Fast-breaking fashion: Ramadan becomes part of London fashion week

Fast-breaking fashion: Ramadan becomes part of London fashion week British-Yemeni designer Kazna Asker paused her presentation at sunset to share iftar with the models, staff and guests For the first time in its history, Ramadan and the act of fast-breaking have been officially incorporated into a London fashion week show, according to the British Fashion Council. On Monday evening, 29-year-old British-Yemeni designer Kazna Asker deliberately paused her presentation at sunset to share iftar with the models, who were also fasting, as were the interns and many of the staff. The presentation, titled Hour of the Sunset, was built around the rhythm of Ramadan – the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims worldwide. From dawn to dusk Muslims fast from food and distraction, with sunset being an “energy-shifting” moment, says Asker. Programming this pause into one of the fashion industry’s most tightly scheduled weeks was deliberate. “As soon as I found out that fashion week would fall , I had to incorporate it,” Asker says, speaking in her London studio. “This collection was built around the themes of Ramadan.” Asker turned the British Fashion Council’s NewGen space, a platform designed to spotlight emerging British talent in fashion design, into a majlis , or Arab living room. Guests sat on floor cushions inspired by Asker’s grandmother’s lounge, where, in Yemeni households, meals are shared communally on the floor. For this reason, Asker says guests and staff sitting together in this arrangement was the “best way to break fast together”. Halfway through the showcase, the instrumental Arab soundtrack lowered, lights dimmed and dates and cans of water were passed around in woven baskets. Sudanese-Australian writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied addressed the room, reading Mary Oliver’s poem The Sun, followed by a supplication to mark the breaking of the fast. The models stepped down from Persian-carpeted platforms and tables to break their fast. The iftar menu includ...