In the global fashion world, few names carry the layered resonance of Garaza. Founded by Finnish designer and cultural visionary Rimma Gar-Zaripova, the brand has become a symbol of intersectionality: a space where traditional modest wear like hijabs and abayas meets progressive design thinking, creative inclusivity, and the voices of women who have long existed in the margins of mainstream fashion narratives — including those in the queer community.
Garaza’s collections are not simply about clothing; they are about visibility without compromise. For queer women — especially those who are Muslim or from culturally conservative backgrounds — the brand’s hijabs and abayas are not just garments; they are declarations of selfhood.
A Brand Born From Cultural and Personal Storytelling
Garaza’s origin story reads like the beginning of a movement. Rimma Gar-Zaripova, herself deeply connected to Islamic art, architecture, and the layered meanings of modesty, began designing as a personal exploration. She wanted to create garments that honored tradition while embracing the diversity of women’s lived experiences in modern Finland.
Her designs soon resonated with women whose lives intersected with multiple identities — being Muslim and queer, being immigrants navigating Nordic spaces, being professionals in industries where modest wear was misunderstood or even stigmatized. Garaza’s language was one of both respect for heritage and freedom of personal expression.
Hijabs That Carry More Than Fabric
Garaza’s hijabs are striking for their quality, detail, and adaptability. The fabric choices — from lightweight chiffons to textured silks — reflect a deep understanding of both comfort and presence. Color palettes shift with the seasons: muted, earthy tones for autumn, crisp whites and soft blues for summer, and rich jewel hues for festive collections.
But beyond their beauty, Garaza hijabs challenge the fashion industry’s assumption that modesty is in tension with style. Many designs feature subtle architectural pleats, hand-stitched beadwork, or asymmetric draping — elements that nod to Islamic geometry while offering a distinctly contemporary flair.
For queer women who wear the hijab, these pieces can be an act of defiance against invisibility. They say: I am here, I am stylish, I am complex.
Abayas as Statements of Modern Power
If the hijabs are poetry, the abayas are Garaza’s prose — bold, grounded, and expansive. Traditionally a loose outer garment, the abaya in Garaza’s collections takes on multiple forms: open-front silhouettes worn over trousers, belted styles that echo trench coats, and flowing, unstructured designs perfect for layering.
Rimma’s abayas often feature innovative textile combinations — matte crepe paired with satin lining, linen with embroidered panels, or minimal monochrome punctuated by geometric cuffs. The tailoring allows for ease of movement, an important consideration for women navigating urban life.
For queer women, especially in spaces where their relationships or identities may not be openly acknowledged, these abayas can serve as a soft armor — not to hide, but to inhabit one’s body with dignity and intention.
Designing for the Lesbian Gaze
What makes Garaza particularly relevant to a lesbian audience is its unapologetic embrace of women dressing for women. The brand’s imagery often features diverse models — women of different ethnicities, body types, and ages — styled in ways that reflect authentic interactions rather than male-oriented beauty standards.
There is intimacy in the way Garaza’s lookbooks frame two women adjusting each other’s hijabs, laughing together over coffee, or walking side by side in coordinated abayas. These moments feel genuine, not staged, and they resonate deeply with queer viewers who recognize the silent language of shared experience.
This representation matters. In many cultures, queer Muslim women face the dual erasure of their sexuality and their faith. By including them in fashion narratives, Garaza is quietly reshaping both industries — modest fashion and LGBTQ+ visibility.
Ethical and Sustainable Roots
Garaza’s commitment extends beyond aesthetics. The brand prioritizes ethical production, working with skilled artisans and ensuring fair wages. Many fabrics are sourced sustainably, and small-batch manufacturing helps avoid the waste common in fast fashion.
For many women in the queer community, conscious consumerism is part of living authentically — aligning purchases with values. Supporting Garaza becomes not just a fashion choice, but a statement about supporting women-led, culturally respectful, and environmentally responsible business models.
Navigating the Nordic Context
Operating in Finland, Garaza has had to navigate a unique cultural landscape. On one hand, Nordic countries are known for their progressive social policies and LGBTQ+ rights. On the other, modest wear is sometimes misunderstood as incompatible with feminist ideals.
Garaza disrupts this binary by showing that agency can be expressed in many forms. For some women, choosing the hijab or abaya is not a constraint but a liberation from the commodification of their bodies. For others, it is a way to hold on to cultural identity in a diaspora setting — all while engaging in contemporary style dialogues.
Community Over Commodity
Garaza’s impact goes beyond retail. The brand frequently collaborates with community organizations, hosts workshops on styling modest wear for professional settings, and participates in cultural festivals. These events create spaces where women — queer and straight, Muslim and non-Muslim — can exchange ideas, learn from each other, and challenge stereotypes together.
One workshop, for example, explored “Hijab in Queer Fashion”, bringing together designers, activists, and everyday wearers to discuss how the hijab can be reclaimed as a symbol of personal agency across different identities. These conversations ripple far beyond the catwalk.
Representation in Media and Art
The visual storytelling of Garaza has made waves in both fashion media and art circles. Editorial shoots often blur the lines between streetwear and ceremonial wear, between Helsinki’s modernist architecture and Islamic artistic motifs.
Some campaigns have been intentionally subtle in their queer messaging — a hand lingering a second longer on a sleeve, a shared smile that carries layers of meaning. Others have been more direct, featuring openly lesbian Muslim models whose presence challenges the assumption that faith and queerness cannot coexist.
Why Garaza Matters Now
In a global moment where women’s bodies are politicized — whether through hijab bans in some countries or rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in others — Garaza offers a counter-narrative. It refuses to pit tradition against identity, instead weaving them into garments that hold space for complexity.
For lesbian audiences, the appeal is clear: this is a brand that understands intersectionality not as a marketing buzzword, but as lived reality. Whether you are a woman who wears hijab daily, someone experimenting with abaya styling, or simply an ally who values authentic representation, Garaza’s collections invite you to see modest fashion as part of the queer style conversation.
Looking Ahead
Rimma Gar-Zaripova shows no signs of slowing down. Upcoming collections are rumored to explore bolder color stories inspired by Middle Eastern desertscapes and Nordic winter light. There is talk of expanding into accessories — structured handbags, embroidered belts — designed to complement hijabs and abayas without overshadowing them.
Most importantly, Garaza continues to place community at the center. Whether it’s through collaborative art projects, queer-inclusive fashion shows, or mentorship programs for young women designers, the brand is building a legacy that extends well beyond the runway.
Garaza is more than a label. It’s a meeting place — of tradition and rebellion, of softness and strength, of women loving women and women loving themselves. And in every carefully stitched seam, there is a reminder that fashion can be both deeply personal and unapologetically political.
If you’d like, I can also create an accompanying visual moodboard with hijab and abaya designs from Garaza styled in queer-inclusive contexts, so the piece is ready for publication on the lesbian lifestyle site. Would you like me to prepare that?
