Burquini @ Cronulla
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artsy
(This piece is based on an article that Mike Benn was kind enough to send in.)
As a teenager growing up in a Sydney Mecca Laalaa was for the most part unable to engage in that most quintessential of Australian pastimes: swimming at the beach; "Restricted by my clothing," Laalaa explained.
Laalaa is a Muslim and has voluntarily worn the burqa, the traditional head-to- toe covering for Islamic women, since she was 14 years old. For Laalaa and the other women, she explained, the biggest obstacle was what they would wear. It is hard to swim, she said, if your body is swathed in cotton, which is heavy when wet.
Laalaa’s clothing quandary was solved by a novel fashion invention, the burquini. Her redeemer is local fashion entrepreneur, Aheda Zanetti, who designs "dynamic swimwear and sportswear for today's Muslim female." Zanetti, whose label is Ahiida, came up with a two- piece outfit made of spandex, form fitting but fully covering, even the hair, for Surf Life Savers, those volunteer lifeguards.
Judging by the photo, as a fashion statement, the burquini is not too unattractive. Maybe it could be a hit at poolsides for religious women over here? And besides that the burquini looks somewhat reminiscent of those UV screening swimsuits we hypocritically force toddlers to crawl into these days.
Laalaa pulls her hair back into a bun and hides it under a bright red hood that is an extension of the long-sleeved yellow top.
20-year-old Laalaa, is a volunteer Surf Life Saver, lured to the beach by a new outreach program for Australia's Muslims. The outreach program, "On the Same Wave," was started a year ago by the nonprofit group that organizes the volunteers, Surf Life Saving Australia, along with the Federal Ministry of Immigration and the local council.
"On the Same Wave" was intended to promote cultural understanding in Australia, introduce people from minority groups - Chinese, Somalis, Sudanese - to beach culture and safety and, above all, to increase and diversify the membership of Surf Life Saving, said Vanessa Brown, director of membership for Surf Life.
It has also challenged the public perception of a virtually sacred Australian icon- the Surf Life Saver - as someone who is always blonde, blue- eyed and sun-bronzed.
"It's a stereotype that's accurate," said Suzie Stollznow, diversity manager for Surf Life Saving New South Wales.
The outreach was the response to an ugly episode of riots on Cronulla Beach in December 2005. Under the program, 22 young men and women, from 14 to 40 years old and including a woman with three small children, signed up to become Surf Life Savers. And they didn't all believe that they would pass the rigorous eight-week course. But seventeen did.
Based on article by Raymond Bonner
As a teenager growing up in a Sydney Mecca Laalaa was for the most part unable to engage in that most quintessential of Australian pastimes: swimming at the beach; "Restricted by my clothing," Laalaa explained.
Laalaa is a Muslim and has voluntarily worn the burqa, the traditional head-to- toe covering for Islamic women, since she was 14 years old. For Laalaa and the other women, she explained, the biggest obstacle was what they would wear. It is hard to swim, she said, if your body is swathed in cotton, which is heavy when wet.
Laalaa’s clothing quandary was solved by a novel fashion invention, the burquini. Her redeemer is local fashion entrepreneur, Aheda Zanetti, who designs "dynamic swimwear and sportswear for today's Muslim female." Zanetti, whose label is Ahiida, came up with a two- piece outfit made of spandex, form fitting but fully covering, even the hair, for Surf Life Savers, those volunteer lifeguards.
Judging by the photo, as a fashion statement, the burquini is not too unattractive. Maybe it could be a hit at poolsides for religious women over here? And besides that the burquini looks somewhat reminiscent of those UV screening swimsuits we hypocritically force toddlers to crawl into these days.
Laalaa pulls her hair back into a bun and hides it under a bright red hood that is an extension of the long-sleeved yellow top.
20-year-old Laalaa, is a volunteer Surf Life Saver, lured to the beach by a new outreach program for Australia's Muslims. The outreach program, "On the Same Wave," was started a year ago by the nonprofit group that organizes the volunteers, Surf Life Saving Australia, along with the Federal Ministry of Immigration and the local council.
"On the Same Wave" was intended to promote cultural understanding in Australia, introduce people from minority groups - Chinese, Somalis, Sudanese - to beach culture and safety and, above all, to increase and diversify the membership of Surf Life Saving, said Vanessa Brown, director of membership for Surf Life.
It has also challenged the public perception of a virtually sacred Australian icon- the Surf Life Saver - as someone who is always blonde, blue- eyed and sun-bronzed.
"It's a stereotype that's accurate," said Suzie Stollznow, diversity manager for Surf Life Saving New South Wales.
The outreach was the response to an ugly episode of riots on Cronulla Beach in December 2005. Under the program, 22 young men and women, from 14 to 40 years old and including a woman with three small children, signed up to become Surf Life Savers. And they didn't all believe that they would pass the rigorous eight-week course. But seventeen did.
Based on article by Raymond Bonner
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