Designer: Zareena Yousif

Zareena Yousif is a designer based in the UAE who creates beautiful evening gowns and jalabiyas. She opened her store Fasateen in Dubai in 1995 and has since become one of the most popular designers in the Gulf. Her dresses are intricately embroidered and are a real work of art.

She manages to combine traditional handiwork with modern silhouettes to produce really unique garments.

"I love my embroidery techniques to be very ethnic, so I take them from different cultures and countries. I use badla (silver and gold threads) studs. I use very ethnic types of material when I do a motif on a piece. It can be very difficult to balance it with the chiffon I use, because the embroidery is heavy. It takes a very long time to do."




These are a few screen shots of her beautiful designs from her website http://zareena.ae/

Dubai Fashion Feista

The Dubai Fashion Fiesta took place on 19th - 22nd of June 2009. This year's edition featured several abaya designers.

Designer: Beena Soni

Beenas is a luxury brand in the UAE that specialises in jalabiyahs. Popular with members of royalty, they are definitely some of the most beautiful and well-crafted dresses. These photos are from the Abu Dhabi Bride Show in 2008:

An article about Beena from the Khaleej Times says:

"I use all kinds of silk,Indian raw silk.. chiffon and georgette. My designs go well with machine and hand embroidery as well. I have a new collection with handpainting," she informs.

In fact, Beena’s jalabiyas are distinguished by their cut for she prefers to use unconventional ones. She uses different patterns to combine traditional Arabic elements with western influences mainly in the colour and combination of material. "I always strive to create something unusual. Initially they say 'No' and later they say 'Wow'," Beena adds.

Check out the website to see the latest designs http://www.beenas.ae/

Hijab to Toe

Am I following my understanding of hijab as best as I can?

There are so many different opinions about what hijab is and what it is not. Some Muslim women only wear black, some Muslim women cover their faces, some Muslim women wear specific regional styles of clothing and some Muslim women mix it all together. Whatever you choose to wear, as a Muslimah, you are responsible for finding out what people expects of you...(but you have to do your own research). Ask Allah for guidance and then follow what you understand hijab to be to the best of your ability. As long as your intentions and actions are good, Allah will be pleased with you, insyallah...


The Winter Garden trend is of the Top Fashion Trends of 2008. I love this trend because it’s all about femininity....flowers, paisley and rich embellishments on a darker, wintery color palette...


Every girly-girl needs a little lace in her wardrobe; and while there are plenty of lacy clothes in stores, many of them look too much like lingerie to be worn outdoors.

For hijab wearing women, I found this metallic lace dress that has lining and a structured shape...and paired the dress with a matching hijab, dark jeans and a brown cardigan and pumps. Add an armful of bangles to create the perfect look for a night out.


I have found something that is modest and looks good to wear :)

Am I trying to make someone jealous or envious of me by wearing this?

We’ve all heard of the phrase "dress to impress".. but some women take this concept too far. It’s one thing to make sure that you look good for, perhaps, a job interview. (You don’t want to show up in tattered, old jeans do you?) But, it’s another thing to be completely arrogant in what you wear.

If you’re the type of ladies who dresses up just to go to the grocery store (I’m guilty of this and actually, I recommend it!:).. you probably don’t dress that way out of arrogance. For me, it’s about how we feel about myself. When we dress up, we feel confident, presentable and pretty - Allah loves beauty and there’s nothing wrong with feeling it!

Dress to make yourself feel good and be careful not to be a Show-Off.

HIJAB Style Steal

Is what I’m wearing extravagant?

They already spoke about the fact that Muslim women shouldn’t dress up just to impress other people, but that rule is based on your intentions. Extravagance is a bit more difficult to define because what’s extravagant to me might not be extravagant to another Muslimah.

What does the word "extravagant" mean? One of the definitions of the word "extravagant" is that it is something that is excessive and unreasonable. For example, wearing a wedding gown on your wedding day is great! But, wearing your wedding gown outside on any other day is extravagant. You get the idea, right?

A few tips:
If your entire outfit is shimmery, glittery, sparkly and beaded, it might be a little extravagant. If you have jewelry on every single part of your body (rings on all 10 fingers, bangles up to your elbows and a huge nose ring), it might be a little extravagant. If you’re abaya/hijab is trailing behind you like the train of a wedding gown, it might be a little extravagant.

Ok, now I’ll admit that those 3 examples may have been a little extravagant themselves, but you get the idea! If you just can’t figure out whether or not your attire is a bit too much, take off some of your jewelry, or take off one of your decorative items and replace it with something that’s more simple in style...

Salimah, a 23-year-old Muslimah from New Jersey. Salimah is a Muslimah diva when it comes to fashion. And she does a beautiful job of turning runway trends into fabulous hijab styles!

I love this look...(love how black looks with hot pink)




Ke’lona, a 25-year-old Muslim woman from California. Ke’lona’s style is eclectic, colorful, and innovative (just look at how she layers her hijab!). She has an obvious penchant for diva sunglasses and carefully coordinated ensembles.


Rahmah, a 19-year-old student from Virginia. Rahmah is into fashion just as much as any other girl, but her serious side aspires to become an Islamic scholar who changes the world!


Najibah, a 22-year-old Muslimah from New Jersey. Najibah will be graduating from college this May and she will soon start the daunting task of job-hunting. Some people would think of her hijab as an obstacle during this time of her life, but Najibah would strongly disagree and she offers some good advice for sisters who are in a similar situation to her own.