Modest Designs For Muslim Women From Huddersfield Graduate Featured In New York Fashion Week

On The Table Read, “the best creativity magazine in the UK“, Huddersfield graduate, Nadia Hadhrami, creates fashionable and modest clothes for Muslim women to represent both personality and faith.

After years of struggling to find clothes that represent both her Muslim faith and her interest in fashion, Huddersfield graduate Nadia Hadhrami was inspired to create a change, and her designs have been so well received they were featured on the catwalk at the prestigious York Fashion Week.

Faith And Fashion

Featuring eye-catching butterfly motifs, Nadia’s modest styles earned her a scholarship place at the Accademia Costume and Moda in Rome. After graduating with a 1:1 in Fashion, Design and Textiles in 2022, Nadia was encouraged by fellow fashion graduate Emily Oaks to try for a place at York Fashion Week. The event’s organisers loved what they saw, and Nadia’s ‘Hands off my Hijab’ earned coverage on BBC Look North and the BBC news website.

“Every Muslim woman, especially in Europe, struggles to find clothes that represents who they are and their personality while at the same time representing their faith and beliefs,” explained Nadia. “They want something they are confident in but still represents their faith.

“It is not based on trend or fashion, but it is fashion with a meaning that is for them, is modest and something they could wear. I do not want to design something that is just based on trend, I design with my inspiration and for something they can keep for the future and not just for a year or two.

“They want it to stand out for their personality and make them feel confident while at the same time representing their faiths and beliefs.”

Creativity Demure

With support from her teachers and the University’s Enterprise Placement Team, Nadia turned her dream into reality with her business called Creativity Demure, to offer more variety of modest fashions.

“The university and my degree are the basis for everything I do now,” said Nadia. “It is where I grew my skills and experience, something that you do not quite realise it until you have graduated. The staff were awesome and so helpful to me, and the facilities especially after we moved into the Barbara Hepworth Building were great.

“It helped build my graduate collection, and that in turn helped me get into York Fashion Week. It opened doors that I never thought I would be able to reach.”

Butterflies

Using material donated to the university by Alexander McQueen, Nadia developed her designs to include the butterfly as a symbol of resilience.

“The prints and embroidery on this collection are bright and bold in each garment. I have used ultraviolet thread to represent the hidden details when the butterfly opens its wings. This also links to the way Muslim women cover their beauty by dressing modestly.

“As in many cultures, butterflies symbolise hope, change and resilience. It will represent the message behind my collection which is a change in the fashion market and hope for Muslim women to be resilient about dressing into what makes them feel confident, and that represents their personality.

Nadia Hadhrami

Nadia will start her scholarship in Rome next year, and now is working for a Rotherham sewing machinists whose portfolio includes making items for contestants in the World’s Strongest Man.

“Seeing my work on the catwalk was amazing. It was quite touching to see the results of four years of developing my skills and experience then presented to people, and to see that they are liking it. It was a great experience, and the York Fashion Week team were amazing to work with.”

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