GAYA MAGAZINE

Nike; Photo Illustration by Allison Schaller It's that time of the year where TIME takes time out to applaud the best inventions of the year and it's kinda bizarre to see a hijab on that list this year to be honest. After all, Muslim women have been wearing the hijab for like...ermmm...forever? Is it an attempt to be just like everyone else out there to include some form of "hijab-related" piece? Like the Pepsi ad that had the hijab-wearing photographer? Or did you spot the n

With Eid quickly approaching (yes, we know we're only in the second week of Ramadan), many brands and labels out there are in full speed ahead to launch their Eid Collection. So this June, we present you The Eid Edit. Labels, fashion ideas, all for Eid. But whilst we are still celebrating the blessed month of Ramadan, we've sprinkled in a few food and health tips for Ramadan as well. Tap the cover below to download your free copy of the June issue. Don't forget to save it to

Modest fashion is taking the world by storm. And this can be a good or a bad thing. On the one hand you have the feeling of liberation and empowerment. Modest fashion gives us the freedom to say “I can dress how I want and be beautiful doing it”. On the flip side, there are those who continue to play the oppression card – where women in hijabs are nothing more than following an oppressed, backward view of fashion and beauty. Add to that, you have the conservatives among our o

In today’s political climate, it’s not uncommon to turn the page of a newspaper and see the words Islam and terrorist in the same sentence. Muslim women get targeted for wearing the hijab. We get marginalized, we get called oppressed, uneducated, seen as less achieved and so many other labels we care not to mention. But in the same breath, the hijab and our modest fashion is slowly (but surely) being taken over by the same group of people who have thrown those labels on us. M

Don’t get us wrong. We applaud Nike for taking the leap into catering for our Muslim sisters in sports. We’re all for inclusion and the more variety we, as Muslim sisters have, the better. Good on you, Nike. But what we won’t do is let this Nike limelight cast a shadow over the tons of other Muslimah active-wear labels that were born from…yes, you guessed it, our own Muslim sisters. Long before Nike took the leap, many of our Muslim sisters were left with wearing the daily hi

A month has gone in 2017 and so much has been going around globally. It's a rough time but if we stand united, we can rise above. In this issue, we do just that by shining a light on what unites us rather than what divides us. This month we speak to MOGA Scarves, a Melbourne based label that made waves when they sent one of their scarves to Australia's One Nation Senator, Pauline Hanson, who has been noted for her hateful rhetoric on her campaign trail. We also look into h

A brand new year...a brand new issue. And we're starting this new year with a bang! Catch our exclusive interview with Yuna in the new January 2017 issue. We speak to her on her collaboration with Lisn Up Clothing to raise money and awareness for the refugee crisis. Fashion with the cause - just the kind we like. Click the cover below to read (and download) the issue. Happy New Year, ladies! #newyear #fashion #modestfashion #yuna #lisnupclothing #refugeecrisis #gayamagazine #

Sh**! I cannot believe we’re just days, literally DAYS, away from the new year. Can someone tell me where did the time go?! I don’t want it to end. I really don’t. But what can you do? Time is unforgiving. And 2016 was definitely unforgiving – what with all the crappy cards our world has been dealt with. From war, to political unrest, to the election (you know which one), almost everyone can’t wait to get rid of 2016 and start over in 2017. Ok this blog is beginning to sound

An extra piece of cloth, an extra inch of material, a little extra coverage, doesn’t change the fact that Muslim women are normal women too. And just like every woman, we want to dress up, make up and feel beautiful too. Perfect point to start playing “I’m every woman” by Whitney Houston. Click image to enlarge As modest fashion takes off globally, it’s no surprise that our little island is stepping up efforts to push this to the forefront as well. Up till this point, when it

Bringing ethnic clothing into everyday fashion - that is the motto of Malaysian designer Beta Azee. Find out more about how they translate tradition and culture into modern day fashion in our exclusive interview with Syafeeq & Adilah at Kuala Lumpur Modest Fashion Week. Facebook: www.facebook.com/beta.azee/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/beta.azee/ #fashion #modestfashion #hijab #womensfashion

2016 ends with a bang at Kuala Lumpur Modest Fashion Week! International designers and bloggers gather in the city of KL to witness the newest starts in the modest fashion industry. This and more such as Aab's new collection featuring Mariah Idrissi, can be found in the latest issue of GAYA Magazine. Click the cover below or this link to download your copy FREE! Stay glued to our website and social media for updates, guys! Or subscribe to our monthly digital magazine here.

2016 is ending with a big bang. It's fashion shows galore for the next few months and in this issue we bring you an exclusive access into Jakarta Fashion Week and Singapore Fashion Week, as well as the regional and international fashion designers making waves in the fashion industry such as Fringadine from Paris, Jenahara Black Label from Jakarta, Aatiya London and much more. Click the cover below or this link to download your copy FREE! Stay tuned cos there's going to be m

The world is changing - weather is getting erratic, politics are running like a reality show, currency is taking a dip and the global population is making a turn - towards Islam. From media to marketing, Islam or Muslims are the in thing - sometimes good, sometimes bad. As we all know, the fastest growing religion in the world is Islam, the most unrepresented and misunderstood religion is also Islam. That is the sad reality. But it doesn’t have to be that way and many of us -

The internet is once again abuzz with yet another story involving Islam. This time not in a good light. Then again what's new. According to Buzzfeed news, an entire section on Islam has been removed from the proposed draft of a new social studies curriculum in the state. (See article 'Tennessee Removed An Entire Curriculum On Islamic History After “Public Input”' here.) Honestly, when I read this article, my first thoughts were "Wow, I don't even remember learning so much abo

Noor Tagouri in Playboy. Photo from Instagram @ntagouri. The online Muslim chatter are abuzz in the wake of Noor Tagouri's interview with Playboy. When it first came out, we were delighted. The choice of media didn't really concern us. In fact, it didn't even shock us. We were just delighted that a mainstream media interviewed the well respected Noor Tagouri, an American-Muslim hijabi journalist. We have always admired her and this interview in Playboy didn't even make us go

Three years ago, when we started GAYA, the modest fashion industry was still in its infancy. Yes there were several Muslim/Modest fashion designers, labels and bloggers but the understanding of modest fashion was mainly confined within our own Muslim community. The term "modest fashion" hadn't penetrated the mainstream market. Perhaps (and not surprisingly) it was seen as "Islamic" and only targeted to hijabis. And obviously this didn't sit well with many in mainstream fashio

Essentials are key to any girl’s wardrobe, especially if you’re like us and have the tendency to sleep through the alarm clock and end up rushing out the door. Nouhailah gives you a few tips and some essentials to keep you looking like your style isn’t a rushed job. Click the images below to find out what items you need to create your very own Capsule Wardrobe. This story and more can be found in the June issue of GAYA Magazine - click here to download free. #fashiontrends #f

Hello hello hello! Our July issue is now ready and available for download (for free no less). Just in time for Eid. Click here to download your copy! #collection #fashion #lifestyle #modestfashion #muslimfashion #hijab