Owners of ELHM say the label aims to cater to the western Muslim market The brand launched its first modest evening collection this month DUBAI: After making its brand debut with a collection of hijabs earlier this year, London-based modest label ELHM has released its first evening wear line on Wednesday. The Spring 2020 evening dress collection includes six embellished, high-neck and long-sleeved maxi dresses in pastel shades. The collection also includes an “exclusive bridal gown” that features delicate bead work and sequined details on chiffon fabric. “When we started creating this collection, we wanted our dresses to stand out from what has been seen before,” Breshna Hemati, co-creator of ELHM along with Hind Mahdi, told Arab News. “We are proud to say that we have put together a collection for modest women that does not sacrifice elegance and timeless style.” The ELHM store is also releasing a set of hijab caps made from “soft breathable material” to protect hair from breakage and skin irritation, along with the label’s new “EID Hijab collection” for the upcoming Muslim holiday. Co-owner and business partner Mugel Al-Harazi claims ELHM’s new hijab caps will bring “an end to one of the biggest problems for hijab wearers.” The brand’s co-owners say that the label was created with the aim of “enriching” the modest fashion industry. “As a woman who dresses modestly, I know the struggle of finding good stylish pieces while staying modest. I found looking for clothes online difficult. I always felt that what I found was not suitable or that it didn’t allow me to express my style, making me feel as though my outfits were boring and not trendy,” Al-Harazi said. Al-Harazi explained the fashion industry can no longer be “tone-deaf” to diverse needs, and recent pushes for inclusion have raised international expectations of brands to be socially and culturally aware. This was one of the inspirations behind the label, as the owners of the all-female-run business explained. “We want to give women of all backgrounds who wish to stay modest stylish and elegant choices by offering one platform that caters to all their fashion needs,” they said. Muslim consumer spending on clothing is expected to reach $368 billion by 2021, which would be a 51% increase from 2015, according to the “State of the Global Islamic Economy Report,” produced by Reuters in collaboration with DinarStandard. “The ELHM store is a family created by girls who knew the struggle of finding stylish yet modest clothing,” Mahdi said. “What kept us driven was the thought of girls who needed more choice and quality in their closets.”