REDEFINING MODESTY WITH AFROJA K.
Some of us spend our lives searching for our purpose while others, like Afroja, seem to have always had a general idea. Powered by a legal background, an interest in human rights and a passion for fashion, she decided to find the perfect nexus point between the three and start her own modest digital fashion brand, Fashion Cults. Modest fashion has been confined to cultures and religions for thousands of years and now, thanks to social media, it also encompasses those who do so for the style. Digital fashion gives Afroja the opportunity to fulfill her own virtual clothing needs, as she is the only brand creating pieces specifically for modest dressers. For her, Fashion Cults is merely a vehicle for getting her message across: empowerment through true representation and visibility.
As a lawyer and legal researcher, Afroja covers a lot of ground. She focuses on a little bit of everything – human rights, access to justice, women empowerment, sustainability, labor exploitation – spending most of her time on women empowerment and sustainability. An immigrant from Bangladesh, Afroja has seen the affect fast fashion has on human rights up close. Rights for garment workers have been slow to improve, with living wages and worker safety continuing to be a problem. Eager to shed light on issues she’s passionate about, Afroja started her podcast The Law & Justice Podcast.
Afroja uses her platform to share information about law and justice systems and how they affect people and the environment, “It's actually my purpose to educate people, to educate my community especially,” she says. Realizing how fortunate she’s been to have received an education and opportunities to continue research, she felt that starting a podcast would fill a resource gap for students and community members who are interested in studying law, human rights, and are looking for ways to get involved. “I think students who are studying law, or more specifically human rights…they have very limited scope to access high quality sources like academic publications, journals, articles. Sharing these links and resources will hopefully help more people.” The podcast is used to dive into another passion of hers – fashion.
Passionately curious about fashion since her teen years, Afroja has always looked at popular magazines and shopped at big brands. She often felt like there was something missing – clothing variety and proper representation. “As a modest fashion consumer, when I go to shop for something, a simple tunic or a dress, it's quite difficult to find the right thing.” She continues, “It’s not available, actually.” She’s not the only one who feels that way.
Modest dressers, particularly Muslim women, are drastically underserved. Brands such as Net-a-Porter and Mango have produced clothing for the Muslim consumer, but they’re lacking. Especially in the luxury market. “Some [brands] offer modest clothing but it is too tight for me. If I wear it, all my skin, everything will be kind of visible,” says Afroja about her shopping experiences. Women who dress modestly demand that they have garments that not only conform to their faith but also give them the opportunity to express their style and personality without catering to the male gaze and abandoning their beliefs.
When dressing modestly, there’s a couple of things that women look for. For starters, it can’t be too revealing. As Afroja describes, “The neckline can’t be too wide or too low. The hem has to be low enough. The sleeves have to cover you.” Keep in mind, the levels and interpretation of modest dress varies around the world and within the religion itself – all following the same principle of decorum. For example, women in conservative Middle Eastern Islamic societies observe a stricter dress code than those who observe the principles in a more fluid way – such as wearing headscarves instead of hijabs. The clothing does not have to be void of personality. Muslim women are just as diverse and have wants and needs like any other demographic. Brands might say that they serve modest dressers, but they’re missing a key part of the demographic – those who dress that way for faith and values. Something that will never change. “It might sound embarrassing because most of the consumers love it because it is designed for them, but there are more people like me,” Afroja says.
Dressing modestly is not exclusive to Muslims, Christians, Jewish-Orthodox, or any other religion – it’s simply a way of dress. With Fashion Cults, Afroja intends to show just that. The slogan for the brand is ‘Modest fashion beyond face’ meaning “we don't just focus on Muslims or Muslim consumers. Modest fashion is not just for Muslims.” Afroja sees digital fashion as a way to help start the conversation around culture and dress, breaking the stigma that modest fashion and hijabs are exclusive only to Islamic culture. Her hope is that through her brand, she builds a community to talk about these important issues, “We can talk about empowerment and we can really include people from all communities, not just Muslim or just modest fashion consumers.”
We’ve seen the industry shift towards inclusion, but how legit is it? When you look behind the curtain of some of the industry’s biggest brands, you get a Dorothy-esque reaction to who you see, or the lack thereof. Leadership continues to lack diversity to represent one, or a few, members of the community. It is quite easy to identify the brands who have DEIA (diversity, inclusivity, equity, and accessibility) woven into the fabric of their ethos and those who occasionally sprinkle the acronym into their marketing strategy to deter the public from being curious enough to pull back the emerald curtains. Afroja has been keeping a watchful eye, trying to find brands that not only meet her demands but consistently represent the various women that exist within her culture. Having one or two Islamic women in campaigns or designers is not enough or “real inclusion or diversity,” Afroja points out. “I've been observing and researching, this kind of tokenism in the name of diversity and inclusion. Brands say it as part of a trend.” For people like Afroja, it is not a one-off issue. Representation and visibility are means for empowerment.
Afroja hopes to inspire more women to dive into the world of Web 3 and the opportunities that it has to offer, regardless of your background. As the only digital fashion brand catering to virtual modest dressers, she is excited to see others make their way into the space. Her advice? “Learn first. Take your time, there’s no need to rush.” Being a female entrepreneur in a rapidly evolving industry has its challenges. Historically, women have not been given the same access to resources and skills to be their own boss or develop their skills. Web 3 hasn’t been kind, either. Afroja believes that it is up to all of us, in cooperation with leadership, to commit to creating safe environments for women to not only start a business but “be able to sustain it.”
Afroja’s approach to the entrepreneurial life is quite simple. Focus and consistency. “I'm focused and taking my time,” she says. Focused on blending faith and fashion through education and visibility, with the hope to inspire women around the world to explore their passions.
