As a young Lebanese woman growing up in Australia, Aheda Zanetti faced a perplexing challenge. Like many Muslim women raised in the West, Zanetti, torn between adhering to Islamic clothing norms of conservative dress, and keeping up with prevailing western fashions had to find a middle ground. Neither a burqa (a traditional Islamic garment that cloaks a woman from head to toe, nor a bikini would do at the beach.
After watching her niece play netball (which is similar to basketball and typically a woman’s sport) while wearing the rather cumbersome burqa, Zanetti knew something would have to give. So, she developed a line of clothes that, in essence, is a fashionable compromise between the bikini and the burqa. Enter the BurqiniTM, a revolutionary concept in an industry where less is usually more. Zanetti, a hairdresser by trade who has been making dresses since she was 15, spent close to 10 months perfecting the product. The most challenging part of the process, she says, was “finding the correct fabrics and getting the best sewing techniques.”
The two-piece Burqini bathing suit’s innovative design covers the woman’s head and body while appearing feminine and sporty. The sleek and stylish suit is made of 50+ UV-protected and chlorine-resistant polyester. It’s functional and wearable on the beach and offered in two styles, slim and modest.
Zanetti has also designed the world’s first official lifesaving Burqini for Surf Life Saving Australia, the association of Australian lifeguards. Mecca Laa Laa, a Muslim lifeguard with the SLSA who wears the iconic yellow and red suit while on patrol, said it “has allowed me to participate in activities at a level I had never previously expected – for example it has allowed me to join Surf Life Saving and pass my Bronze Medallion.”
The religious community also favorably receives the Burqini. Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly, Imam of the Lakemba Mosque in Sidney and Mufti of the country (a religious title of scholar and interpreter of Islamic law), has given Zanetti a certificate of approval for her clothing line. And, in 2007, The Islamic Federation of Women Sport honored her with an Effort Award.
Is it too much material for South Beach? Most would say yes, but then, Zanetti is not trying to compete with Victoria’s Secret. Rather, she is offering an entirely new concept, one that has found an audience beyond Muslim women. Plus-sized women along with women all over the world who prefer a modest look have discovered an appealing alternative in the outfits.
In addition to the Burqini, Zanetti is launching a line of Hijood™ sports apparel. The Hijood™ is an athletic take on the Hijab, the traditional head covering worn by many Muslim women. The line consists of tops and bodysuits equipped with hoods that fit snugly around the face and chin. Its lightweight, flexible fabric serves the function of a veil while offering greater freedom of movement for those who follow a more active lifestyle. The line debuted at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, with Bahraini sprinter Ruqaya Al Ghasra sporting Zanetti’s suits at the 100-meter and 200-meter track events.
Together, the Burqini and the Hijood offer Muslim women not just a new line of clothing, but greater freedom and comfort. It is not often that a designer can find or achieve the harmony to find the right balance between tradition and function, between fashion and faith.