Tag Archives: Fashion Week

Breaking Stereotypes

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By: Michelle Gross

I met 27-year-old Nailah Limus, outside of the Masjid Abdul Muhsi Khalifah in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. The mosque is a historic religious and cultural institution, founded by Malcolm X in 1959. As the call to prayer was sounding outside of the Mosque, congregants came together to pray.

A Brooklyn native, and a single mother, Limus it at the start of a blossoming new fashion career, with her line, Amira Creations, making its debut during the New York 2011 Fashion Week.

Sisters and congregants of the Masjid Khalifa in Bed Stuy Brooklyn

Now with her fashion line up and off the ground, Limus is continuing to build her brand. The line, a combination of her love of vintage and “the whimsical power of femininity,” is a testament to herself both as a designer and as a practicing Muslim. In addition to selling her clothing, Limus is also on a mission to break the stereotypes associated with contemporary practicing Muslims, especially in the way they express themselves through fashion.

In this interview, Limus shares her thoughts on breaking down the stereotypes attached to Muslims, especially pertaining to the cultural differences and expectations of how women of the Muslim faith are expected to dress.

Breaking Stereotypes by ShellyBee

New York’s Fashion Week Economic Stimulus Plan

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For the past week, New York City’s streets have been crammed – even more than usual – with turned-out girls navigating subway grates on skinny stiletto heels and young fashion students smoking self-consciously outside of Parsons. Fashion Week seems like a la-la land of $1,000-a-yard fabrics and supermodels who won’t get out of bed for less than a hundred grand, but it has a surprisingly concrete and important effect on the city’s economy.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg christen "The Fashion Line" - a.k.a. the 66th Street subway station - in honor of Fashion Week 2011

Here’s how:

  • ŸFashion is the second biggest industry in New York City. There are over 900 “fashion-related” businesses in NYC, from design houses to fabric stores to tailoring shops, adding up to a staggering $10 billion that funnels into the greater U.S. economy. And the annual Fashion’s Night Out shopping extravaganza – now in its fourth year – provides both a financial and a morale boost.
  • ŸRestaurants in Lincoln Square – where most of the runway shows are held – get a cash infusion to the tune of nearly $10 million during Fashion Week, according to a Fordham University Graduate School of Business study.
  • High-end brands have started creating lines at lower price points – like the recent Missoni for Target collaboration – to win back the consumers they’ve lost in these difficult economic times. The result: “Black Friday”-like mobs at stores and a crashed website. Guess that encouraged people to start shopping again!
  • In this video from Reuters, designers – including former “Project Runway” winner Christian Siriano, who has created several sellout accessory lines for Payless – explain how they’ve adjusted to the current economy.