The Rise of Modest Fashion with Salma Azir
Earlier this week, I caught up with Salma Azir, a 19 fashion blogger from Worthing. Her love for fashion grows everyday and with fashion currently making headlines, we spoke about the rise of Modest Fashion and how the industry is changing.
A: When did you start getting into fashion?
S: I got into Asian fashion at a really young age from watching a lot of Bollywood movies. I was always interested in Western fashion but didn’t think that the way I looked being brown and a little chubby…I wasn’t their ideal image.
A: You mentioned that you didn’t feel like you fit into Western Fashion based on the colour of your skin. What is your opinion on the industry now and do you think it’s changed since you were younger?
S: The fashion industry is slowly progressing towards diversity; there is more inclusion of different ethnicities such as Muslim models, a recognition of religious clothing such as Hijab and an understanding of modest fashion. We still have a long way to go because of a few narrow minded, even racist and homophobic designers. I see a gradual change in the industry, I hope the next generation push forward to end the traditional (offensive) ways of fashion.
A: What is your opinion on the rise of modest fashion?
S: I think it’s good. I think with designers releasing burkha’s, long dresses and clothes that cover a bit more, it allows muslims especially to venture into the higher end brands because there’s now more clothes for us. Although, I don’t like how Hijabs and turbans are being used as a fashion statement, it’s not, it’s someone’s religious identity.
A: As higher end designers are starting to produce clothes that are a bit more modest, what do you think about the main stream industry becoming more inclusive?
S: When you say inclusive, if they’re putting models, actresses, anyone who is genuinely muslim or Sikh etc and they’re wearing [hijab’s] because they already wear it, that’s perfectly fine. That’s called inclusive and that’s adding diversity. But if you’re just putting, I don’t know, a non-muslim Indian woman and putting a hijab on her then I don’t think that’s diversity. That’s just trying to make it inclusive, not actually being inclusive. It defeats the purpose.
A: And lastly, where do you take your fashion influence from?
S: From my sisters; whatever they pick up I like it too. We all kind of share our clothes. They’ve got really good fashion taste, I’d never say that to their face. My older sister has this really refined smart casual look. I take a lot of ideas from what she wears and put into my own clothes.
Check out the video below from our interview and let us know what your culture means to you
