Ramadan is known as Islam’s most holy month, and along with its sacred nature comes a monetary boost for retailers worldwide. Many disapprove of the industry’s tendency to reap marketable benefits from what should be a divine holiday, but there’s no denying that the Middle East is the source of a profitable business outlet.
According to The Business of Fashion, DKNY jumpstarted a Ramadan collection filled with modest clothing that pinpoints prosperous Arab consumers. Jihad Fashion reported that high necklines and low hemlines captured the essence of the new line.
“I think it is really, really important the world come together as one and the fact that an American, New York-based brand is coming to us and saying, ‘Hey, we acknowledge this beautiful time of year that you have, and we have made this just for you.’ I love that,” said DKNY model and stylist Tamara Al Gabbani, according to The Business of Fashion.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Ramadan advertising brings the Middle East and the Persian Gulf media outlets more money than any other time of the year. Iftar, which is the ending of daily fasting, brings a spike in TV advertising prices, as families tend to watch Ramadan programs together in celebration.
“Ramadan is ironically as much about consumption as it is about abstinence,” said media analyst Mohsen Zein in Cairo, according to The Wall Street Journal. Whether one agrees with these tactics or not, when a market indulges in a culture’s milieu, consumer consumption is not difficult to achieve.
Photo Credit: RushHourDaily
