Lebanese-Australian Fashion Designer, Yasmin Jay, On Why Theres A Gap In The Market For Modest Fashion – ELLE Australia

''It means girls like me can now see themselves reflected in an industry theyve always loved and admired.''

In the current zeitgeist, the term 'modest fashion' comes with a connotation of being from a decade that has since passed, but that's no longer the case.

Championing less revealing clothing, modest fashion saw "layering, loose silhouettes, higher necklines, long sleeves, and outfits that don't accentuate the shape of the body" reign supreme. Now, the concept has been adopted by many, both religious and otherwise.

Rather than those fashion trends be swiftly labelled under an umbrella term like 'androgynous', the true meaning of 'modest' fashion is finally making its way to the surface in an effort to diversify fashion and create inclusivity for different communities.

"One of my biggest goals as a Middle Eastern/Australian designer is to create a movement to re-define mainstream fashion," she exclusively told ELLE Australia.

"Clothing that's niche based is always considered diverse, but we should consider diverse fashion the norm. With over 12 million beautifully diverse women in Australia, from culture, shape and size, each one of us has our own definition of what we consider the norm as we are all so diverse. And that's where the conversation should really start."

"People say fashion is frivolous, but when you see diversity and inclusivity, it does make everyone feel connected," the Sydney-based designer explains.

"I have always loved fashion and decided to pursue it as further study after school. [...] What started as a casual styling hobby turned into a love for design and craftsmanship," she explained.

"Being raised by traditional Lebanese parents in Australia meant I had the privilege to experience a unique upbringing of incorporating two very different cultures."

"It means I am able to pour my creativity through my designs while staying true to my identity, and it gives me the opportunity to tell my story and break down barriers through awareness in a fun and trendy way."

She continued, "There are many misconceptions surrounding modest fashion. [It] doesn't need to be linked to culture or religion, it's two different entities."

"Women want to feel beautiful and confident. The aim is to be a voice for my community, to breakdown mainstream stereotypes and inspire the youth who are figuring out their identity."

One scroll through her brand's product page and it's easy to see why she's so successful. The products on offer are not only trend-driven, but they bring traditional fashion into a new, more inclusive light. And for Yasmin, she's hoping to translate that mindset into how the fashion industry sees modesty.

"When I first decided to wear the hijab, modest fashion didn't have the resonance it has now, and I felt there was a gap in the market for practical and stylish modest clothing," she shares.

"I love taking a simple pattern and adding a luxe or embellished fabric to make it funky. The vision for Yasmin Jay is to encourage all women who enjoy modest fashion to feel confident, empowered and elevated when they wear one of my pieces."

So, when The ICONIC came knocking with an idea to create an entire shopping subsection for modest dressing, she was all ears.

"It's great that we're embracing an edit dedicated to modest fashion because it means girls like me can now see themselves reflected in an industry they've always loved and admired," she says, adding, "It's a perfect mix of tradition and being fashion forward."

The ICONIC's Modest edit offers customers the opportunity to mix-and-match pieces from a specific selection that's so vast, Yasmin can't even choose a favourite.

"It's hard to narrow down a favourite piece [...] because when I look at a piece I have about five different ideas of how I can style just one garment. That's the beauty about fashion, it's a world full of possibilities with no limitations!"

That's what she loves the most about her eponymous label, each garment was created in the hopes of inspiring confidence in the wearer.

"Within Yasmin Jay the Label every detail of each garment tells a story," she says.

She continues, "What I consider the ultimate styling tip is rocking your outfit with confidence and sprinkling your charm wherever you go because that's where the true beauty lies and I hope my label gives people that confidence to do so."

For modest fashion wearers, or those aspiring to be, there's hope to be had for the diversity of fashion in Australia. Thanks to emerging designers and an increase in freedom of expression, Yasmin believes that the best is yet to come.

"With such a passionate new generation of designers emerging from all walks of life I hope that we can learn that there is no right or wrong answer," she says, adding, "Life is about expressing yourself freely and reflecting on what you want to put out into the world and for myself the way I do that is through my clothing".

"We need to continue pushing the boundaries and challenging the norms through our artistic journey."

For the Australian fashion industry, the full potential of diverse inclusion still has a way to go, but Modest fashion is a great way to get the conversation started.

Original post:

Lebanese-Australian Fashion Designer, Yasmin Jay, On Why Theres A Gap In The Market For Modest Fashion - ELLE Australia