Burqa-clad now turn beachwear designers

Wearing a traditional Muslim headscarf, Farmana Sheikh, 18, has never been to a beach. Yet, she designs brightly-coloured bikinis and beachwear. "Fashion sense and firm will," says Farmana, who is learning basic fashion designing. "I want to become self-reliant."

Farmana is among a bunch of young Muslim students at the Sultan Ahmed Institute of Fashion Design (SAIF) run by Ahmedabad Sunni Muslim Wakf Committee. SAIF had only a handful of students for its various courses till 2002. After the post-Godhra riots, however, it saw a sudden spurt in Muslim men and women signing up to learn computer technology, spoken English and fashion design. There was an urgent need in the community to upgrade skills and show they were as mainstream as anyone else.

Many men in the community had also lost their jobs in the riots and these brave women decided to supplement the family income with their new skills. Burqa-clad Farooki Nasima, 19, is specializing on newer versions of cholis and designer saris.

"While doing an assignment for bridal and traditional wear, I realized I loved experimenting on saris. I have created a giraffe print chiffon sari with a backless sleeveless choli." "We don't aspire to wear these designs," says Memon Aqsa, 17, another fashion design student who is working on creating crochet beachwear with hat and beach shoes. "But we certainly aspire to sell these creations at a good rate and aim to aid to our family income."

"The motto is to make these youngsters self-sufficient," says managing director of the centre, Rais Munshi. "Unemployment among Muslims reached to a new peak after 2002 riots. Many young Muslim girls and boys were forced to come out and develop professional skills to earn a living."

After the riots, the centre saw a 50% jump in boys students and a 30% rise in girls.