SINGAPORE: The Philippines hosted their first ever Islamic fashion festival as part of the annual festival first held in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur in 2006. The aim of the festival is to promote tolerance and understanding of Islam through the fashion industry. Held at Manila's InterContinental hotel, 8 designers, including three Filipinos showcased their latest attire. Other designers from around the region were Tom Abang Saufi, Syaiful Baharim and Melinda Looi of Malaysia, Milo Migliavacca of Indonesia, and menswear brand Ya Jameel Homme. The wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia – who is an IFF patron – was also in attendance with other Malaysian VIPs and royalty. In his speech at the Manila festival, the ambassador of Malaysia to the Philippines Dato Seri Ibrahim Saad said: “9/11 has been associated with Islam, violence and intolerance. With [the IFF], we show a different face and point of culture. We want to show that we appreciate beauty and that Islam is a region of tolerance.” Founder and chairman of the IFF, Raja Rezza Shah wanted to counter Islamophobia through a “visual language” that would enable the international community to regard and speak of the religion positively, and break down the negative Muslim stereotype. Its aim, he said, “is to build an updated visual and cultural reference from which Islam can be related to the modern world through the creative arena of fashion divorced from political, economic and social strife.” While Islam does not prescribe a fixed standard as to the style of dress or type of clothing that Muslims must wear, it does call for modesty. Some Muslim women cover their entire bodies, including their faces, in the all-encompassing burqa. For men, the minimum amount to be covered is between the navel and the knee. The show was kicked off by Saufi's collection dubbed as “Love.” Peonies and oriental hues were featured in the collection which was inspired by the universal theme of love. Her collection included a variety of head wraps included a veil style and headgear that looked inspired by traditional African turbans. Bright blue, orange, red, pink and green dominated. JC Buendia's “First Lady” collection followed. Inspired by his favorite style icons Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana, the collection was regal. His pieces, in metallic black, white and silver, were something out of a prim and sophisticated woman's walk-in closet. Orchids fashioned from the same fabrics and used as corsages added an Asian feel to the collection. The pièce de résistance was a pearl-encrusted coat dress which symbolized the richness of the sea. Combining animal prints with Indonesian batik, Migliavacca was inspired by the Hollywood movie Avatar. He showcased fine fabrics embellished with intricate hand embroidery and beading for an elegant and glamorous feel. Up-and-coming young designer Floresca also combined elements in his collection. “I was inspired by art galleries with different work of arts displayed. [The collection] is a mixed combination of different patterns and prints. It looks clashing but I like the oddity of it,” he said after the show, in comments to ABNA news agency. Overall, visitors told Bikyamasr.com that it was a success and they hope the international media takes notice that Muslims can have fun and show their fashion trends. “I think we have been seen as angry and anti-culture in the past decade, but with this fashion festival, it shows the world that Muslims are fashion forward within the Islamic style,” said Maria Ahmed, a Muslim convert in Philippines. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/K7YHw Tags: Fashion, Festival, Islam, Philippines Section: East Asia, Entertainment, Features, Latest News, Religion
