The 4 Big Problems With "Ramadan" Fashion Collections
Mango just released its second Ramadan collection, one week before the Muslim holy month. It's hardly the first: In 2014, DKNY pioneered the “Ramadan” collection targeting Muslim women in the Middle East. In the two years that followed, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, Oscar de la Renta, and Monique Lhuillier have also put out collections. But despite acclaim from Western and Asian news outlets (including this site), many Muslim women have expressed that these collections have missed the mark. In fact, I believe Mango’s current Ramadan collection is disappointing for reasons that most observant Muslim women can point out: They’re inappropriate for the occasion, improper for the religion, hyper-focused on a small segment of the Muslim population, and inconvenient for most Muslim women to actually buy.
The number one reason these collections fail is brands’ lack of understanding of Ramadan. Let’s start with the basics: Ramadan is the month when Muslims believe that the Prophet Mohammad received the final divine revelations, the compilation of which makes up the Quran. Ramadan is regarded as one of the holiest — and busiest — times for Muslims. It’s 30 days of non-stop celebration, worship, community, and family.
The number one reason these collections fail is brands’ lack of understanding of Ramadan. Let’s start with the basics: Ramadan is the month when Muslims believe that the Prophet Mohammad received the final divine revelations, the compilation of which makes up the Quran. Ramadan is regarded as one of the holiest — and busiest — times for Muslims. It’s 30 days of non-stop celebration, worship, community, and family.
Mango just released its second Ramadan collection, one week before the Muslim holy month. It's hardly the first: In 2014, DKNY pioneered the “Ramadan” collection targeting Muslim women in the Middle East. In the two years that followed, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, Oscar de la Renta, and Monique Lhuillier have also put out collections. But despite acclaim from Western and Asian news outlets (including this site), many Muslim women have expressed that these collections have missed the mark. In fact, I believe Mango’s current Ramadan collection is disappointing for reasons that most observant Muslim women can point out: They’re inappropriate for the occasion, improper for the religion, hyper-focused on a small segment of the Muslim population, and inconvenient for most Muslim women to actually buy.
The number one reason these collections fail is brands’ lack of understanding of Ramadan. Let’s start with the basics: Ramadan is the month when Muslims believe that the Prophet Mohammad received the final divine revelations, the compilation of which makes up the Quran. Ramadan is regarded as one of the holiest — and busiest — times for Muslims. It’s 30 days of non-stop celebration, worship, community, and family.
The number one reason these collections fail is brands’ lack of understanding of Ramadan. Let’s start with the basics: Ramadan is the month when Muslims believe that the Prophet Mohammad received the final divine revelations, the compilation of which makes up the Quran. Ramadan is regarded as one of the holiest — and busiest — times for Muslims. It’s 30 days of non-stop celebration, worship, community, and family.
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During the month, Muslims fast, abstaining from food and drink, from dawn until sunset, during which time we’ll also engage in extra acts of worship, including increased charity, prayers, and visiting the sick. Each day, Muslims break their fast at sunset with family and friends over large meals, and attend evening prayers that last late into the night. The end of Ramadan is marked by a huge celebration called Eid, where we dress up and gather for an early morning service followed by a full day of socializing, eating, and gift exchanging.
Despite this rich and complex tradition, brands have relied mostly on limited market research which has lead them to believe that Muslim spending is concentrated in the Middle East where Muslims spend their Ramadan evenings shopping in malls. Brands are only targeting these populations because they have been lured by the $489 billion spending power a State of the Global Islamic Economy 2014-2015 report commissioned by Thomson Reuters and Dinar Standard estimates Muslims across the globe will have by 2019. What’s puzzling is, why go after a foreign market with customers you don’t understand and who have constant access to modest clothing, while ignoring the estimated $100 billion market in the west — a market these brands are more familiar with who have very limited access to modest clothing? With many retailers struggling with poor earnings, targeting an underserved market in their own backyard should be a given.
Despite this rich and complex tradition, brands have relied mostly on limited market research which has lead them to believe that Muslim spending is concentrated in the Middle East where Muslims spend their Ramadan evenings shopping in malls. Brands are only targeting these populations because they have been lured by the $489 billion spending power a State of the Global Islamic Economy 2014-2015 report commissioned by Thomson Reuters and Dinar Standard estimates Muslims across the globe will have by 2019. What’s puzzling is, why go after a foreign market with customers you don’t understand and who have constant access to modest clothing, while ignoring the estimated $100 billion market in the west — a market these brands are more familiar with who have very limited access to modest clothing? With many retailers struggling with poor earnings, targeting an underserved market in their own backyard should be a given.
So the “Ramadan” collections are already on shaky ground to begin with, but there are four main problems with them.
1. The timing is off. Just as stores push "back to school" shopping well before school actually starts, or display New Year’s Eve dresses long before December 31, so, too, should Ramadan collections be available well before Ramadan. But that’s not the case: Mango’s current collection came out one week before Ramadan, while DKNY, Zara, and Tommy Hilfiger’s all came out the day Ramadan started. It makes little sense to have these collections only available when Muslims have the least time for leisurely shopping.
2. It's too casual. The main apparel women are looking for during Ramadan is something formal or semi-formal to wear for all the events and Eid. Most Ramadan collections offer relaxed pieces better suited for a casual brunch than celebratory evenings. Women are looking for sophisticated dresses, elegant tops, and dramatic skirts; not striped cotton dresses and tunics.
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