Boys in burqas: Western designer looks towards Muslims for inspiration

The garment appears to be a fusion of a kitchen apron and a burqa

The garment appeared to be a fusion of a kitchen apron and a burqa PHOTO: FILE

We know that Western fashion designers do not shy away from taking inspiration from our sense of style. First, it was the dress over pants trend that caught our eye and then there was Versace's menswear collection for Spring/Summer 2016 which was essentially a copy of Pakistan's national dress -- the shalwar kameez.

Read: 'Dress over pants': Rest of the world finally catches on to Shalwar kameez trend

And now, we have boys in burqas! At the recently held Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin, Serbian-born fashion and stage designer Sasa Kovacevic (who was also the costume designer in Hunger Games) showcased, what Mail Online termed, "face-covering garments, which appeared to be influenced by traditional Islamic dress".



During the event a group of male models walked the ramp wearing silk, burqa-inspired, designs in hues of lilac and icy blue. The garment had the models' head and face covered with their eyes and back showing.



Sasa Kovacevic's label is called Sadak.



One model showcased a pale blue silk sheet that had an image of two people in pastel pink Afghani style burqas commonly known as the shuttlecock burqa, painted onto the front of it. To go with it, the model wore powder blue trousers and a pair of pink loafers.




Read: Meet the fashion blogger who makes $15,000 per Instagram post



The other eye catching look was flaunted by a heavily inked model wearing a thick black garment featuring an open back and teamed with quirky square-shaped sunglasses and platform loafers and sports socks adorned with heavy gold chain detailing.





Heavy-duty shoes, bold frames and loose-fitting cover-ups were the notable elements throughout the show.

Sasa Kovacevic graduated in fashion design from Kunsthochschule Weißensee Berlin and also studied stage and costume design at the Academy of Art in Belgrade. His designs have been featured in the film Hunger Games 3, Mockingjay part 1, which starred Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, as well as in Dazed Digital, NY Times and Italian Vogue.



Sasa made am attempt at reviving the boho chic style with a touch inspired by a dress worn specifically by Muslim women.  The burqa designs were beautiful but would the trend be widely embraced considering the ‘neutrality law’ of Berlin? A law that requires the employees of Berlin in certain positions by law to refrain from wearing religious symbols or dressing in a way that makes them recognizable as members of a certain denomination.

Read: Will the Burqa Be Banned in Berlin?

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