Beneath the slightly frantic air backstage, kufis, hijabs, and abayas mingled easily alongside slacks and blouses, and you were just as likely to hear a “hey girl hey” as a casual “salaam, how have you been?” This was the scene one hour before the Modest Now x Muslimi show, the first modest show at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) on February 14. Sponsored by Muslimi, a foundation that supports and empowers Muslim communities in the United States, the Modest Now x Muslimi fashion show sought to spotlight Muslim designers while giving them a chance to express themselves in fashion — a space that, while innovative, hasn’t always been the most accepting of differences. Now, there was a chance to showcase a future where both faith and fashion could coexist, one fit at a time.
Photos by Sumayyah Uddin.
Making a (Modest) Statement
Modest Now x Muslimi set out to make a statement with their pieces, which was clear in the lead-up to the show. The runway took place in a studio space bookended by floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which, mingled with the lighting, created an airy glow focused on the models.
The runway featured the Eid Edit from women’s fashion brand Amariah (designed by Maryam Amaria) and the unisex Fall Winter 2026 Collection from the streetwear brand Athari Wear (designed by Islam Mohamed El-Hosainy).
Amariah’s collection was inspired by the founder’s recent travels through the Middle East, and featured light, fluttery fabrics shaped and draped to fall loosely around the wearer. The simplicity of the designs brought the focus back to the wearer, illuminating them without being too flashy.
The overall effect was, in the words of Modest Now co-founder Dina Barber, “Romantic. Pretty. Soft. Effortless.”
Athari Wear’s collection was street-style with a political, ethical twist. With pieces that focus on Palestine, the keffiyeh, and Muslim-American icons like Malcolm X, the fits showcased during the show were sharp and modern, emphasizing passion while still staying effortlessly cool.
Designer El-Hoseiny focused on both materials and ethics in his designs. “ I tried to the best of my ability to use the best premium materials and fabrics out there — unique, special materials like suede, Spandex and everything else. The most important thing for me is that I make sure that’s ethical, that it comes from an ethical source and also has ethical production for it, because, you know, these go hand-in-hand.”
The runway was important to the models as well, with some posting about how the experience allowed them to express their morals in a system that sometimes threatens their job for standing up for their beliefs.
To close out the show, Dina Barber and Fatima Younus (founders of Modest Now) came out hand-in-hand to wave to the audience, while Athari Wear’s founder, Islam Mohamed El-Hoseiny, took a lap of the runway to thunderous applause.
Walking the Talk
Athari Wear founder and designer Islam Mohamed El-Hosainy is sticking to his values — and expressing it through his art. EnVi had the chance to catch up with the designer about the process behind the brand’s Fall Winter 2026 collection, starting with what inspired it.
“Basically, my inspiration came throughout my career,” El-Hosainy shared. “I was working in the fashion industry and, long story short, they fired me for standing up for my beliefs. So I wanted to create a collection that reflects my identity, my values, and the people that I look up to like Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and all the other Muslims and even those who are not Muslim who align with our values. I want to create something that collects all these ideas together, as well as raises awareness for our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Sudan.”
El-Hosainy’s beliefs came across clearly even during his lap of the runway at the end of the show. His appearance as a designer made a statement — emblazoned on the back of his jacket in blocky text were the words “I don’t want blood money.”
“I believe that fashion’s political and has to be a fashion statement. To me, fashion is something that you express yourself through, something that raises awareness to everything that’s going on,” El-Hosainy said.
While El-Hosainy acknowledged that it was hard to pick just one piece that he was proudest of or felt the most personal to him, he pointed towards the Fall Winter 2026 Palestine Collection, the Keffiyeh Collection, and the collection that reflects the identify of Muslim identities, like Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali.
“The melon fit, the press fit, raises awareness to the death toll in Palestine and Gaza,” he said, speaking on the Palestine Collection.
Taking a Calculated Chance
Post-show, EnVi had a chance to catch up with Dina Barber, one of the founders of Modest Now, to find out more about how the show came to be. One of our first questions was why this particular show was significant — why do Modest Now now?
“Because I feel like we need a representative, right? As Muslims,” she replied. “Like they say, we are not the stronger ones here [in the U.S.]. So I feel we need to be seen because there is so much creativity that the industry has not seen before. The goal is to make modest mainstream and then have a category in the industry, just like swimwear or cocktail dresses, because right now, we don’t have that. We need to start somewhere.”
There was a purpose behind every moment of the show. When EnVi asked how and why Modest Now chose to feature the two designers they did, Barber didn’t hesitate to answer.
“This is an industry show. This is not like a sideshow or anything — we [were] really careful to choose, you know, since this was the first time and a first impression is everything. So that’s why we only have two designers, because we wanted to show modest fashion.”
She went on to describe how the two collections featured in the show showcased two different types of modest fashion: “ Amariah is romantic, you know, like girly with nice stitching, which is important. And then the other one we have is Athari Wear, which is streetwear. We looked for good quality, not randomly, you know? That’s how we chose, that’s how we created it. We want everyone to join us on this platform, doing this movement together.”
Barber’s answers emphasized the careful planning that went into this event — every moment was only possible through help and support from others, including Muslimi, Riviere Agency for production and PR, and her co-founder, Fatima Younus.
“We are really, really grateful for the community because the community has supported us. It’s really crazy that we have a lot of support from non-Muslims, because they took care of us and it’s really beautiful.”
While the Modest Now x Muslimi show might have been new, it was clear that it was being set up as an industry standard, not a one-off. Dina Barber emphasized the importance of longevity in making the selections for Modest Now x Muslimi.
“[Amariah and Athari Wear are] not going to do it like once and done. We make sure that [the businesses] are going to do it again, that they’re not going to close down after this, you know? They both already have a base, they already have a business. That’s what’s important. It’s going to move the economy, you know?”
Winding Down and Wrapping Up
As things wound down, models, media, and guests took the time to mingle.
Modest Now x Muslimi had done what they intended — they had attracted a crowd interested in making modest fashion more mainstream. So what was next?
For some guests, it was the possibility of this show opening up opportunities for the future.
Stella Saleh attended to support Ahmed Saleh, a professional bodybuilder who walked in the show. “ I’m here because I’m so excited to see this,” she told EnVi Media. “I definitely think it [modest fashion] should be more available here in America. Even myself here as a hijabi, I have such a hard time finding modest clothing. Being at this event really is a very great opportunity to show that modest fashion is also fashionable.”
As the pounding bass faded to silence and guests began to disperse, heading off to their next NYFW event, a cluster of models suddenly realized that it was time for Asr, one of Islam’s five daily prayers. Still dressed in their runway fits, they quietly hurried to a corner, toed off their sneakers, and stood to pray. The scene was quiet and heartfelt, placing a perfect period on the sentence of the day — faith and fashion, coexisting and complementing each other, allowing people to embrace what they love without compromise.
To learn more about Modest Now x Muslimi and see more photos from the show, check out their Instagram.
Interested in more of EnVi’s NYFW coverage? Check out our piece on One World Trade Center’s breathtaking Thai designers showcase here!
