My Veil, My Choice: Alice Slade A/W 2021

Originally Published on November 5, 2021

Earlier this year, fashion student, Alice Slade, reached out to MODEST about a collection she was designing. Her goal was to create something that fulfilled the needs of modest dressers. Alice gathered feedback from our readers and other sources, and now we are excited to reveal her work.

“My Veil, My Choice” is a project in response to a French colonial poster distributed in the 1950s in Algeria. It pictures several hijabi women with the caption, “Are you not pretty? Unveil yourself!” French colonialists targeted the veil in their campaign of cultural erasure, as a symbol of otherness and oppression. Forced unveilings took place in public ceremonies, exposing, disrespecting, and denying freedom of choice and modesty to Muslim women. 

Collage by Alice Slade

In her work, Alice researched Algerian colonial history, traditional Algerian clothing, Islamic architecture, and modest fashion bloggers to better understand the needs of modest dressers. This is considerate design, because often when designers/brands create “modest” collections, they don’t take the time to understand the intended audience.

Alice was particularly inspired by the “idea that modesty can be a secular and feminist option - an individual woman’s choice to show less rather than more, an act of empowerment,” (Rafia Zakaria). The freedom of expression and the right to choose are key ideas that she has explored through the collection.

The collection features thirty pieces and ten looks; five menswear & five womenswear. Both have five classic outerwear garments: a trench, puffer, tailored, waterproof coat, and a denim jacket. Each piece comes together to create a collection that encompasses practicality, modesty, elegance, and fun by playing with layering and dynamic silhouettes.

In addition to the outerwear, there are also crochet undergarments. These can be worn layered underneath the coat or by themselves and were designed to make the wearer feel comfortable, stylish, and empowered.

The coat pictured above was designed from fabric donated by Burberry and has a gold jacquard lining. It is designed for total modesty and features a drape piece which is lined with crochet granny squares that can be used as an integrated hijab or thrown over the shoulder as a decorative feature as shown in the middle image. We think the draped cape/hijab gives this design a superhero touch.

The crochet details make this collection stand out, because they show that the inside and outside of the garment was considered, giving more versatility to the wearer.

To connect with the designer, you can find her on Instagram: @alice.slade.fashiondesign

What do you think of this collection? Let us know in the comments!

IMAGES PROVIDED BY ALICE SLADE
MY VEIL, MY CHOICE (AUTUMN/WINTER 2021)