Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race

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Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
Romantic Lace Overlay

I love the use of lace overlays on this abaya, it makes it romantic and dreamlike.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
Classic Black

This abaya is classic and simple and would quickly become a favorite as it would work for most occasions.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
Two Tone Abaya

Designers have been introducing colorful abayas lately so this white one is a welcome change from the regular black and it's muted enough to appeal to the modest.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
A Pop Of Flowers

I love flowers on everything! This is no exception. The embroidered flower is an homage to the Dolce & Gabbana fabrics and makes this one of my favorites.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
Black On White

Another creative use of lace overlays looks lovely.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
Polka Dot Hijab

I like this picture because of how they styled the hijab.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
A Pop of Lime

Another hint of the Dolce & Gabbana signature fabric makes this abaya standout.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
Two Tone Lace

More lace overlays - while it's lovely, it shows that Dolce & Gabbana didn't think too hard about this collection. It's somewhat repetitive.

Dolce & Gabbana Joins the Abaya Race
Classic Elegance

This minimalist abaya looks simple and chic - however for the price tag that it has, I think I'll pass.

It seems that each time you turn around another abaya brand is born. What’s not too common is well established western design houses creating Abayas. When Dolce & Gabbana created their first abaya collection in January 2016, which debuted on Style Arabia, the internet was buzzing with a lot of emotions. While some were really excited and felt that established designers were finally starting to acknowledge their Muslim customers and the beauty of Islamic fashion, others felt like this was just another example of western exploitation. Exploit the Muslim market to take advantage of their spending power not because of an appreciation of their dress sense and cultural styles.

Personally, I knew that western design houses designing abayas was only a matter of time, in fact some clothing retailers like MNG had already created Ramadan capsule collections a few years back. If you’re a Muslim woman living in either Africa, Asia, or the Middle East then perhaps you’re as underwhelmed as I was with the collection. So many designers in the UAE have created dazzling abaya collections in all kinds of hues, textures and colors imaginable with some literally taking your breath away, so Dolce & Gabbana still has a long way to go before it impresses the average Muslima. (See Abaya’s by Roselle and DAS)

That being said, I’m happy that Dolce & Gabbana created an abaya collection because it enables dialogue and it also opens the eyes and minds of westerners to start thinking about the abaya in more positive and less threatening ways. Who knows, perhaps some non-Muslims will embrace the Abaya for its simplicity, comfort and timeless elegance. Oh and lets not forget they’re also creating a Hijab line with that.

How do you feel about the Dolce & Gabbana Abaya and Hijab collection?

xoxo,
Nusrah



Nusrah Wali

Nusrah is the editor of Daily Hijabi and UMMAH Magazines. She is a voracious reader who loves all things pretty. Occasionally she lives in a motion graphics, editing and css bubble. She lives and breathes design, adores cats and wishes everyone would all just get along.

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