Okay I'm not too sure how many of you who follow this blog are aware of the Turkish brand Armine that designs for hijabis, but the Armine craze is increasing around the world as it is in Turkey. I have been selling Armine products for the past 2 years. I too agree that they have very chic styles, but they also have some that are too over the top.
This post is not intended to be about Armine. In fact I am trying to say that there are so many other brands out there designed for hijabis that are also chic and of very good quality. I can't say that for a majority of the hijabi brands in Turkey as most are really woggy and the cuts and fabrics used are not too suitable for those of us living in the west. They would make us stick out like a sore thumb - i.e. we would look like 'imports' from the east. Now I know that's not a bad thing, but it's just not us. You know what I mean? We are muslims or reverts born, raised and living in the west. We are westerners who believe in Islam. That should not mean that we need to dress as though we are living in the east.
Please don't bite my head off for making these comments. I am certainly not against the abayah nor the niqaab. I admire those who are able to wear them in such a society. However, "fashion" is a way we women express ourselves. It does have an important role in this society. It makes us more approachable. We need to seem approachable! As long as we are covered as is necessary, wearing colours is not prohibited for women. As long as we don't wear an array of colours in a country like Saudi. You need to look at where you live. As long as your clothes adhere to the rules of Islam and you don't cause fitnah, you should be fine.
Okay, having said that, let's get onto the brand I wanted to mention. This brand is very similar to Armine in quality and has many similar styles if not all. They have been around for a few years, but they are just starting to get bigger and better. This brand is KRL by KARALI. I have some of their styles available alongside the Armine clothes and silk scarves I sell, and I am impressed with their quality, cut and styles (if you are interested, just click on my logo (edb scarves & designs) on the right side of this page... it will lead you to my FB page containing photos of all available stock). Again, some styles are not really my cup of tea, but everybody has different tastes and likes I guess...
Karali is currently competing with other leading Turkish brands in the "hijabi market". Some of these brands are Tugba & Venn, Kayra, Setrms just to mention a few.
I believe that Karali is off to a good start. Some of their collection targets the more mature aged ladies, but they also have a nice range of chic and trendy products. I believe it will be worthwhile visiting their website to take a squiz. Similar to most Turkish websites, online shopping is currentl unavailable, but keep a look out for the new products that I will soon be making available in Australia inshaallah. The best part of this news is that my products are available internationally. :) I hope that's good news for you ladies! :)
However, I should note that their website is not too user friendly. You may need to play a little bit of cat and mice with the photos. The scroll down the bottom keeps sliding away. Made me go nuts man! :)) Also, another tip: once the image opens, click on it once more so you can see a larger image on a new page. Otherwise the images are small and you can't really see the detail.
Here is a little potpourri composed or selected styles from their collection:
So what do you think? Anything you like? Have any of you had the chance to see/try this brand anywhere before? I would be interested in knowing what you think :)
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