Most fashion shows are an exercise in slinky dresses, plummeting necklines and miniskirts the size of washclothes. Some, like last week's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, comprised even less fabric than that. But you didn't find any flashes of skin on the runway at Rabia Z.'s One Night Only fashion show at Casa La Femme in New York last night. Instead, the Muslim designer draped her models in clothing that was totally chic while still covered up.
Rabia, whose tradition is "both Afghani and Arab," calls her work "conservative couture" and aspires to design attire for women that's modest but also modern. In 2007, she nabbed the Emerging Designer award for her debut collection at the Dubai Fashion Week. Since then, it's been a fast track for Rabia in the world of fashion design for Muslim women; she showed at Miami Fashion Week last year and launched a high end street label, Ruby, and even designed an outfit for Barbie.
At last night's show at Casa La Femme, models walked down the catwalk with covered heads and flowy clothes. Some wore long pants with stilettos; other were draped in hijab, the traditional Muslim head covering, in all kinds of colors. There were flowing dresses over skinny pants, pops of floral print, and even some funky hats. We're loving how gorgeous the models look -- who needs to see skin with fab outfits like these?
You can shop online at Rabia's website: a gorgeous cape-top goes for about $150; colorful dusters are $160. Maybe outspoken burqa fan Kim Kardashian will be stocking up?
Check out images from Rabia Z.'s runway show below.
