimsuit covers the women head to toe apart from their face,

hands, and feet and without exposing any part of their body, not even their figure.

Fashion has given a different outlook and positivity for these women and is a

leaping step; these swimsuits are being sold everywhere from the markets in

egypt to boutiques in Dubai.

On one hand the women in this region are bound by politics and religion

which reflects by their dress code; on the other hand many young women have
been visiting hijab fashion blogs in order to get a more fashion forward approach

since they believe that the fashion industry focuses more on the traditional look

which can be too ethnic. Sarah Elenany and Hana Tajima Simpson are examples

of designers who design clothes that are vibrant, urban and that have more

personality to them.

The marketing for women in the middle east varies somewhat depending

on how strong the customs are. It is known for being conservative but yet many

luxury brands and designers have been investing in this market from Gucci, Dior

to Prada and so on.

Fashion today in the middle east is changing over time. A number of

successful fashion week's and events have been held across this region such as

Dubai Fashion week, International wedding exhbition and fashion show in Doha,

International Jewellry week etc....One reason contributing to this fast growth in

the fashion sector's economy, which is said to increase 15% by the end of this

year is the mall culture. Dubai for example is knows for its lavish malls such as

the Dubai mall that has nearly 600 stores, apart from that there are many

designers and brands investing in Dubai. One third of UAE consumers are know

to spend on these luxury brands. Infact the 'Global Fashion Industry - Growth in

Emerging Markets' stated UAE as one of the unique and new emerging fashion

markets.

A number of famous designers have emerged from this region from Walid
Atallah, Soucha, Elie Saab so on and so forth. The flourishing market is in turn

giving recognition to designers such as these and creating itself an international

platform which has become more and more prevalant over the years.

"Fashion has become a dominant factor in the world," he said. "I am

looking at the business for the demographics. In this region, 60% of the people

are below the age of 25; some 50% of our population are women and they are

serious shoppers."

"In most European countries less than 20% of the population is under the

age of 15 - but in Iran the figure is 32%, in Egypt, 35% and in Saudi Arabia,

39%."

Clearly the middle east comprises of a much larger younger population.

The youth in general in this region wants to see change when it comes to politics,

laws, rights and same goes for fashion. From region to region the youth in

different countries in the middle east are facing issues. For example in Egypt the

youth forming a pro-democracy movement or in Lebanon where brain drain

syndrome is taking over due to the on going corruption and issues that all regions

face such as women working, pre-martial sex and so on.

Liberalisation of what people wear exists more amongst the rich than the

other classes in society. The youth in middle east is much like anywhere else
when it comes to following trends, talking on the phone, hanging out in the malls

etc....yet they are caught in the middle of what is truly acceptable in their

customs. Even celebrities are making an impact on the youth, the market and

social change with their videos, wearing clothes that are not considered up to the

societies standards. In most part their is a collective consiousness on how this

region is slowly changing and becoming more globalized at the same time

fashion will take time to fully outgrow as it is constricted with so many rules and

regulations.

The youth comprises of people who agree that it is time to change and

they want to be in par with others in the world whereas the rest believe it is

demorolizing the culture and with westernization comes the fear of their beliefs

dying. While the rich are able to spend money on luxury brands the middle class

men are worried about inflation. Hence fashion plays a unusual role and tends to

have a greater influence for those who are "fortunate".

An Arabic proverb states, "Eat whatever you desire wear what others do".

The Middle East has many sides to it when it comes to fashion, from brands

investing in it to women finding other options and the young and wealthy that are

westernizing.