'Sexiness for everyone'

This was the tagline featured in an ad by german lingerie store, 'Liason Dangereuse'. It features a woman getting dressed and admiring herself in the mirror for a good 40 seconds before she puts on a burqa and looks into the distance, ready to face the world. Although the depiction is highly controversial, the message is clear: all women want/deserve to feel sexy and attractive to themselves.

"Irrespective of whether one belongs to a conservative or liberal family, even a Muslim woman wants to look beautiful," said designer Zubair Kirmani, who recently launched his clothing line dedicated to muslim women at the Islamic Boutique in Kolkata.

The Quran advocates that a muslim woman should be covered head to toe in front of those beyond her immediate family. This leads to muslim women having a very limited choice of attire. Rubiya was one such woman, who detested her drab wardrobe; she inspired her husband, Zafar to make a difference and thus the Islamic Boutique was founded. This unique store retails designer burqas, hijabs, bonnets, gloves, coats in a variety of colours and designs.

These beautiful, ornate creations when worn immediately make a woman feel attractive, thus improving her confidence and self image. Kirmani has literally filled with colour, the lives of a community of women who were destined to always be in black.

Fashion for everyone.