In the 19th century European exploration and settlement of inland Australia depended heavily on the expertise of Muslim cameleers from Afghanistan and British India. These men were expert Camel handlers and became imperative for the building of a new nation. More efficient than bullock or horse teamsters, the cameleers were in great demand. They helped construct telegraph lines and inland railways, took part in exploration expeditions, and supplied mining towns and pastoral stations.
During the 20th century, the Australian economy needed migrant workers. Consequently, Turkish, Albanian, Bosnian, Lebanese and many other African and Middle Eastern countries migrated to Australia. Today, 2.2% of Australians are Muslims (roughly, just under half a million in the population of 22.68 million).
Fashion buzz
A handful of Australian designers have emerged in the past few years. These designers catering not only for Muslim women who have certain dress code, but for anyone who wishes to dress modestly, stylishly and elegantly.
Australian Muslim women come from many countries with many different traditions of dress: Moroccan, Malaysian, Indonesian, Afghani, Syrian, Pakistani, Lebanese, and even British. Cultural influences can be seen in the designs giving them a unique edge. Some brands have really taken the world by storm, for example, +ahiida swimwear and sportswear. Burqini's global success let to it being selected by the Macquarie Dictionary as the 2011 word of the year. Outfits appeal not just to Muslim women but to non-Muslim women looking for garments that protect them from the harsh Australian Sun.
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| Courtesy of Ahiida |
Aida Zein left career in law to become a fashion designer. Her homegrown brand called ninety9 has flourished from a home-based business to wholesaling to Islamic clothing stores and to finally opening her own boutique store in Sydney's Bankstown (2nd store in Sydney's Punchbowl is set to open December 2013). Aida's favorite fabric to work with is denim and her creations are for those who want to dress casually, but at the same time elegantly and modestly.
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| Courtesy of Ninety9 |
Kath Fry and Eisha Saleh have launched their baraka e-boutique in 2009 after meeting in 2005. Kath has background in fashion design whilst Eisha comes from corporate business/human resources background. They realised there is a gap in the market for quality garments with high-end style for those wanting to dress modestly. Baraka loves to work with bright colours, cotton and linen.
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| Courtesy of Baraka |
+Fay Tellaoui was fashion inspired from an early age when she witnessed her mother sawing her own dresses at home. Fay, too, saw a gap in the market which excluded clothing for young Muslim ladies who struggled to dress fashionably and modestly. Most of the Islamic wear was imported from overseas and were aimed at mature women. Fay had given the traditional abaya a new look: it has a tailored fashionable silhouette and features contemporary fabrics and prints.
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| Courtesy of Fay Tellaoui |
And you don’t even have to be a fashion star to contribute into the global trend. There are so many passionate and inspiring fashion bloggers who buzz about street fashion and create different looks by putting outfits together and presenting them online for discussions. One of the most popular ones is Muslim Street Fashion.
Groundbreaking exhibition showcasing achievements of Australian Muslim designers and entrepreneurs. Their stories reflect on the diversity of the Australian Muslim community and the importance of faith in every day lives.
The exhibition was created by Sydney's Power House Museum and was open from 5 May 2012 until 14 July 2013. After that it moved to Melbourne's Immigration Museum and will stay open until 9 June 2014. All of the above designers and more are featured in this exhibition.
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