Modesty: A Fashion Paradox

Hafsa Lodi is an American journalist who has been covering fashion in the Middle East for the past decade. She moved to the UAE at 14. She has a BA in journalism from the Ryerson School of Journalism in Toronto and an MA in Islamic Law from SOAS in London. The relationships between religion, culture and modernity have always fascinated Hafsa, who covered topics like honour killings in Canada's South Asian communities, the use of DNA evidence in rape cases in Pakistan and the industrialization of the Holy City of Makkah, before turning to the fashion journalism beat. She writes for The National newspaper and fashion magazines, Mojeh and Vogue India.

"Modesty has long been one of fashion's most debated principles. Equally deemed sexist and empowering, depending on who you ask, covering up--whether for religious, cultural, or personal reasons--makes a statement. Fashion journalist Hafsa Lodi answers the question "Is modest fashion a contradiction?" with a well-researched and tender portrait of the politics and people behind a movement."--Harpers Bazaar; "She gives us all the deets on the modest fashion world diversity, challenges and what's to come future wise"--Salam Girl Podcast *starred review*; "Modesty: A Fashion Paradox, examines the distention that lies at the core of the modest movement, and how it's pegged as the new fashion phenomenon" --AnokhiLife; "Speaking to the high-profile figures, fashion labels and high street stores which have played a significant role in making modest fashion a multi-billion-pound industry, Modesty: A Fashion Paradox also explores the movement's limitations. But what really makes for potent reading is how Lodi debunks the myth that modest fashion is simply a 'Muslim' movement."--AnOther Magazine; "She is thoughtful and reflective in her writing, something a topic like this strongly requires. It would be easy to fall into simple dichotomies of covering one's body is good or bad. However, Lodi avoids this in her shorter pieces. I expect nothing less of her in her book."--Book Riot; "Smart and journalistic, Modesty embraces the heterogeneity of fashion and of modesty to tell a new story about self-expression and freedom." -- Foreword Reviews; "Journalist Lodi debuts with a nuanced and insightful study of the "modest fashion movement" in the Muslim world and beyond." -- Publishers Weekly