The abaya itself has become a fashion item. No longer is it a solid black cape or a shapeless unexciting cover. Each woman tries to bring her individual taste and style on the clothing item she wears the most and the one that helps her make that all-important first impression. Thus, during the last few years, local designers have found a new market for their special abayas, an item that will never be out of demand as long as there are fashion-conscious women who are veiled.

A newcomer to the abaya fashion scene who has a distinguished touch all her own is Sarah Binhejaila. At a show last week at Casper and Gambini’s Restaurant, Sarah launched her designer-name abayas — Niyaah — which means intention. “I chose the name because I think what matters in the end is the woman’s intention in wearing the abaya — who she is inside and not what she looks like on the outside,” Sarah said.

At her current store location in her house in Al-Hamra, she talked about the different styles she designed and the categories they belong to. There is the Gardinia collection featuring colorful embroidered abayas with head covers of flowers, butterflies and animals.

Another collection is Legoncia, kimono-inspired abayas that are in-fashion now and are made of silk shantung. Then there is the Trendicia collection which, as the name indicates, appeals to trendy young women. “Some of them asked me to design something that would allow them to go jogging comfortably. So I designed abayas made of cotton which allow for easy movement. They also have a hood which can be drawn tightly around the face or left loose.”

There is also the Feminista collection that caters to women working in mixed workplaces who want something modest but also feminine and practical. She uses different kinds of fabrics and colors for her abayas, giving the women a variety of options that suits their moods and the particular occasion. “Color affects your mood so why should we always wear black abayas? There is nothing in Islam that dictates the abaya must be black,” she said.

She has also created a whole new line of head covers, including bandanas, caps and scarves, that match the abayas.

Hers is a new style of hijab that is both modern and traditional. She began wearing the hijab four years ago, triggered by what was happening in Iraq and after having a spiritual awakening in Makkah where she had gone on Umrah. She had a difficult time finding clothing that was modern, and being someone who “loves fashion,” she began drawing designs, without having any fashion-design background, of the kinds of abayas and head covers she wanted and giving them to a tailor to make. Though she had no background in design of any kind, after receiving compliments and questions about where she had bought her abaya, the idea of going into business suddenly seemed right.

“I mostly target women who travel abroad and would like something nice to wear as hijab; in a way these are not just abayas, they are an outfit because I can make each piece any length they want to suit their needs when they travel,” explained Sarah. That is why she considers her designs couture because each abaya is unique and not mass-produced; it is tailored and designed to fit the woman buying it which also explains the prices that higher than normal. She does, however, assure her customers that she will give discounts. She hopes to open branches in Dubai and Europe.

For information on Niyaah: www.niyaah.com, [email protected].