Italian superbrand Dolce & Gabbana launched the new year with its first-ever hijab and abaya collection. A press release issued by the company states: ''The abaya collection is a reverie amidst the desert dunes and skies of the Middle East: an enchanting visual story about the grace and virtue of the marvellous women of Arabia."Fluffy as that description sounds, Dolce & Gabbana are finally taking advantage of a market that has been largely ignored by Western designers and brands.''I think this collection of hijabs and abayas is a great thing," said Capetonian Saarah Nwaiei, The Modest Fashion Blogger, whose blog focuses on ''modest wear", that she says ''inspires me to become a better Muslim every day". Not many people know the differences between traditional Muslim ''modest wear," said Nwaiei.Abaya is an Arabic word for the loose clothing worn by women to cover the body, arms and legs. It's worn over other clothes and some styles cover the head. A hijab is a veil that covers the head and chest.According to Dolce & Gabbana the collection features ankle-length dresses in sand, to signify the Arabian desert, and in dark colours. Some of the abayas are embellished with motifs from the spring/summer 2016 collection: prints of daisies, lemons, white dots and red roses.Georgette and charmeuse fabrics are used combined with lace inserts and trim.Media worldwide have hailed the collection as a ''game changer".But not all Muslim women have waxed lyrical about the range.Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, editor of the fashion blog MuslimGirl.net, said: ''It's cool that a major designer is extending its tastes to Muslim clothing items, but are brands finally catering to Muslim women, or are they exploiting them?"She also noted that the model used for the campaign is ''a white-passing woman that might not even be Muslim."She added: ''Muslim women are getting the visibility right now, but not necessarily the inclusivity."Nwaiei disagreed, saying that it is a wonderful development, but added that the prices were exorbitant, especially by South African standards."The prices are crazy, ridiculous," she said. ''When you convert to rands they're simply unaffordable for us."Nwaiei was especially impressed by the more elaborate pieces with embroidery or lace trimming.''The abaya doesn't necessarily have to be black," she said.''Black is considered elegant and sexy and is definitely the most popular colour to wear, but there's no rule that says it can't be any other colour."Nwaiei said she has lots of abayas in her wardrobe of many designs and colours, including pink. ''And in Egyptian movies most of the women wear white abayas," she said.But will she be saving up for a Dolce & Gabbana piece?"I would if I could," she said.''In the Middle East abayas are really cheap and most Muslim women in Cape Town get theirs from a shop called Gateville. They are imported but affordable."And what does she think about Dolce & Gabbana using a white model for their campaign?''Race shouldn't be brought into the thing. I am a Muslim who is half-black and half-coloured. The abaya should not be made into a racial issue."..