The 9th Edition of the travelling Global Modest Fashion Weeks series by Think Fashion recently concluded in Istanbul, marking yet another milestone in the evolution of modest fashion. Held at the historic Fişekhane Gallery, the event was a vibrant celebration of modesty and style, bringing together designers, influencers, and fashion enthusiasts from around the world. The theme, “A Unique Fashion Call for Solidarity,” highlighted the importance of unity and support within the fashion community. Esteemed guests such as Halima Aden and Rawdah Mohammed graced the runway, showcasing breathtaking collections that were all about redefining modest style. Designers from Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the UAE and several other countries presented stunning creations, reflecting the rich diversity and global appeal of modest fashion. In an exclusive interview with Soigné, Ozlem Sahin, the founder and CEO of Modest Fashion Weeks, talks about the journey, impact, and future of this influential movement, exploring how the recent Istanbul event has shaped the landscape of modest fashion and what’s coming next.
Reflecting on the journey since the inception of the Modest Fashion Week Series, how would you assess the evolution and current landscape of modest fashion after the recent Istanbul event?
Istanbul Modest Fashion Week 24 shows us again how big is modest fashion and how global it is. The modest industry experts are quite visionary and open-minded about the possible collaborations, fresh ideas. Also, it is great to feel that there is a real, sincere communication in all guests that support IMFW24 theme which is ‘’A Unique Fashion Call for Solidarity’. Understanding the beauty of authenticity, owning it with updating today’s fashion needs and supporting all the fashion supply chain is the biggest evolution in the industry.
In your opinion, how can modest fashion be integrated into the mainstream fashion landscape to be recognised beyond just a conservative style of dressing?
For us, modest fashion is already a strong part of mainstream fashion. It is one of the boldest trends that gets its strength from practicality, comfort and women’s elegance. Modesty was there and it will always stay. Accept or not, women prefer to wear modesty in their life and we have multi-identity such as being mum, business person, wife, friend and so on. It is just perfect to see that modesty fits every occasion and identity. As a modest fashion expert, I believe in following your own way, your own truths and partnering up with the right people and just keep going. If you insist on your own way there are no other chances of having sympathy, interest or at least wonder who is not aware of the concept of modesty. Don’t try to prove yourself or look for acceptance and don’t separate. Be inclusive and unifying. People will follow.
The theme for the recent Modest Fashion Week in Istanbul was “A Unique Call for Solidarity.” What message did you aim to convey to the global fashion community and beyond with this theme?
We are responsible for our preferences, our consumption. There is no other way to come together and support each other if you understand the long chain of the fashion business. Modesty is a lifestyle more than a fashion statement that brings responsibility of choosing the right way of shaping your business from fabric selections to partnering up with the right stakeholders. Solidarity is a strong word that we need to educate also for the consumers; however, it should start from the idea and follows the power of doing, partnering and presenting. We were also inspired by the Palestinian talents when we choose the theme. There are different ways of showing the power of solidarity and for us it was having our dearest Palestinian designer on the IMFW runway as honoured guest.
How does Think Fashion’s approach to organising Modest Fashion Weeks differ from other fashion events, especially in terms of inclusivity and diversity?
As the concept creator of the Modest Fashion Weeks we want to shape the event idea of being global, inclusive and respecting diversity. For us it is a must to gather at least 20 countries, 5 continents and host each edition key experts from designers to media, from influencers to buyers, NGOs, government entities. On the runway, you can see all the modest fashion trends around the globe that reflect how modest fashion differs from one region to another while keeping the same soul. Also, we have a unique hybrid model with fashion shows, brands networking booths and keynote speaking sessions. Think Fashion is a group company that serves on the production and sourcing facilities (Turkish Made Co brand), cross countries trades (Think Fashion Trade) and creative agency (E Tu Creative) and lastly the consultancy (Think Tank). This different expertise is a very strong asset for understanding the modest fashion industry needs and creating tailor made solutions for it. We vision to be a part of brands globally expanding while celebrating the diversity of fashion and giving back to the industry with Modest Fashion Weeks by Think Fashion.
Reflecting on the recently concluded Istanbul Modest Fashion Week, what were some highlights in terms of designers, collections, and experiences?
