DAYTONA – Loose sleeved shirts, pants of relaxed-fabric, and an attractive variety of hijab collections, those are part of the creations of the Muslim convert fashionista Lisa Vogl featured at the American chain Macy’s first ever launch of a women’s modest clothing line.
“There are millions of Muslim women here in the US, and there’s a lack of clothing that would work to meet our religious requirements as well as be fashionable and affordable at the same time,” the 35-year-old American designer told News-Journal Online on Tuesday.
The former Christian from Orlando added: “I choose to dress conservatively in following of my Islamic faith. Yet, these clothes are for anyone seeking modest attire.”
Vogl clarified she often had to visit countless stores in desperate hopes of finding the right styles to layer to suit the modest tastes she preferred.
“Rather than wait around for someone to fulfil such clothing needs, I launched, along with Verona Collection co-founder Alaa Ammuss, our clothing line in 2015 at an Orlando boutique,” the alumni of Daytona State College in Florida explained the triggers of her creative career.
Profoundly, to shoppers, they’re just clothes, but to Vogl they’re creative solutions.
While the feedback at Macy’s decision has been largely positive, not everyone gave Vogl’s product line a warm reception.
Some took to social media to vent their frustrations.
Some tweets called for a boycott of Macy’s, writing, “Not fashion, it’s the oppressive Islamic Hijab.”
Others claimed Muslim women are murdered if they reject wearing veil. A third tweet sees “Hijab is a symbol of oppression to women.”
Vogl replied that wearing the Muslim veil is a matter of choice; “people often misunderstand the reasoning behind it,” the nationally ranked college softball player, English teacher, and fashion photographer said.
Modesty
The Muslim designer’s venture with Macy’s began after she attended the company’s workshop on “Women and Minority Focused Business Development” which was held in New York last year.
After sighting that there was a viable market for women’s modest clothing in North America, Macy’s offered to ink a deal.
“Through the workshop at Macy’s, the founder of Verona Collection, Vogl, shared her vision to create a collection that speaks to a community of women looking for a solution to their fashion needs,” Macy’s said in a statement.
“Verona Collection is a perfect example of a strong business that provides a unique product that serves a community of women looking for fashionable modest clothing options,” the statement of the famous department store chain added.
“For us, for my community, this is a very big deal,” Vogl believes. “I think more so talking about us being able to be represented, and Macy’s took a very huge step of inclusivity and we’re very really thankful to be partnered with a company that values diversity.”
Despite her string of recent successes, the creative Muslim designer expressed she has no plans to rest on her laurels.
“In the fashion industry, there’s never a definition of ‘made it’. You always have to keep working, improving, and pushing it. Fashion evolves; you always have to stay ahead of the game.”