You cannot imagine how the fast-fashion retailer, MANGO, is joining cultural dots and stepping into serving an altogether new market! Our staple-simple-chic favourite MANGO has come up with a modest collection of clothing for Ramadan, to lure Muslim customers.

With Ramadan due in the beginning of next month, Mango’s collection focused around the Muslim holy month debuts on May 30. The range consists of 45 pieces: there’s casual every day wear, as well as festive, fancier attire, including kaftans, leggings, tunics, double-layered body wraps in both fitted and looser styles, and midi-skirts. These designs will be available in faux suede, poplin, lace, Lurex, and satin detailing.

The Spanish brand has focused on designs that would succeed beyond its comfort zone because a press release explained that approximately 80 per cent of MANGO’s sales in 2015 were outside of Spain. This Ramadan collection is designed by the brand’s special collections department, which creates “exclusive designs in line with the cultural and religious norms of countries in different regions, such as the Middle East”, the press release mentions. The collection obviously aims at tapping the Arab market with MANGO having more than 2,200 stores in 109 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Looking back in time with respect to such collections, high-end fashion brands have also been getting into action, with Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabanna launching its first collection of headscarves and abayas in January. Back in 2014, DKNY came out with a Ramadan collection, which was solely available in the Middle East.

Last year H&M featured their first ever hijab-wearing model in an ad campaign – Mariah Idrissi.
Some other high street brands have also targeted Muslims shoppers including Marks and Spencer, which unveiled its new burkinis earlier this year.

With numerous brands catering to the Muslim crowd, it has been taken into consideration seriously. Al Jazeera, a Doha-based state-funded broadcaster, projected that by 2030 nearly a third of the world’s population will be Muslim. Besides the religious and cultural choices their customers make, a brand’s bottom line is, of course, a key consideration when undertaking modesty-minded offerings. According to the 2015-2016 State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, the current expenditure on apparel by Muslim consumers is approximately US $ 230 billion, and it’ predicted to strike US $ 327 billion by 2019.

It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Ramadan or not, this modest line can be your escape from the mundane?! However, the fashion industry is expanding its cultural horizons and it’s certainly progressive in nature.