“Muslim Met Gala”: What 7 Muslim-Australians wore this Eid
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
“It’s a beautiful way to end the holiest month.”
After a month of early morning wake-ups and fasting, nearly one million Muslim Australians around the country are preparing for a party. Ramadan’s 30 days are drawing to a close and with that, Eid al-Fitr is here. Translating to ‘the celebration of breaking one’s fast’, Eid is a time for family, prayers, food and, importantly, dressing up.
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There’s excitement around getting dolled up and styling an intricate look that honours modest fashion. But sustainability is also on the minds of these creatives; Nawal is rewearing her wedding day bag, Basra is accessorising with thrifted items and Jasmine is focusing on pieces already in her wardrobe. Below, six Muslim women share their Eid outfits and plans with us.
Nawal Sari, she/her, content creator
What are you wearing this Eid?
I’m wearing a flowy fringe kaftan from Na-kd. It’s from a collaboration edit between Na-kd and two Muslim Moroccan influencers, Oumayma Elboumeshouli and Khaoula Boumeshouli. I loved the modest pieces from the collaboration and how beautiful this piece is. It’s a statement piece I’ll have in my closet forever for events, you can style it so many different ways.
It’s so hard to find a modest outfit that’s affordable yet also unique and I love the cultural influence this has. I’m also wearing it with some platform gold heels from Asos I bought a while ago and this adorable Amina Muaddi bag I wore on my wedding day. It’s the perfect statement piece and want to make sure I’m rewearing pieces I love in my wardrobe; she’s also an Arab designer so I’m really representing this Eid!
How will you be celebrating Eid?
I’ll be visiting a lot of family! This is my first Eid married and living out of home, so I’m excited to visit everyone. I’ll be eating a lot of sweets; my personal fave is maamoul! The best part of Eid is all the company, but also the getting ready process and seeing all your family’s outfits because we put a lot of effort to look our best.
Jasmine Joyan, she/her, lawyer
What are you wearing this Eid?
I’m trying to be more mindful about what I purchase this year and decided to focus on reusing clothing I already own. I like to play with textures, so I’m wearing my wool beanie (in lieu of a scarfed hijab) with faux leather pants. My platform boots give me some height to carry my coat but are also comfortable enough to walk and stand in for a full day of celebrations.
The staple piece is my suede leather pustaki (an Afghan coat that has been widely appropriated) which I thrifted from curator Vintage Amore. This coat is a homage to my Afghan heritage while also being the perfect item to drape on this simple look! To accessorise, I’ve chosen golden square hoops from Lovisa and a cream belt to break the colour scheme a little bit.
How will you be celebrating Eid?
The first thing I will do to celebrate is drink coffee in the morning! Aside from that, I’m blessed to have a large extended family so my day is divided into three parts. We first attend Eid prayers in the morning; there’s such excitement in the air during Eid prayers and it’s a great way to celebrate with the Muslim community.
After Eid prayers, my family will be having brunch with my extended family on my mum’s side. We usually spend time with them until the late afternoon. My family will then have dinner and dessert with my extended family on my dad’s side.
Basra Ajeh, she/her, content creator
What are you wearing this Eid?
Eid is about looking your best so of course I had to go all out with a beautiful dress from Aje. I got this dress through a collab I did with them for Eid and I’m obsessed with it. [I] love the sleeves and the ruched details; I picked the cream colour so I can accessorise it with anything.
My red pointed heels are thrifted and so are my pearl necklaces. The bag is secondhand from a family member and I bought my red hijab ages ago from a Turkish brand called Modanisa. The rings I’ve also had for a long time, they’re from a secondhand market.
I’m really happy I saved money on my look this Eid and reused pieces I already owned rather than buying new. Even though Eid is about looking and feeling your best, it’s not necessary to buy new things. I love that my outfit is a bit over the top but that’s what Eid is all about.
How will you be celebrating Eid?
This Eid I’m going to Melbourne to celebrate with my family! Every Eid morning we get up early to go to the mosque as a family to pray with the rest of the community. It’s a very wholesome vibe I’ve always loved!
After prayer and greeting people we know, we usually go home to have a feast with family and friends. It feels odd to eat in the daytime after fasting for 30 days but we enjoy our food. We give each other gifts [and] money and visit other relatives or friends. And of course, we shoot our Eid looks to share online; it’s like the Muslim Met Gala! It will forever be my favourite time!
Tuba Dagli, she/her, content creator
What are you wearing this Eid?
How will you be celebrating Eid?
Kishama Meridian, she/her, modest influencer
What are you wearing this Eid?
For Eid al-Fitr, I’m wearing a beautiful lilac dress from Aje, paired with lilac heels and my white Lady Dior bag. This year I knew I wanted to put together something a little more ‘extra’ and girly; I’ve been especially loving wearing vibrant colours and matching them with my hijab recently and this look definitely embodies that.
One of [the] first-ever outfits I posted [on Instagram] after putting the hijab on was lilac. This outfit is pretty sentimental to me for that reason and makes me reflect on how much I’ve improved in my modest journey.
How will you be celebrating Eid?
Because I’m a Muslim revert, my Eid doesn’t look like the typical Eid celebrations. However, I will be spending time [and] celebrating with my friends and my husband and his family. And I know for sure that I will definitely be enjoying a big breakfast and morning coffee after my month of fasting!
Nabeela Ghaznavi, she/her, photographer and Founder of NG Creative Studio
What are you wearing this Eid?
This Eid I’m wearing a new staple piece from an Australian-based modest fashion brand I absolutely love called Haya and I. My outfit is a stunning knit maxi dress with flared sleeves paired with some cream pointed-toe heels from Zara. [I’m wearing] my favourite cross-body bag from Charles and Keith and a complimentary brown-toned hijab to match.
As someone who[se fashion] thrives in winter, I love a classic and timeless knitted outfit that never goes out of style and can be accessorised to be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. This is my first Eid wearing the hijab – I wanted to celebrate in something super chic and timeless that also maintained a modest look without having to layer too much for comfort.
How will you be celebrating Eid?
I’ll be celebrating by having a family lunch at my parents’ house with all of our loved ones. Our tradition is to eat lunch together, exchange gifts and have lots of sweets. As the photographer in my family, I’ll also be on Eid photo duty (as usual), taking lots of pictures of everyone’s outfits and family portraits on film. Being someone who is usually behind the camera, I love the opportunity to dress up and get a photo of myself feeling fashionable and confident.
Samah Al-Chami, she/her, digital creator
What are you wearing this Eid?
This Eid, I’ve chosen to wear a vivid green two-piece abaya from Integrity Collection. It’s a long-sleeve dress that can be wrapped to your liking; it also comes with a long cardigan with its own wrap! It’s very versatile and can be worn with many different pieces… I have chosen to wear an abaya this Eid because I want to improve my modesty and showcase that modesty is beautiful! It’s a comfortable piece that still allows me to feel pretty.
How will you be celebrating Eid?
This is actually my first Eid being married. My husband and I will be visiting both our families to celebrate with them. We tend to do our rounds with [our] closest family members while eating food – [like] Lebanese sweets and Lebanese grape leaves with meat and rice inside. Also, [we] try to go to the mosque and pray. Eid is all about celebrating with your loved ones and being grateful to have experienced another Ramadan together while giving back to the community. It’s a beautiful way to end the holiest month.
Six Muslim women share what their relationship is with makeup here.
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