Among the aspiring Asian designers competing for the limelight at Tokyo Fashion Week, one of the most striking was an Indonesian label’s bid to blend a traditional Muslim headscarf with haute couture.

The twice-yearly show, which wraps up on Saturday, saw NurZahra roll out its autumn/winter collection Layers of Fidelity, turning the modest hijab into sophisticated fashion.

The label — whose name means “the luminous light” in Arabic and takes from Fatimah Zahra, the name of the daughter of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed — wanted to prove that the female hair-and-neck-covering wrap, common in the Islamic world, could still take on playful elements.

“The modest hijab is not actually a restriction” in fashion, designer Windri Widiesta Dhari told reporters after her stylish designs hit the catwalk.

“It’s how you cover yourself and look more elegant in a way that has a loose fit.”

Dhari sees the traditional scarf as not just a modesty covering, but also a stylish, comfortable accessory.   »»» The Times of Israel

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