CAIRO – A giant Japanese fashion retailer has launched the first line of Islamic hijab in the UK, seeking a share of the growing Islamic fashion industry.

“We wanted to create a collection for women who appreciate modesty as a lifestyle, as well as a broader international audience,” Hana Tajima, the designer of Uniqlo new hijab line, told The Independent.

“It is relaxed, and can be mixed and matched to enhance style,” added the British creative and blogger who reverted to Islam at 17 and launched her own clothing line of stylish Muslim wear.

The launch of Uniqlo new line comes amid a continued growth in retail across much the Arab world.

The Japanese clothing giant was due to land stores with its second range of head scarves and tunics from March 18, although it is the first time company will offer them for sale in the UK.

Last year it launched its first line in Asia, seen as one of the first times a major high street store has targeted the Muslim market.

“The Hana Tajima collection is a further extension of our LifeWear concept in making fashionable, high-quality products for anyone, anywhere, to enhance lifestyles,” Taku Morikawa, chief executive at Uniqlo Malaysia, said.

“We worked with Hana to develop something with international appeal, while maintaining the concept of modest clothing. The result is not only stylish, but comfortable.”

“Our second collaboration with Hana this spring/summer season will introduce essential pieces that reflect her style for modest fashion while combining our LifeWear concept in which is to focus on enhancing the wearer’s lifestyle,” a Uniqlo spokesperson said.

The Japanese retailer is not the first to target the Muslim community in the west.

Luxury online retailers including Net-A-Porter now offer a “Ramadan Edit” as the annual period of fasting observed within Islam gains greater recognition in the industry.

H&M enlisted its first hijab-wearing model last year, featuring 23-year-old Mariah Idrissi, discovered via Instragam, in its “Close the Loop” video campaign, which taps into a diverse group of models.

“Our style, in a way, hasn’t really mattered, so it’s amazing that a brand that is big has recognised the way we wear hijab,” she told Fusion.

Dolce & Gabbana is also set to launch a line of abayas and scarves in its signature colourful prints by October 2016.

“I can’t help but feel incredibly underwhelmed, possibly even a tiny bit insulted by the collection. I’ve dreamed the day a major design house would officially recognize us, hijab clad Muslim women and finally ‘cater’ to us,” she wrote on her blog.

“But my dream wasn’t resulting in a line of lacy, embroidered traditional abayas and matching scarves. Something I’ve grown up with and a look that every Muslim woman is all too familiar with.”

Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.