Modest fashion struts its stuff in Paris

Last week saw the city's first dedicated show of modest fashion

Models on the runway at Modest Fashion Week in London last year - last week, Paris saw its first dedicated Modest Fashion show as part of the Oriental Fashion show. Courtesy Modest Fashion Week

Models in brightly coloured pant suits and ankle-length dresses graced a Paris catwalk last week in what organisers said was the city's first show of modest fashion that highlights styles popular with Muslim women.

Click to play and see some of the designs on show:

The event was part of the Oriental Fashion show held on the sidelines of the city's haute couture fashion week, which showcases designers from Asia and the Middle East.

Click to play and see some of the designs on show:

Organisers said modest fashion had met resistance in France because of its religious associations but there was demand for the styles in the country and beyond.

"We're French and in France we want to address this French demand, because firstly there's a French market for this and also an export market," Oriental Fashion Show general director Hind Joudar told Reuters.

In recent years, modest fashion has attracted mainstream interest and brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Uniqlo and Burberry have entered the sector.

Spending by Muslims on clothing and apparel is projected to reach $368 billion by 2021 (Dhs1.4 trillion), according to the 2017 Reuters State of the Global Islamic Economy report.

France, under former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy, was the first European country to pass a law banning burqa and niqab garments that conceal the face in public. Belgium later followed suit, as did the Swiss canton of Ticino.

Authorities said the full-faced veil is a security risk because it inhibit identification. France has the largest Muslim minority in Europe, estimated at 5 million, and some of Europe's most restrictive laws about expressions of faith in public.

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