Celebrating Luxury and Modesty; SABIRAH Does It All
By Baishali Banerjee
What do you think about when you get dressed ‘in the morning’? Do you feel like wearing a favourite new outfit, or may the weather dictate what you will wear? But what if you have a more complex relationship with your clothes? For many, their religious and ethical choices play a big part in their selection of clothing. To learn more, read Celebrating Luxury with Modesty; SABIRAH Does It All.
A short red skirt, a plunging neckline, and flesh on show are not things many of us may have to worry about when we get dressed every day. Yet for many, cultural beliefs alongside personal preferences and religion can play a massive influence in one’s sense of clothing, and play a part in what you choose to wear every day. Some women want to dress modestly, not for religious reasons, but because they just feel more comfortable that way.
‘Modest dressing’ as it is now culturally called is a way of covering up arms, and legs and generally dressing in a way that covers most of the skin. It will always exist as long as women from different ethnicities and cultural beliefs bring their fashion sense together with their personal beliefs.
Well, it’s now fair to say that modest fashion is beginning to thrive and has become more visible in the world of fashion. With evolving times, this sense of clothing continues to grow and is meeting its fashion sensibilities with Western styling. Who says you can’t be a fashion icon and still look gloriously on trend whilst staying modest?
From SABIRAH’s Collection 1
For many, before the 2000s, there weren’t many options available in terms of modest clothing styles in the world of high fashion.
This may well have been an egregious oversight on the part of the fashion business, after all, this huge market includes women who choose to cover themselves for religious reasons and women without religious calling. In terms of numbers, it accounts for over 1.8 billion of the world’s population
The rise of modest fashion has been slow yet steady. London-based SABIRAH’s debuted in 2020. Designed to help modest dressers discover the ideal event clothing, Deborah Lattouche, the designer introduced the Demi-Couture house, bringing on a wide and diversified collection for this sector.
“The majority of my clients are not modest dressers, they just love the pieces”
Deborah Latouche.
Deborah Latouche is a seasoned stylist, writer, and designer who entered the fashion business after completing her studies at the London College of Fashion. Deborah refined her artistic abilities in Milan after staying at the Benetton think-tank Fabrica (communication research centre with places given to students) where she worked and collaborated on various projects before heading back home to London.
Ever since, she became well known for her creative and successful styling work in magazines such as The Sunday Times, Vision China, and Schön! She has collaborated with many talented people, such as Naomie Harris, Sophie Turner, and Eric Underwood.
Sabirah has a devoted fan base, thanks to her dedication within this arena and her passion for sustainability, tailoring, and design. These commitments have elevated her to a prominent position among companies of similar calibre in the modest fashion world.
The brand’s name ‘SABIRAH’, meaning patient and enduring, came about when Deborah changed her name to an Arabic one upon her conversion to Islam. This move then addressed her need for upscale, stylish modest clothing and with this her desire to dress her community.
“SABIRAH was created due to my needs as a Muslim woman working in the fashion industry. I wanted to wear clothes that were high fashion, well made and met my modest requirements. I knew that there were other women who felt the same as me.“
-Deborah Latouche
The line was created in the United Kingdom and utilises highly trained seamstresses, and luxurious end-of-roll fabrics, frequently left over from Haute Couture fashion companies, manufactured in Italian mills and French producers. In an era of mass-produced, faster, cheaper textiles SABIRAH is championing the crucial fashion ideal for sustainable, ethical manufacture and upcycling.
Wondering about the modest styles of clothing? The styles in SABIRAH’s collections are immensely diverse. They featured dramatic shapes, vibrant colours and matching tone-on-tone accessories.
The 1st collection, introduced in February 2020 debuted during London Fashion Week in 2020, when she presented it all in a showroom. This collection called Collection 1 featured voluminous skirts, long-sleeved dresses and blouses that drew inspiration from shapes of petals and leaves. Interestingly, Latouche was intrigued by how flowers were formed and chose to use this as a design reference. This collection saw colours like deep aubergine, rose pink, and gold.
Alongside the high-end, end-of-stock textiles including fine cotton and Duchesse satin, she also used antique buttons, making her clothes in the UK.
Latouche continued her journey by launching her second collection called “Beautifully Modest”; Collection 1.2. Themes of empathy, love, and unification influenced the 2nd collection.
There was a range of striking hues, such as whites, gentle pastels, and vivid turquoise were some of the colours used for this collection. The collection featured voluminous skirts, petal-shaped sleeves of tops, long-sleeved dresses and straight and baggy trousers.
Throughout her next seasons, SABIRAH kept evolving while maintaining her distinctive style with new silhouettes, hues, and luxurious textiles. Her third Collection called 1.2 was presented as an experimental film by Photographer Esmé Moore. Esmé produced a still photography animation set to a mesmerising soundtrack.
The colour palette included Noir, Antique Gold, Cerise Pink, and Acid Mustard. This season’s blouses were composed of more structured materials with contrasting neckties and billowing sleeves.
With its oversized shoulder and sleeve featured, the new Bell Dress in silk taffeta was one of the iconic pieces of this collection, and the Cerise Pink PRINCESS BLOUSE 2 paired with the vibrant BLOOM SKIRT 2- were some examples.
Moving on to Collection 1.3, it was especially distinctive for Deborah. Surprisingly, she discovered these missing photographs of black Victorians, which were rediscovered in 2014, after more than a century in the Hulton Archive. According to those “in the know,” the Hulton Collection is the best photojournalistic repository that documents history through images from the past millennium.
