Hijabis fashion trend goes viral

LEADIN:
Middle East fashionistas are heading to the 'Fashion Forward' event in Dubai to sample the latest catwalk creations designed especially for the Arab woman.
The 'Hipster Hijabis' are hoping to ignite a real change in the fashion industry.
STORYLINE:
It's fashion season in Dubai.
Here at the city's 'Fashion Forward' event, designers are showcasing their latest collections to a keen crowd of onlookers.
But while the runways are stealing some of the attention, a new fashion craze is gaining traction in the Middle East.
At this panel event discussing fashion modesty, guests include Summer Albarcha, an 18-year-old fashion blogger **from St. Louis, Missouri, US, who operates a popular Instagram account named 'Hipster Hijabis'.
"At first I thought it sounded really cute because it matched – like hipsters and hijabis," says Albarcha.
"And then I also knew that I wanted to inspire hipsters, which are people who like stray away from mainstream fashion, but they still look really cool – it's not like costume-ish – and hijabis, which I represent myself as a Muslim who wears the scarf."
It's not just Muslim women looking for stylish modest wear.
Albarcha recently modelled a skirt sent to her by an New York-based Orthodox Jewish brand that designs maxi skirts.
Young faith-conscious women say there's a gap in the market for people who want modest pieces that are still trendy and cutting-edge.
Fellow fashion blogger Maria Al-Sadek says dressing conservatively doesn't mean you have to give up being stylish.
"Most people kind of tend to do the safer route, they're not really into style as much," says Al-sadek, an American fashion blogger.
"And hipsters, I guess, they're the ones who cross boundaries and lines that most traditionally hijabis didn't do."
Just like Albarcha, Al-sadek has a popular Instagram account with which she shares her latest outfits and styles.
Together they boast a combined following of over 40,000 people.
But how do these hipster hijabis balance their love for fashion and their religious values?
According to Somali fashion blogger Dee Mohammed, it's about fusing the two and being respectful: "I want to stay as modest as I can which is why I still wear a headscarf," she says.
"But at the same time I like my fashion so I like to incorporate that into modesty."
Some hijabi hipsters say businesses have started to approach them to advertise on their websites.
Mainstream brands are also slowly beginning to cater to this growing demand for stylish modest wear.
This summer, New York-based fashion house DKNY released a "Ramadan Collection" that sold exclusively in the Arabian Gulf.
There has however been some resistance to the trend.
Last year, a group called 'Mipsterz' – or 'Muslim Hipsters' – made a video, of a group of young American Muslim women skateboarding and showing off their ultra-stylish hijabi styles.
One of those featured was Ibtihaj Muhammad, a member of the Unites States fencing team.
The video drew mixed reactions, including criticism from people who thought it went against Islamic principles of humility and simplicity.
Al-Sadek says the way women interpret hijab is a personal decision. She says she doesn't let the controversy affect her.
"People are resistant to change and people like to keep things the same, they like normality, you do something different, you wear something different it's just like why? It's just like a stigma to be stylish and resemble western wear sometimes," she says.
"And I just think that you have to be confident and do what you believe in and what makes you comfortable. Wear what you want and it's between you and god in the end whether it's right or wrong."
'Fashion Forward' runs from 4-6 October.

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