Sounds like someone got his signals crossed.
Dolce & Gabbana, the luxury Italian design firm best known for womenswear inspired by the sultry sensualism of southern Italy, has entered a bold new realm.
According to CBC News, the brand launched its maiden (if that is the correct word) line of hijabs and abayas for fashion-conscious female slaves Arab women.
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Hijabs, as all the world knows by now, are the veils that cover the head and chest (often the face as well) of Muslim woman beyond the age of puberty. They are mandatory outside the home.
Abayas are the loose-fitting ankle-length dresses that cover the rest of the feminine form. According to the Quran, they are worn by “believing women … so that no harm will come to them.” The holy book doesn’t identity the potential source of the danger.
But back to D & G’s hijab and abaya collection, which is described as a “flurry of delicate lace, satin weave charmeuse, and bold, Sicily-inspired floral prints.”
[T]he collection was hailed almost instantly by American media outlets as everything from “a game-changer” to “an exciting development” for Muslim women.
Actual Muslim women, on the other hand, were not universally stoked by the high-fashion hijabs.
“It’s really cool that a major designer is extending its tastes to Muslim clothing items, but are brands finally catering to Muslim women, or are they exploiting them?” asked Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, editor-in-chief of the fashion blog MuslimGirl.net in an interview with Refinery29 published Tuesday. [Emphasis added]
Cultural appropriation anyone?
The question of exploitation aside, isn’t the idea of Muslim women’s fashion to conceal the wearer rather than beautify her?
D & G’s lovely spokesmodel, below, was not available for comment:
