Islamic Wedding Dress

THE recently concluded Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta-Dubai Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) was proof of an Islamic fashion renaissance. The runways at the tri-country fashion event were bursting with colour, with traditional garments like the burqa, jibab and abaya being transformed from drab to dramatic.

The festival, an attempt to turn Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Dubai into Islamic fashion capitals, attracted top designers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Among them were Malaysia’s Datuk Tom Abang Saufi and Radzuan Radziwill, Indonesian designer Ghea Panggabean, Pakistani Deepak Perwani and UAE’s Shabana Asif.

The final leg of the event in Dubai was held on March 30 in the presence of the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

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Also present was patron of IFF, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, who said: “Since the inception of the IFF in 2006, we have held two successful events in Kuala Lumpur and one in Jakarta. We have now taken it to Dubai because it is time to spread our wings and take Islamic fashion into the mainstream.”

The garments included ethnic wear, gowns, tunics, trousers, abayas, sarongs and even swimwear. There was even a collection for Muslim men.

Indonesian designer Samuel Wattimena’s Exquisite Colours of Heritagewas definitely a collection for bold and confident men. Samuel combined bright and bold colours, patterns and embroidery techniques to come up with an eye-catching collection that stood out.

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Iva Latifah’s Nature of Emotion collection was based on the four elements: water, earth, wind and fire which she expressed through a colour palette of shades of brown, orange, green, black, red and grey.

Iva combined flower motifs, traditional batik and very modern geometric designs to make her collection uniquely “contemporary and traditional”. Techniques she employed included patchwork, stacking, wrinkling and embroidery on chiffon, silks, organdie and cotton.

Another interesting collection was that of Yanna Diah Kusumawati. ThemedElegance at the Terrace, Yanna was inspired by the modern Muslimah, and maintained simple lines in the collection which she described as “casual elegance mixed with tradition and style”.

She used mainly natural material which she ingenuously mixed and matched. Accessories used to accentuate her look were wearable and edgy.

Malaysian designer Carven Ong, well known for his elaborate bridal and ball gowns, translated the essence of his style into his collection.

Ong’s collection, The Romanticism, was a display of modest but stunning creations for Muslim women, combining a palette of pastels with bright hues on chiffon, organza and lace. The result: flowing and feminine gowns that were modest yet stylish.

Datuk Tom Abang Saufi, in her St Tropez collection, showcased beautiful, elegant and modest garments for women, all of which have always been Tom’s forte. It wasn’t a surprise then that her collection at the IFF was a stand out.

Drawing inspiration from international glamour queens and jetsetters like Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly, Tom came up with St Tropez, which spelt fun and glamour.

Not to be forgotten is Melinda Looi whose Rich Tribes collection was eclectic and unique.

Looi said she wanted to take fashionista’s on “a journey back to yesteryear”, where peace, innocence and tradition prevailed.

She combined world tribal elements to create a collection that was both simple but rich. The collection is aimed at getting us to go back to our roots.

Iran takes first step to promote Islamic costume design and fashion
Tehran Times Art Desk

TEHRAN -- The secretary of the fashion and costume design festival has said that the event will give a boost to efforts to promote Islamic costume designs.

The festival has been organized to introduce people to costume designs that are appropriate for our Islamic Iranian culture, Abolfazl Mohammadkhani told reporters at a press conference on Monday.

Iran’s first fashion and costume design festival will be held at the Tehran Permanent International Fairground from December 22 to 26. It will have several sections: male, female and children clothes, and subsidiary textile industries.

He pointed to Iran’s rich historical background in textile design and technology saying that although it has regressed during recent years, the industry can still be promoted in Iran.

A section of the festival is dedicated to costume designers, researchers of professional journals and related software. Also, several workshops will be held on the sidelines of the festival, he added.

Sets of ornaments and jewelry will also go on display at the festival. It is a trend that unfortunately has been neglected in Iran for years, Mohammadkhani added.

A fashion show will also be held during the gala in which Iranian costumes will go on display. The show will have one interval for women and two intervals for men each day. There are fewer intervals for women than men since there are not many brands for women in Iran, he mentioned.

Turkey, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan and some Southeast Asian countries will also take part at the festival.

“One can not expect a perfect festival since this is the first experience we have with it in Iran. We do need sponsorship from the private sector and also from government to promote it. We aim to make it an international event and to introduce it to world,” he mentioned.

“We are not authorized to sell anything specifically at the festival, but marketing is permitted and producers can take orders. Also, photography or filming is prohibited at the gala,” he mentioned.

Codes are allotted to the designs by members of jury to protect designers’ copyrights, he concluded