DNKY has launched its first ever fashion line dedicated to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Designed by Styles Magazine fashion editor Yada Golsharifi and Dubai-based designer Tamara Al Gabbani, the summer 2014 collection is the first DKNY launched with a specific audience in mind, according to BuzzFeed.
With high necklines, maxi dresses and colorful long-sleeved shirts, the line appeals to a modern fashion sense while recognizing that many Muslim women dress conservatively.
On the surface the line may appear to go against Ramadan's traditional ideals of fasting and charity. However, supporters say DKNY is celebrating the Islamic culture while tapping into the growing Muslim consumer market in the Middle East.
"The fact that this collection has been styled by Muslim women who are professionals in the fashion industry is a brilliant move on the part of DKNY," Bina Shah, from Pakistan, writes in an opinion piece for The Independent. "No fashion faux pas here: everything in the collection is beautiful- and halal."
Ramadan occurs in the ninth month of Islam's lunar calendar, where Muslims around the world fast until sundown "to train the human soul in deeper mindfulness and self-restraint," Imam Sohaib Sultan of Princeton University wrote for Time.com.
Muslims are also encouraged to take time to reflect and perform acts of charity.
On that note, it may seem as if DKNY is commercializing and taking advantage of something that is meant to be holy. But that is not the case.
"Yes, we're encouraged to spend our money on feeding the poor, on donating to charities," Shah writes. "But in Muslim countries, many people buy the entire years' clothes for themselves and for their loved ones; even this act can accrue blessings because it occurs in such a holy month."
The New York-based label also launched an entire website focused on the Middle East in addition to the Ramadan line. Unfortunately for U.S. consumers, the Ramadan collection is only available in stores in the Middle East.
