The “battuta” Spotlight section primarily introduces notable Muslim companies to our readers. Muslims are making substantial contributions all over the world and in different sectors of the economy. These contributions are genuinely worthy of our recognition and serve as beacons of pride for Muslims.
In this article, we acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Modanisa, pioneers of Modest Islamic fashion.
“It all started with a Vision!” says Kerim Ture, Co-founder, and CEO of Modanisa, and indeed that marks the humble beginnings of this global fashion powerhouse. His purpose was to meet modest women’s desire to wear the clothes that fit the life and times they lived in. He wanted to offer the stylish alternatives that sophisticated, modestdressing women needed and wanted but could never find. Clothes that would make Muslim women look good and feel good without compromising their religious values and beliefs.
As a business, Modanisa had a twin mandate: to fulfill a significant clothing gap and to empower women to express their identities, values, and personal tastes in style. The approach has always been to understand and address women’s evolving needs truly. For instance, with more and more women joining the workforce for the first time, it naturally meant increased demand for apparel options that allow women, like me, to operate comfortably and confidently in a professional environment while upholding modest standards.
Unlike other fashion retailers who add some modest options to be part of their range, modesty is an integral part of every step of the production process at Modanisa - from idea inception to delivery.
Modanisa.com was launched on Mother’s Day, 2011, which I think is pretty phenomenal. Although Modanisa’s headquarters was in textile-rich Turkey, the journey was not easy at all. It was a struggle to convince manufacturers of the vast potential that Modest fashion represented. Modanisa had to bypass all the obstacles and create their ecosystem by establishing their private labels and working closely with a small pool of female designers and factories. It was the first Turkish fashion platform that offered variety and allowed its target audience to shop for modest clothes online.
During this time, the Modest Muslim clothing fashion industry was practically nonexistent, be it in Turkey or globally. Modanisa.com pioneered Modest fashion and became the first Turkish fashion website of its kind to go international. Within five years, the little “cottage industry” went global.
Born in Istanbul, Modanisa now serves customers in 140 countries. Content is offered in 6 languages, namely Turkish, Arabic, English, French, German, and Bahasa. Recognizing women’s needs and preferences and speaking their language has allowed Modanisa to reach 20 million visitors from all over the world via their app and desktop platforms. A young, diverse, and energetic staff sells over 1000 brands. The company’s passion and dedication has been rewarded with customer love, trust, and loyalty. Modanisa may be growing fast, but they still hold fast to their start-up ethos. New Product development happens at the pace of 800 new products per day. Some additional significant company performance indicators that are worthy of our attention are:
Value for money
Affordable prices
Accessible design
Unconditional returns
Express delivery
24/7 Customer Service
Superior User Experience
Latest Technology
26 Payment option variations
The Modanisa Community of 10+ million
Modanisa’s achievements did not go unnoticed in the international arena. In 2016, Reuters selected Modanisa as the world’s most famous Islamic apparel website. November 2017 marked when the prestigious “Islamic Economy Award” in the Islamic Arts Category was bestowed to Modanisa. In March 2018, Modanisa’s efforts to elevate local vendors onto a global platform and make them global retailers earned it the “International Business Excellence” award. Recently, Modanisa was the “Audience Award Winner” in “The Best Muslim Fashion / Beauty Companies” category of the “Global Muslim Impact Awards” organized by “The Center for Global Muslim Life” that is based in the USA.
A significant milestone was achieved when Modanisa co-created the Modest Fashion Week concept, which made its debut in Istanbul in 2016 and was later staged in London (2017), Dubai (2017), Jakarta (2018), and Istanbul (2019). These fashion weeks practically brought Modest fashion to the world stage.
Muslim consumer spend on fashion and cosmetics was predicted to be respectively worth between $464 billion and $730 billion globally by 2020. According to “the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2020/21”, the Modest fashion market reached an impressive $500 billion, which is 14.4% of the total global revenue. The number of e-tailers who offer modest clothing also increased by 500%.
A quarter of the world’s population is estimated to be Muslim by 2050 insha’Allah, and with the current Muslim lifestyle, fashion enthusiasts will spend a whopping $2.6 trillion. The marketplace for halal products is forecasted to show growth, spurred by Muslims and non-Muslims, by around 6% over the next three years.
The needs of modest women have turned into a subsegment of mainstream fashion, which widened the global ready-to-wear market. The boom in Modest fashion has impressed the mainstream fashion companies and retailers who are starting to take a closer look at this Muslim phenomenon. They have started to become more eager to carve out a massive slice of this lucrative pie. Modanisa has a comparative advantage since it has been embedded in the halal economy and knows firsthand the diversity of their Modest fashion enthusiasts - their needs, and their sensitivities. The mainstream fashion based in Europe and North America may see Modest fashion as one homogeneous group and seek to offer a one size fits all. Still, as Muslims, we know that traditional dress codes determine purchasing decisions in Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, and so on.
Modanisa appears ready to withstand more prominent players entering this market with their attitude of “there is no room for complacency.” From design to delivery, marketing and after-sales, they are ready to match or even surpass the mainstream companies to compete effectively and provide appealing, affordable ready-to-wear apparel.
The trend is for customers to reward socially responsible companies who use ethical and sustainable fashion alternatives. Modanisa has been meeting these new expectations. Having an Islamic background allows them to play a positive role, combining Islamic principles about waste with modern business practices that emphasize kindness to the environment. Modanisa is an e-export champion that has introduced small producers and designers to the world.
To me, Modanisa is not just a clothing company. On the contrary, Modanisa is an “enabler” for modest women in the following ways:
To raise their social levels by breaking societal barriers and equalizing the different clothing styles.
To be themselves in their modest way and to show their natural character.
To compete with others without compromising their values and beliefs.
To play an active role in society and contribute to the family and overall economy.
To be fully part of any nation’s HIStory with HERstory.
The impact of Modest fashion on the lives of Muslim women cannot be doubted. As the sector matures, its transformative powers will continue to shape society for the better.
In this edition of “battuta” Spotlight, Modanisa stole our hearts.
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