Key Points
- An Australian brand is being criticised after models wore clothes with the word 'Allah' printed on them in Arabic.
- 'Allah' is the Arabic word for 'God', and is considered a sacred word for Muslims and Arab Christians.
- The show was part of Melbourne Fashion Festival, which deleted a photo of the controversial dress on social media.
An Australian high-end streetwear label is facing community backlash after featuring clothing printed with the Arabic word for 'God' at a Melbourne fashion show.
The brand, Not A Man's Dream, showcased two of its designs on Saturday in the final show of Melbourne Fashion Festival which were resplendent with the Arabic script for 'Allah' on the pieces.
One of the designs featured a model who was wrapped in what appeared to be a sleeveless jumpsuit made of transparent fabric with Arabic script that read 'Allah walks with me' (الله يمشي معي) all over her body.
The model's head, neck and ears were also covered with the same fabric, in what some perceived to be a nod to the Islamic headscarf, or the hijab.
One of the models (left) is donned in Arabic-scripted clothing behind the scenes of the Melbourne Fashion Festival runway show. Source: Instagram / PayPal Australia
In a statement released on Instagram on Sunday night, Melbourne Fashion Festival said it understands that certain garments "caused offence" to people and removed the images of the garments online.
"The Festival did not intend to disrespect anyone and we apologise for any offence caused," the statement read.
Not A Man's Dream designer Samantha Saint James has also apologised in a joint statement with the festival, saying she has now "come to understand how some garments have caused offence".
"It was the opposite of my intention and for that, I'm truly sorry."
Melbourne-based Muslim fashion blogger Mona Khalifa, who attended the show, said she was "disturbed" when she saw the design in person.
Ms Khalifa posted a TikTok of the video on the way home from the event, describing the designs as "blatant disrespect" for Muslims and Arab Christians who share the same Arabic word for 'God'.
The video has since gone viral, attracting more than 100,000 views as of Sunday evening.
"Using holy phrases and writing 'Allah' in Arabic, which is sacred to Muslims but also Christians ... is wrong on so many levels," Ms Khalifa said.
A TikTok user, who identified themselves as an Arab Christian, also expressed their disappointment with the clothing.
"As an Arab Christian this is awful, like, why is 'Allah' all over her with see-through fabric?" they wrote.
Ms Khalifa said she felt the term 'Allah' was sacred, adding that it was treated with sensitivity and care within the Muslim community.
She said Muslims avoid placing any item with the word 'Allah' on the floor, and women who wore pendants with the word 'Allah' inscribed would remove the jewellery before entering a bathroom.
Ms Khalifa said in the video that the Arabic text can be seen to cover the model's genital area.
She also claimed that models who could read Arabic refused to wear the designs.
Another Muslim attendee, Hawra Khalil, said while everyone could express fashion how they wanted to, it should not come at the cost of "being hurtful and offensive" to others.
Not A Man's Dream, marketed as an androgynous women-led luxury streetwear label, was founded last year by young designer Samantha Saint James.
Melbourne Fashion Festival has quietly deleted one of its images in a carousel post that featured the controversial dress. It has also edited the caption. Source: Instagram / Melbourne Fashion Festival
Its motto is for people to show "the world your unapologetically self".
Arabic has been incorporated in the label's past designs, where phrases relating to love and affection can be seen in photos uploaded online.
Using Arabic text is a common thread in the label's previous designs, with phrases relating to love printed along the clothing. Source: Instagram / Not A Man's Dream
Melbourne Fashion Festival also removed a picture of the controversial dress in an Instagram post that featured a carousel of different designs from the day.
Its initial caption accompanying the picture, which read, "A little commotion for the dress", has since been edited.
Ms Khalil has since joined Ms Khalifa in sharing posts to raise awareness and educate designers and institutions about the appropriateness of the designs.
"A part of our faith is to give people the benefit of doubt, to forgive, and hopefully one can learn from that so it doesn't happen again," Ms Khalil said.
The controversy comes after Channel 10's flagship program, The Project, faced backlash over a joke about Jesus made live on air by a guest.
Queer comedian Reuben Kaye, who was a guest on the show, made a comment widely criticised as offensive to Christians and Muslims.
Co-hosts Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris issued an on-air apology a day later following criticism from some community groups, who have since called for the show to be axed and staged a protest outside the studio on Saturday.
