Modesty takes center stage
For all the political discourse centering on what Muslim women choose to wear, it is easy to forget that the hijab and related robes comprise a diverse genre of fashion. Looking at the garments beyond their religious connotations, they have a surprising amount in common with the kimono in that they wrap around the body rather than cut into it. Indeed, hiding the form of the wearer ultimately becomes an exercise in alluring modesty over the more overt body-conscious designs broadly favored in the West.
Building on the increase in Muslim visitors to Japan from East Asia brought in by an inbound wave of tourists is a modesty-themed fashion show as part of the Halal Expo 2016 on Nov. 22 and 23 that aims to link Japanese sensibilities with those from the Muslim world.