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The Arab fashion industry is set to broaden its global appeal following years of steady acceptance and the growing support of top fashion icons.
The international Muslim fashion industry is estimated to be worth more than $96 billion, assuming that 50 per cent of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims each spend at least $120 a year on modest clothing, according to French Fashion University Esmod - Dubai, the leading fashion institution in the Middle East.
Consumers in non-Islamic fashion-conscious countries, such as France and the UK, with higher purchasing power are willing to spend more than $600 a year on high-end clothing. In the UK alone there are more than 1.5 million Muslims, so the market for Muslim fashion could be worth somewhere between $90m to $150m a year.
At this rate, the 16m Muslims in the European Union represent a potential clothing market valued at around $960m to $1.5bln a year.
Some Arabic style outfits can sell for as much as $10,000 and yet remain in high demand due to the robust economies of key markets such as the United Arab Emirates.
"We can see Arabian styles steadily influencing European street fashion, which proves the potential of this emerging niche," said Tamara Hostal, director and founder of Esmod Dubai.
"Aside from making abayas decorated with crystal beads, pearls, embroidery, satin flowers, and other colourful adornments, designers are also introducing dramatic new styles, fabrics, and colours to Islamic dresses.
"For instance, a British designer offers an outfit which combines a hooded abaya with a matching niqab, or face veil, in eye-catching pink over a salwar, or loose pants, printed with an ornate English floral motif as part of her Imaan Collections.
"High-end designers such as Hermes and Gucci are also trying to break into the Muslim market with scarves and other products," said added.
A new generation of designers such as Elie Saab, Robert Abi Nader Abed Mahfouz, Walid Attalah, Essa from the UAE and others continue to impress the fashion world with their fusion of modern and Muslim-inspired elements into their ensembles.
Their works reflect the transition from plain and simple Arabic designs to more sophisticated creations that extensively use embroidered elements.
