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 The event was part of the Oriental Fashion show held on the
sidelines of the city's haute couture fashion week, which
showcases designers from Asia and the Middle East.
Organisers said modest fashion had met resistance in France
because of its religious associations but there was demand for
the styles in the country and beyond.
"We're French and in France we want to address this French
demand, because firstly there's a French market for this and
also an export market," Oriental Fashion Show general director
Hind Joudar told Reuters.
"France's resistance to modest fashion has nothing to do with
the fashion itself it has to do with religion," Joudar said.
Modest fashion conforms to conservative social standards common
in the Middle East. In recent years, it has attracted mainstream
interest and brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Uniqlo and
Burberry have entered the sector.
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Spending by Muslims on clothing and apparel is projected to reach
$368 billion by 2021, according to the 2017 Reuters State of the
Global Islamic Economy report.
France, under former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy, was the
first European country to pass a law banning burqa and niqab
garments that conceal the face in public. Belgium later followed
suit, as did the Swiss canton of Ticino.
Authorities said the full-faced veil is a security risk because it
inhibit identification. France has the largest Muslim minority in
Europe, estimated at 5 million, and some of Europe's most
restrictive laws about expressions of faith in public.
(Writing by Mark Hanrahan in London; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
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