In case your curiosity was piqued by the headline, The Modist is a luxury style destination dedicated to dressing modestly, that is attracting cool Muslims across the world. Or there is Hijabilicious, a blog that pushes modest fashion to the forefront. Co-founded by a socio-political researcher it’s challenging stereotypes.
Or the beauty make-up line, Fenty launched by singer-actor Rihanna, is 'thinking about Muslims'. For cool Muslim menfolk, there is the London Beard Company that claims to be handcrafted in London by Londoners. According to Shelina Janmohamed of Ogilvy Noor, the 2.6 trillion dollar Muslim economy is not just restricted to consuming Halal products or purchasing Islamic financial services. “The market is new and underdeveloped,” Janmohamed told delegates at AdAsia 2017 in Bali.
She adds that Generation M, as she describes the tech-savvy and self-empowered generation of Muslims, have a “whole new way of expressing their identity”.
For instance, it took a 24-year-old Nigerian medical scientist and blogger Haneefah Adam to show toymaker Mattel on how they could adapt Barbie for Muslims. When Adam set-up an Instagram account Hijabie, it racked up thousands of followers almost overnight.
Janmohamed says that “the power and influence of the digital ummah (community in Arabic)” is spreading far and wide. Alchemiya, a digital TV channel, is often referred to as the Netflix for Muslims. And she points out that the green colour of the religion also has environmental friendly implications. For instance, she cites an example of a mosque being carbon neutral and says that the Gen M has been “inspired by Islam to green the world”.
However Janmohamed emphasises, that the tayyab (purity) ethos is more than just being a halal tick-box, which most brands stop at. Brands who pay attention and can tune themselves into these cultural nuances will experience “shariat mein barkat” (prosperity and abundance for adhering to the Muslim law).
