Chador

The Persian name for the long black veil that Muslim women wear to cover the head. Literally, it means “tent,” and this is actually its function, to cover like a tent. It represents the encounter between religion, folklore, and Islamic tradition. The Koran admonishes women to dress in a modest way and the chador was originally used to cover the breasts, because in pre-Islamic times women walked with their breasts uncovered. In Arabic, it is called the Hijab, which means hiding. It has other names in the different Middle Eastern countries: abaya, jilbab, kymar, nikab, and rusari. Often, it covers not only the head but also the face, except the eyes. That is not an obligation prescribed by the Koran, or by the Sunnah, but it is part of the tradition of Muslim women: the veil means modesty. In the most orthodox countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates, women are obliged to wear it. The burka is, on the other hand, a total covering, loose-fitting, from head to neck and breasts, and from wrists to ankles, uncomfortable, and cumbersome. It does not expose a single inch of skin. Even the eyes are hidden by a thick mesh. The Taliban regime of Afghanistan, in addition to other restrictions, required women to cover themselves with the burka completely, at the risk of very severe penalties. In February 2002, photographer Shirin Nashat, an American by adoption, held an important exhibition about women and the chador at Castello di Rivoli. In France, Muslim girl made great efforts in order to wear the chador in the classroom. A reinterpretation of the chador and burka with reference to the status of women at certain times is a recurrent theme in fashion Collections: Alexander McQueen, the English designer for Givenchy, in 1997 had already presented a burka which transformed itself into an Andalusian costume. The following year, a designer from Cyprus, Hussein Chalayan, sensitive to the problems in the Middle East, presented three models wearing one chador which could be shortened to become a mask, and another one in a stretch fabric that squeezed the legs and arms, blocking them. Jun Takahashi, an emerging Japanese designer, concluded his Paris Collection with a triumph of burkas in very strong colors burkas worn with sneakers. In 2003, in New York, Miguel Adrover was inspired for his Autumn-Winter Collection by the chadors, turbans, and caftans of the Middle East.