The main highlight is diversity and richness in each part of the IMFW24. The designers worked hard and it is an amazing experience for us to be involved in their fashion week marathon. I would say collections are up to date, smartly designed and they harmonise their brand authenticity with global modest trends. For example, Pakistani traditional customs are quite occasional with very nice fabric selections or Indonesian lovely prints are trendy enough for each wardrobe. Going out to California beach and seeing the colours and confidence while Dubai’s abaya brings elegance from day to night. Also having such key names Halima Aden, Rawdah Mohammed, Soha MT, Fatema Alawadhi brings joy and beauty to the IMFW24 while inspiring all the other talents. We host different groups and empowering them in different ways opens so many doors for industry growth.
Choosing the right venue is crucial for setting the tone of any fashion week. For the recent Istanbul Modest Fashion Week, what was the inspiration behind choosing Fişekhane Gallery?
Yes, choosing the right venue is crucial for us. Istanbul is a great city of course with lots of alternatives. We want to offer something unique, authentic and look for a venue that has a story to tell while being a center of connections, fashion with respecting the modest lifestyle. Fisekhane has a great history and is renovated beautifully and it is an attraction center that gathers lots of people not only from Turkey but around the world. Lastly it is seaside which brings a great view to modest fashion lovers. It was great to celebrate the modesty, welcoming of the spring together and seeing the fashion shows in a timeless runway set up.
Modest Fashion Week has returned to its home city, Istanbul, after being hosted in various global cities. How significant was this homecoming for you personally and for the event itself?
Modest Fashion Weeks by Think Fashion has a travelling concept and we carefully choose the destination, checking all the criteria for a successful event. Turkey is a textile country and Istanbul offers so many things to the modest fashion industry from modest trends to production facilities. That is why we want to come back again to Turkey after many years. It is a big responsibility because there was no other chance to make a ‘’signature edition’’. We are happy to finalise the edition successfully and have so many great returns from globally. Also, from Turkey after IMFW24 there is a big demand to make the editions annually. We have great ideas for the next Istanbul editions however next edition will be in another country.
Were there any specific initiatives or partnerships with Istanbul-based designers, educational institutions, or cultural organisations at this year’s event that you found particularly exciting?
In each edition we involve the fashion schools and educational institutions. In IMFW24 we did partnerships both in private fashion schools and universities’ creative departments. They had a global experience while we were meeting many potential team members. Each Turkish designer was also a host for us. We communicated in that way and we choose the local designers carefully who could take this responsibility not only during the event but also after the event. We partnered with 2 different NGOs that empowering the women. First NGO is supporting the women in Africa with creating a fashion label ‘’Pumzika’’ that inspired from Zanzibar and its lifestyle. Also, we our brand booths are specially made in another city in Turkey with the women craftsmanship.
Reflecting on the evolution of Modest Fashion Week since its first event in Istanbul, how has your vision and its impact evolved, particularly with the fashion industry’s growing focus on inclusivity and diversity?
From the very first edition we set our values clearly based on being global, inclusive and respecting diversity while being a hub for global businesses and growth. I believe we have a right vision and we never give up from those values even though we have so many challenges on the way. However, the vision is the same, the way of execution the projects are evolved of course in so many layers. Adapting your vision to daily practices takes time. Team diversity, choosing the right partners, fashion show production, addressing a valuable theme are only some outcomes of this evolution. Each edition we have big learnings and continue our way on ‘’democratising fashion’’ while rejecting the one type standard beauty and owning our very inner uniqueness that comes from within.
Now that the latest Istanbul Modest Fashion Week has concluded, do you have any final thoughts or messages you would like to share for upcoming editions?
Organising a Modest Fashion Week has its own secret of beauty and I’m still trying to understand what it is. We keep going and each edition aims to serve better for the industry while learning a lot from such deep layering, complex projects with the same values from day one. I would say dream big and be distributive with a full consistency and hard work. Stay tuned for the 10th edition of Modest Fashion Week by Think Fashion. We already started to work on it and we want to celebrate this special edition with bolder, nicer and cooler but of course in our own way.
