The New Mods

The New Mods depicts a day in the life of a group of friends, Johar, Aba, Fatin and Fatma, at home and out and about in west London during Ramadan. Photographed for Getty Images - I worked with Photographer Nina Manandhar to explore interpretations of Modest Fashion with a focus on the navigation of religious identity through style. The girls’ ability to dress in a style that is in accordance with their religious beliefs and identity while also retaining their individuality is something that is all too often lost in media depictions of Muslim women.

The tongue-in-cheek title of ‘New Mods’ makes a nod towards one of the earliest British subcultures: young, white (mostly) men who defined themselves through their sharp, tailored dress and penchant for ska music. British subcultures have gone through a lot of changes since those times, but the moral panic around youth culture and difference remains the same. these young women are the mods of 2018 – only this time, mod stands for modest (fashion) rather than modernist.

Nina interviewed the girls on what Modest Fashion means to them - read the interview on Dazed

The project has also been featured on Its Nice That and Huck

Role: Concept Generation, Creative Direction, Briefing, Overseeing Production & Casting

Photographer: Nina Manandhar