Latouche wanted to reproduce the elegant attire of that era while keeping the distinctive SABIRAH brand alive, so she began to visualise ladies of colour thriving in the modern world. Both the film and the images in this collection were produced in Somerset House.
The next collection called 1.4 featured a mix of energetic colours and shiny accents. There were amazingly fitted jackets worn with straight skirts or wide-leg trousers.
The bright fuchsia Bloom Coat in a thick silk satin with a floral headscarf was an example of one of the energetic colours.
Collection 1.4 introduced in September 2022 was a celebration of love and life even though they were entering what appeared to be austere times. The shots were by Photographer Asia Werbel which featured light-hearted and enjoyable shots that caught glimpses of the model in-between moments.
This season also saw some flowing kaftans in the shades of black and yellow.
As we moved on to Collection 1.5, form and shape are examined in greater depth. A clean and pared-back collection where form and grace play the biggest role. It could be a nod to elegance.
Deborah aimed to design pieces with the usual flattering, statement-making, with that evoked Old Hollywood.
This season saw capes with a voluminous gown as well as long slim-fitting skirts, along with some Victorian necklines. Deborah’s prime choice of colours turned out to be black and white.
Moving on to Collection 1.6, a continuation into exploring great form and shape, created a sense of drama and drew inspiration from Old Hollywood.
“I wanted to create dramatic, yet elegant shapes that are reminiscent of Old Hollywood; pieces that are easy to wear, flattering and make a statement.”
-Latouche explains
Deborah was enthralled with the 1930s black American actress Nina Mae McKinney. At the age of 16, Nina Mae McKinney starred in the all-black musical “Hallelujah,” which made her the first black actress to be signed to a major Hollywood film studio (MGM).
The hues complemented a vivid palette of acid yellow, noir, orange and fuchsia; the tones were like rich jewels.
SABIRAH explored opulent embellishments and jewellery on some of the outfits. The hand-beaded and laser-cut petals with crystals were strewn throughout the range, gracing the dress.
This Collection brought the latest cape shape this time the Fan Cape, made of orange silk taffeta and paired with an ivory silk canvas long pencil skirt, just one example of a statement outfit.
By adding styles, new colours, and textiles, SABIRAH progressively expanded with new styles of colours and fabrication. As a result, this collection featured their first wedding clothing in addition to a new jumpsuit and the KHADIJAH column dress.
Next came her first catwalk show. Having used the presentation format up until now this was a major step in the brand’s history. Latouche debuted her Glamorously Modest AW24 in the February 2024 Collection during the 40th London Fashion Week.
Dominique Deveraux, star of the hit television program Dynasty in the 1980s, served as the inspiration for Collection 1.7. One of the first-ever women of African, Island or Caribbean descent to be shown on TV as rich powerful and glamorous and therefore becoming a guiding force for a young Deborah.
“I just loved her, she was the first Black in the show, and more than that, she was also a woman on the same level as them. She wasn’t a cleaner or a maid, or someone who worked for them, she was powerful, eloquent, and sophisticated. This was very important to see growing up…I can also see the impact she had on the women within my family, with my mum telling me she influenced her style with her fabulous outfits and acted as a role model.”
-explained Latouche.
She showed how to defiantly challenge prevailing fashion conventions by emphasising elegance through concealment rather than exposure.
The capsule collection featured puff sleeves, dramatic capes, fitted jackets with statement shoulders, paired with pencil trousers and winter kaftans. Her palette for the season was sophisticated peaches and creams contrasted with tobacco, silver and gold hues as well as stylish metallics.
Every luxury ensemble was paired with accessories including pink maribou feathered hats, elaborate eyewear, jewellery and stoles making for complete outfits. Deborah consolidated the elegance, subtlety, and modesty of her collections in this first runway show.
Deborah’s last Collection to date, titled “Lovingly Modest” was also shown at London Fashion Week, in September 2024. Latouche drew inspiration for the collection from recent family gatherings that served as a reminder of the value of empathy, love, and unity.
Light rose, mint, aqua, sage, lemon meringue, coco, and cream were among the collection’s gentle colour schemes. The Paisley Rainbow print, the first to be resurrected since 2022, was also part of the collection. The collection’s fabrics included striped organza, taffeta, and Italian silk.
Crystals on the shoulders of capelettes and the Bell Jacket, and beaded pieces were designed by the Embroidery and Embellishment designer, Jodie Ruffle. The collection also featured a fully adorned headdress by the hat designer Piers Atkinson.
Models on the SABIRAH runway during her second show at London Fashion Week represented a wide range of ages, races, and hair textures, celebrating diversity, and allowing them to luxuriate modestly.
Deborah created the house SABIRAH to appeal to everyone, not just those with specific fashion needs; the items make a statement as well as exude personality, even if the designs are designed with modest dressers in mind, they are not restricted to that market.
“We believe in the elevation of ALL women regardless of size, religion or race.”
–SABIRAH
In essence, SABIRAH can be seen as the epitome of strength, perseverance, diversity, and innovation in a purpose-driven, contemporary high-end fashion house.
Every piece is created to elevate women to a position where they feel stunning, regal, sophisticated, and exquisite. Deborah thinks that when women wear her designs, they can feel, within themselves, the brand’s purpose to empower and elevate them.
If you enjoyed reading Celebrating Luxury with Modesty; SABIRAH does it all, why not try reading, Alexander McQueen, Love the Evolution with Seán McGirr.
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