Photo: Valgerður Lilja Björnsdóttir
Modest Fashion at Slottsholmen
By: Valgerður Lilja Björnsdóttir
15th of April 2022
I am a firm believer that cultures are best shared through food, music, art and fashion. That is why I got so excited to visit the “Modest Fashion” exhibition at Slottsholmen museum. Showing the multiple ways the style can be interpreted, the visit left me inspired and excited to experiment more with layers and fabrics.
Slottsholmen, Malmö’s renaissance castle turned museum, offers a variety of exhibitions. Some are permanent, but it was the temporary exhibition “Modest fashion” that caught my eye.
Coming from a country where one can only dream of wearing a dress or shorts bare legged in summer, I gravitate toward a more modest personal style. Due to the low temperatures and winds that never stop blowing in my home country, I do not believe in clothing that does not layer – all of my jackets are oversized to make sure that I can fit at least two sweaters and one scarf under them.
So I turn to modest fashion influencers such as Imane Asry (@fashionwithfaith) and Leena Ha (@leenalghouti) for inspiration. Because let’s be honest, who does modest fashion better than Muslim women?
The exhibition displays 12 outfits created by students at the Cutter’s academy in Malmö along with other fashion interested young women. From a regal ball gown made from organza and tulle and a heavenly dress soaked in glass and acrylic pearls to mimic a rainstorm, to corsets in autumn colors that give a slight post-apocalyptic vibe, the designers show their unique interpretations of “modest fashion”.
Along with the newly designed garments, the daily clothes of a fashion interested woman were borrowed – offering an insight into a modest style closet.
The closet shows a pleasant mix of feminine and masculine with a focus on street style. Although the owner takes inspiration from current trends, the owner makes them their own by playing with patterns, fabrics and layering.
As we are starting to see an increase in low rise pants, mini skirts and dresses with big cut outs, I think that those who are interested in fashion should not disregard modest style. Although layering can be intimidating sometimes, the two-part exhibition shows us that there is no one correct way to wear modest fashion.
You can read more about the exhibition HERE!
