Malaysia setting the trend in Islamic swimwear

By Kamarul Aznam Kamaruzaman, Editor, Halal Media

Sick of being ogled at, Malaysian women are coming out with a slick new alternative to the century old swimwear, with a design that not only covers one’s modesty, but also lowers the pool’s maintenance costs!

According to Zaidi Zainuddin, who produces cool Islamic swimwear under the label Active Attire, many private and public swimming pool operators confesses that their maintenance cost would reduce to as much as 30 percent since there would be less hair particles getting stuck in the pool’s filtration system.

Some operators even gave him the full backings to pitch to the state governments or city councils to enforce their “covered” swimwear for all visitors. Some government agencies, such as the Royal Malaysian Police, Arm Forces, or even airline companies, would requiring their officers and flight attendants to undergo compulsory swimming courses as part of their career advancements.

“It should be okay if the swimming lessons were conducted by female instructors within a well-covered pool area and separated from their male colleagues, but what if the swimming pool just happens to be next an ongoing classroom or an office block full of prying eyes?” asked Nuraini Ariffin, wife and co-founder of Active Attire.

Islamic swimwear could spark a new hip and cool trend that is not viewed as a religious compliance, just comfortable.

She said that was exactly what happened to a few of her friends, and surely to untold number of women around the world under countless other situations. Nuraini reckons that it is time for women, Muslims especially, to consider doing away with the body hugging suits or the revealing two-piece bikinis and opt for a more decent yet funky alternative.

“We need to start dictating our own style and fashion preference, which is based on the Eastern values and underlined by the Shariah. We should never wear anything that is uncomfortable to be in, even more so if its going against our cultural and religious norms,” Nuraini added.

Zaidi added that the time is right as awareness of Islamic fashion is on the rise, not just in Malaysia where Active Attire or other swimming variety can be seen almost anywhere even in hotels and condominium pools, but all over the world.

An International Herald Tribune article recently estimated that the global Islamic fashion market is worth some US$96 billion a year, and successful start-up companies like Hasema from Turkey and Ahiida from Australia have surprised market observers with their functional and cool Islamic swimwear for the masses.

Armed with a much lower cost of production, and despite using the industry-equivalent spandex-lycra as the swimwear’s core material, Zaidi and Nuraini have taken Active Attire to unimaginable heights, strutting their creation in high fashion runaways across Dubai, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur under the Islamic Fashion Week banner.

With such a huge market potential and Muslims as a voice shared by close to 2 billion people around the world, the market itself will continue to generate new ideas and improvements that would sync with the demands of today and yet fulfil age-old parameters.

If done right, it could even create ripples within the coming generations and start off new and hip fashion trends that are not viewed from any religious perspective; just simply comfortable and cool.

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