LONDON – In contrast to French elites’ views on Islamic fashion, British brands have been competing for a rapidly expanding global market for Muslim consumers, with their eyes fixed on getting a share of the maximizing halal market.
“Halal doesn’t only apply to food but also to business ethics, dress etcetera,” Rauf Mirza, director of The Muslim Lifestyle Expo (MLE), which organizes trade fairs on Muslim consumer trends, told Agence France Presse (AFP).
The MLE this week organized a networking event bringing together 150 business leaders, experts and young entrepreneurs in central London to trade tips on the best way to profit from an expanding sector.
Famous names like the Marks & Spencer department store chain now offer Islamic fashion products — in line with other world brands including Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana or Japan’s Uniqlo.
The international brands’ push for a share in the halal pie has been criticized recently by French women’s rights minister Laurence Rossignol.
The French minister compared Muslim women choosing to don hijab to African-Americans who defended slavery.
The statement provoked an outraged response, with over 30,000 people signing a petition declaring, “it is terrible to see that persistent anti-black racism is used to justify and legitimize a gendered Islamophobia.”
“Crossing the Channel, there is more pragmatism on these issues, which are seen only through an economic prism. It’s seen as a business opportunity,” said French businessman Ali Djedid, whose company Zeynara is based in Paris.
“In France instead we immediately politicize the debate,” said Djedid, a former financial analyst.
“There is no doubt that there is a market, that it is growing and that we also need to adapt to modern consumer trends,” he said.
Local Businesses Too
The MLE event showcased many local projects launched to fill a large gap in the halal market.
For example, Faaezah Qureshi from Yorkshire in northern England set up her Muslim greetings cards company Elaara after finding too many contained unsuitable images such as champagne glasses and churches.
Zahra Pedersen said she launched her online fitness course “The Healthy Hijab” for women who wear the veil and are embarrassed going to the gym with men.
“There was a big gap in the market,” Pedersen, who was not wearing a hijab, told AFP.
Shelina Janmohamed, vice president at advertising company Ogilvy Noor, started off the London networking event with a talk on how British companies could “tap into the global Muslim lifestyle sector”.
Muslim entrepreneurs are not alone in the quest for halal business opportunities.
Canadian David Horne co-founded Alchemiya, a “Netflix for Muslims” with subscribers in 39 countries and offers programs including documentaries on skateboarding in Kabul or Turkish muezzins.
“If you’re a global brand, how can you ignore 1.6 billion people?” Mirza said.