Kath Fry and Eisha Saleh are a perfect match for each other, as friends and business partners. Kath is a graduate of Sydney’s Whitehouse Institute of Design and Eisha has 15 years experience in corporate business and human resources. The pair combined professional skills to launch their first business last year; a clothing label – Baraka Women – designed with modesty in mind.
Their friendship began in 2005. Eisha is a born Muslim who began practicing around the same time Kath converted to Islam, which landed them both at Daar Aisha Shariah, an Islamic women’s college in Lakemba, NSW. “Every Saturday we would sit together and talk fashion,” says Kath.
Like many great business ideas, Baraka was conceptualised due to a gap in the market for quality garments with high-end style; suitable for the religious dress codes of – not only Muslim women – but Jewish, Christian and those who simply believe in attire that covers much more than it exposes.
Tell us about your personal style, and how you make it work with the religious dress code you follow?
Eisha: I’ve always dressed modestly because I naturally prefer the classic French styles of the 1950’s and 60’s. I also love colour, prints and embellished fabrics; I’ve just adapted the way I wear them a little.
It was five years ago I began adhering to the Islamic dress code set by the Quran, and God, which is to cover everything except hands, feet and face. My way of showing my personality is with a statement piece like jewellery, shoes, a bag or the kind of scarf I wear as my hijab. My latest purchase is a skull and cross bone scarf that I wear on my head! It’s so punky but also classic in a way, when I wear it with tailored pants and shirt.
Kath: I love bright colours and beautiful materials. It’s who I am, and my dress is an expression of the faith in my heart; my hijab is right for me. I love that I can fuse my religion and my personality to create my own unique style.
“I love that I can fuse my religion and my personality to create my own unique style.”
Would you say faith versus fashion worship was the driving force behind your business idea?
Kath: When I first became Muslim I was looking for beautiful long sleeve shirts and full-length dresses or skirts, and found very little on the market. I realised no one seemed to be catering fashion to women aged 25-45 who want to dress modestly, and ideally, in clothing made from cool natural fabrics. So it wasn’t just faith based. I think there’s also a a huge gap in the Australian market for clothing designed to protect us from the harsh sun, while keeping us cool.
Eisha: Cool, lightweight clothing had a lot to do with it. When I first wore hijab I struggled to go from high end fashion labels to the traditional black Abaya. So I continued buying quality labels but had to layer them to cover my body entirely. This created two problems; it was much more expensive and far too hot. I was constantly complaining to Kath about it in class [laughs].
When we decided to create Baraka, we knew it would suit Muslim women but we don’t necessarily design just for her. It’s bigger than that.
On that note, we’re very impressed by Baraka’s ‘project women’. Can you tell us more about that?
Eisha: The word ‘baraka’ means blessing, which we chose for a business name because we are blessed to live in a country like Australia where women have the freedom to run their own business with the full support of our government. Also to have the freedom to live life as we choose.
We feel like our business has the opportunity to be a blessing for others which lead to our ‘project women’ initiative.
Kath: The label is committed to empowering women to make a difference in their world wherever they live. Five per cent of each sale goes back to ‘project women’ and we work with different organisations that promote the advancement of women through donations, up-skilling or mentoring.
The projects page of our website offers updates on any of the causes or fundraising we’ve been able to support with the help of our customer’s support. We also ask for people to let us know of any projects we could help with in the future.
Baraka Women’s clothing range is available for purchase online, or appointments can be made to visit their showroom in Chester Hill, NSW.
