(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) From Dolce & Gabbana to Michael Kors, major brands are catering to lucrative Gulf markets during the holy month of Ramadan, which is earning its own slot on the global fashion calendar.
With Muslim spending on clothing on the rise, mainstream labels are courting the dirham, dinar and riyal in a region home to some of the world's biggest buyers of fashion. High-end and fast-fashion brands in the United States, Europe and Asia have made an aggressive push to break into the Gulf, where demand for "modest wear" is skyrocketing, fuelled in part by the rise of social media influencers and Muslim lifestyle and beauty vloggers.
Holidays have long been high seasons for retailers around the world and Ramadan, a month of fasting from dawn to sunset aimed at reflection and modesty, is no longer the exception.
The market for the abaya in particular peaks during the holy month, according to Dubai-based designer Aiisha Ramadan, as women strive to avoid outfit repeats at all costs.
But while attention to clientele interested in modest wear has been a long time coming, some say the move has brought the good, the bad and the offensive to shelves across the Gulf.
Muslim spending worldwide on clothing and shoes is projected to reach $500 billion (?449 billion) by 2019, according to Tamara Hostal, the head of fashion marketing at design school Esmod Dubai.
Ramadan has turned into a de facto micro-season in the Middle East, with fashion brands releasing capsule collections exclusive to the region through May and June.
DKNY launched a Middle East-exclusive Ramadan line in 2014, and other labels have since jumped on the bandwagon: Dolce & Gabbana, CH Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, Mango, Uniqlo and Nike, among others.
Dolce & Gabbana filmed a widely publicised 2016 campaign for their abaya robe and hijab headscarf lines entirely in Dubai - where the need to be "Ramadan ready" is turning into a commercial, cultural and complex phenomenon.
Instagram is flooded with #ootd (outfit of the day) posts and the pages of Vogue Arabia filled with how to curate a wardrobe of festive, and generally modest, attire.
Aiisha Ramadan, who has dressed American singers Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and Zendaya, is both a creator and wearer of abayas and maxis.
"International brands are making a smart move by moving into the home of the Arab woman with kaftans and abayas," Ramadan said at her atelier in Sharjah.
"There are so many options. You have the ready-to-wear, which draws in clients looking for a casual, everyday wardrobe."
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