The Tokyo Modest Fashion Show 2016

Tokyo Modest Fashion Show 2016

By: Abigail Pinto

On November 22nd and 23rd, Japan held its first ever Modest Fashion Show at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center. This event was held during Japan’s Halal Expo and featured ten designers from around the world. The Halal Expo was an effort by local businesses and companies to showcase their halal food and products in order to cater to an increasing Muslim population. Despite having a low overall population of Muslims, Japan still has many Muslim tourists that visit from many countries, such as Indonesia, Singapore, France and Malaysia, along with many others. The tourists that visit Japan have a hard time finding halal food or other products that satisfy their religious guidelines. In response to the need for halal food in the region, local restaurants recreated halal version of Japanese dishes. This same desire to accommodate the cultural needs of Muslims has translated into the fashion industry. Called the Tokyo Modest Fashion Show, this event showcased the latest designs of clothing that celebrated the modesty emphasized in Muslim culture. Moslema In Style, a foundation created to assist and establish Muslim Malaysian fashion designers, writes “For centuries, Muslimahs have pursued their own kind of beauty by hiding rather than emphasizing their bodies.” This fashion show highlighted that very fact, and is just one example of the growing industry of modest fashion.

There is a lot of political and cultural debate regarding the way conservative way Muslim women tend to dress. Oftentimes this dialogue fails to consider that for many Muslim women, the clothes they wear, whether they veil themselves or not, is a choice they make for themselves. Modesty is emphasized in Muslim culture and the Tokyo Modest fashion show is a milestone for Tokyo in bringing understanding and acceptance to the way Muslim women dress. Instead of fueling the negative discussion surrounding the way Muslim women dress, this fashion show shined a positive light on Muslim fashion. Just as was done in the rest of the Halal Expo, elements from both Japanese and Middle Eastern cultures were fused together. A Japanese aesthetic, taken in part from the traditional Japanese kimono, was combined with Muslim style in the elegant designs that were presented at the Tokyo Modest Fashion Show. This event celebrated the modesty that is a part of Muslim culture, making such clothes more accessible for women in the region. Access to fashionable clothing that is respectful of Muslim values is a key element in increasing the hospitality that Tokyo shows to its Muslim visitors. Many other countries have held Modest fashion shows, however this was the first of its kind to be held in Japan. Despite racial tensions that exist in Japan, the Tokyo Modest Fashion Show was a step towards increasing cultural sensitivity in the area. This event speaks to the growing inclusion of modest fashion in the fashion industry and hopefully fashion shows like these will continue to spread to other regions of the world.

Pictured below are some of the highlights of the Tokyo Modest Fashion Show: