UNE Center for Global Humanities hosts lecture on “Muslim Fashion and Global Politics”

As recent news stories have focused on the French high court’s repudiation of France’s "burkini ban" and on Donald Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims entering the US, a funny thing has happened in the world of Muslim fashion outside the light of public scrutiny: A niche market for Muslim clothing has developed around the globe, catering to women of all religious sensibilities who wish to dress modestly, but also fashionably.   

In a lecture at the University of New England Center for Global Humanities, titled "Muslim Fashion and Global Politics," scholar Reina Lewis will discuss this phenomenon. The lecture will take place on Monday, September 26 at 6 p.m. at the WCHP Lecture Hall in Parker Pavilion on the UNE Portland Campus.

Lewis, who is a professor of cultural studies at the London College of Fashion, will reveal how a women-led movement has used the internet to facilitate commerce and commentary, explaining how designers, creative entrepreneurs, bloggers and social media mavens have become important tastemakers whose images and opinions cross the world. As these women create and promote styles that claim more and more space in consumers’ wardrobes, however, they continue to be excluded from the mainstream fashion and policy-making communities. 

The author of Muslim Fashion: Contemporary Style Cultures and other books, Lewis is a frequent media commentator -- most recently in the New York Times, Le Monde, BBC World, BBC Radio, CBC radio, The Guardian, The Times, Marie-Claire magazine, Elle Brazil, Fortune.com and the Huffington Post. She also convenes the public talk series "Faith and Fashion" at the London College of Fashion.

Since its founding in 2009 by UNE cultural studies scholar Anouar Majid, the University of New England Center for Global Humanities has brought leading thinkers from around the globe to Portland to share their expertise with students and a diverse audience of community members. The lectures explore some of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. They are free and open to the public, and are streamed live online so that students at UNE’s campus in Tangier, Morocco, and people around the globe can watch them.

For more information on the event, visit https://www.une.edu/calendar/2016/muslim-fashion-and-global-politics.

To learn more about the Center for Global Humanities, visit www.une.edu/cgh

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions