Dubai Modest Fashion Week returns with a splash: 10 labels to watch

© Andrea Bellezza
Munamer offers colourful modest swimwear

Dubai is all set to host Modest Fashion Week once again, from Thursday to Saturday. The event, spearheaded by Think Fashion, will be held at Rixos Premium Dubai JBR. More than 40 brands, including e-commerce platforms such as Dubai’s Modernest, will showcase their designs on the runway and sell their wares at dedicated exhibitor booths.

This year’s theme is “Awakening”, and as we cautiously get back into the swing of dressing up and going out and about, here are 10 brands with statement modest styles that can be on your radar for the festive season.

Zeina Ali World

More is more appears to be the mantra of this Jordanian fashion label, which is the brainchild of fashion and travel blogger Zeina Ali Halabi. Volume, drama and picture-worthy pizzazz sum up the mood of the brand’s head-turning evening wear designs, which are clearly cut out for life-of-the-party personalities. Ensembles include bubblegum-pink pleated dresses and pantsuits, electric cobalt co-ords and kimono-blazer hybrids in striking citrus shades. Outfits brandish sequins, ruffles and balloon-sleeves (sometimes all at once) with an over-the-top elegance that is typical of this region’s style set.

Nea Wear

Summer was all about lime, but rumour has it that shamrock green is the new It-shade for autumn/winter. It’s also the colour of one of Nea Wear’s best-selling satin dresses.

The British brand has its finger on the pulse of what’s trending, offering its distinctive elegance-meets-attitude recycled satin dresses in a range of peppy and neutral hues. Sustainability is critical for this fashion label – all its products are created from upcycled, recycled or natural fabrics. In addition to ready-to-wear, the brand sells premium headscarves in jersey, chiffon and silk square designs. It will reveal the first look of its latest collection at Dubai Modest Fashion Week.

Sweet Dolce

Reinventing the traditional manteau, this Persian label has made tailored overcoats its forte. The brand serves exquisite East-meets-West silhouettes, elevated with bold design elements. Sweet Dolce’s structured thigh-high jackets adorned with sequins, beads and faux fur double as edgy statement blazers, while its longer coat-style designs will be a hit with women on the hunt for unique alternatives to abayas.

These are garments you can throw over jeans-and-tee ensembles for instant modesty, and they’re more aesthetically pleasing than basic kimono cover-ups. Scalloped hemlines, oversized lapels and colour-blocking feature heavily in the label’s autumn collection, which is equal parts regal and wearable.

Munamer

Modest swimwear is a niche currently witnessing an unprecedented spotlight. The majority of full-coverage swimwear in the market is sporty and simple, with solid shades and A-line tunic silhouettes, which makes the colour and pattern that punctuate the modest swimwear designs by luxury Italian label Munamer both practical and memorable. Featuring floral and geometric prints with wrap-neck designs, plus contrasting leggings and patterned hoods and turbans, these stylish swim ensembles will seamlessly take you from the pool or beach to brunch.

Zems

© Provided by The National
Zems creates stylish co-ords in statement prints

Modest fashion is a flourishing market in Turkey, which is where this fashion label is rooted. Mastering the art of putting together stylish co-ords in head-to-toe statement prints, Zems creates trouser-and-tunic sets that are at once whimsical and chic. Delicate eyelets in delicious sorbet shades, subtle pastel plaids and pleated monochromes in the brand’s latest collection put a youthful twist to Victorian influences.

Al Haya Paris

Operating between Paris and the UAE, Al Haya is quite fittingly named after the Arabic word for modesty. With Arabian influences topped off with French finesse, the label encapsulates minimalism and femininity with its flattering silhouettes and neutral hues. Its latest collection spotlights luxe white shirt dresses that can be worn by themselves or with matching wide-leg trousers, while understated innovation appears in dresses and skirt sets with multiway draping and smocking. For the coming Dubai Modest Fashion Week, Al Haya Paris has hinted at a “rebirth” on Instagram.

Mimya Official

Power dressing gets a whole new meaning in Mimya’s autumn/winter collection, which combines traditional winter elements with buzzy Gen-Z trends. Case in point: relaxed tartan dungarees paired with a longline puffer vest in army green. Excelling at both luxe-utilitarian and granny-chic looks, the brand exudes effortless modesty almost as if it were an afterthought, with fashion-forward elements instead being the focal point of its designs. Houndstooth prints, plaids and leathers lead the way for a bold winter wardrobe, with a couple of chain-print and mosaic-patterned dresses also in the mix for the more mass-market modest consumer.

Surturbans

Undeniably one of the biggest hits of the modern modest fashion movement has been the pre-tied turban, and Surturbans will be bringing its designs to Dubai Modest Fashion Week from the US. Turbans make easy-to-wear head coverings for hijab-wearing women, and Surturbans pieces feature elements such as top knots, buns and French twists. The brand even sells beanies, ideal for women who seek minimalist, effortless and no-frills headwear.

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Surturbans pieces feature top-knots, buns and French twists

Hukka Design

Comfort and style combine seamlessly in the autumn/winter collection of this Turkish label, which has a penchant for upscale bohemia grounded in functionality. Expect to see monotone outfits in earthy shades such as taupe, teal and beige, along with elevated tracksuits, outerwear with minimalist hardware, trendy turtlenecks, cosy capes and colour-blocked knitwear.

Designs have a markedly Turkish aesthetic and are incredibly versatile and timeless staples for your winter wardrobe.

Homolog Paris

Toeing the line between art and fashion, celebrity-favoured Homolog Paris injects impressive creativity into its designs, many of which take us into the realm of the avant-garde.

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Homolog Paris channels wearable art

Past designs have included dreamy, Dior-like gowns completed with extravagant caplets, a trench dress embellished with pompoms and an orange kaftan adorned with plush, colourful sunflowers. Its embroidered “couture cloaks” and dreamy jacquard coats are sure to find fans in this region.

Dubai Modest Fashion Week runs from Thursday to Saturday, November 18 to 20; registrations for attendance can be made at modestfashionweeks.com/register

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