“There was absolutely nowhere one could go to buy simple, functional and climate-friendly abayas or hijabs… unless one wants to wear the thin black abaya and freeze in the harsh UK winter months.”
Shahida could see there was a style obstacle for Manchester’s Islamic community. And she thought she knew how to fix it.
In 1995, she embarked on a mission to develop style-conscious yet wearable Islamic clothing – working with her husband Altaf to launch Abayas Boutique – and the city’s leading luxury ‘House of Hijab’ was born.
Today, the Rusholme-based clothing brand is the go-to spot for garments that conform to Islamic guidelines without compromising on style, specialising in beautiful hijabs and abayas that are fashion-forward; with chic options made from luxurious fabrics.
The business idea originated from Shahida’s need for an abaya that allowed her to feel confident, and she enlisted the help of her fashion designer husband to create one.
What started as a simple idea soon skyrocketed to popularity in Greater Manchester.
“Word spread and my friends were placing orders for customised abayas and hijabs – we were inundated with orders from the local community,” Shahida explained.
Abayas Boutique is now run as a family business, with their eldest daughter assisting Shahida and Altaf in creating the garments.
The brand puts a new spin on what Islamic clothing usually entails, adopting luxurious and trendy designs that still allow for modest dressing.
“We offer exclusive stylish designs for the modern Muslim woman demonstrating that conformity to Islamic guidelines need not compromise on elegance and style”, says Shahida.
The abayas and hijabs from the brand also befit any occasion, whether it’s a casual streetwear composition or a more formal style.
The founding couple are proud Mancunians – Altaf was born and bred in Longsight whereas Shahida has lived in Manchester for most of her life – and they’re both dedicated to catering for the city’s Muslim communities and style-conscious students.
Rather than being inspired by the city, they firmly believe that they’ve made a difference to Manchester’s fashion scene.
“We have paved the way to modest fashion and luxury abaya fashion,” says Shahida.
“We are literally bringing the trends and so forth to the city.”
Abayas Boutique has recently launched their Ramadan spring collection, which adopts flowy silhouettes and pastel colours that are befitting of the spring weather whilst still in keeping with their luxurious style.
“We are in Ramadan right now, so clients are looking to purchase one or more of a fancier abaya to wear for Eid or to gift,” states Shahida, who is keen to provide customers with only the best of luxury modest Islamic wear for this occasion.
“Our new collection’s inspiration has been derived from distinct fusions of different periods in history, cultural art and fashion, as well as cultural trends.”
Drama Call drop latest limited edition Manchester United collection
Danny Jones
Viral Manchester streetwear brand Drama Call has finally revealed its latest limited edition Man United collection, and it’s gone down an instant hit with fashionistas and football fans alike.
Better yet, they’re hosting a special pop-up store right outside Old Trafford, so expect massive queues.
Led by a special white jersey inspired by United‘s 1991 anniversary away shirt, the extremely anticipated release is the third they’ve done in tandem with the club, with the Manc company’s reputation having grown significantly over the years.
Now worn by stars such as Aitch, who models as the cover star of the campaign, these drops see hundreds, if not thousands, flock to get their hands on the casualwear – and this newest batch is set to be no different.
As you can see, while the new Drama Call x Man United collection would no doubt sell out online, the local label sticks to keeping the buzz with in-person pop-ups and often surprise locations in and around Greater Manchester.
In this instance, the usual crowds that surround the Drama Call van will be gathering right outside the official Manchester United Megastore for one day only this week.
Oh, and in case you didn’t already guess, it’s first-come, first-served and yes, you have to be very quick.
Besides the twist on the classic and already highly collectable kit design, the collection features a retro ’90s style track jacket, black pullover hoody, and two Drama Call stamped MUFC t-shirts – one black, one white and both with the iconic striped Adidas sleeves.
This isn’t the only big crossover they’ve unveiled in 2025, either, having teamed up with Adidas earlier this year for a very cool sneaker drop.
Big queues of 'sneakerheads' are expected in Manchester city centre tomorrow as a local fashion brand has teamed up with @adidasoriginals for a big collab. 👟
Once again, the Drama Call x Man United pop-up shop will be opening from 7pm this Thursday only and trust us, the stock won’t last for long.
There may be an opportunity to cop some clobber at a future date, but for now, this is your only opportunity for early access if you’re a big fan of their stuff or just a dyed-in-the-wool Red who fills their wardrobe with pretty much anything Man United.
We expect there’ll be a few going for that kit.
Limited edition footy shirts are all the rage at the moment, especially in the music world, but there’s also a rugby jersey that’s caught our eye recently.
Featured Images — Manchester United/Drama Call (press shots)
Style
Sale Sharks drop Haçienda-inspired away kit for the 2025/26 season
Danny Jones
Local rugby side Sale Sharks have just released their new away kit for the 2025/26 season, taking inspiration from Manchester’s legendary nightclub, The Haçienda.
The Greater Manchester club have a great run with Macron as their suppliers, with the Italian sportswear manufacturer coming on board in 2021, but this might be one of their best shirts yet.
After teasing the latest jersey with a ‘This is OUR NORTH’ trailer on Wednesday, 20 August, ahead of the Premiership Rugby season getting underway next month, supporters were excited to see what the pair had come up with for their latest design.
Turns out, they had every reason to be, as the 25/26 Sale Sharks kit has gone down as an instant hit, with the rich, almost wine coloured number integrating that iconic Haçienda pattern.
With Sharks men’s and women’s stars Carmen Castellucci, recent signing Nathan Jibulu, Nikita Prothero, Sam Dugdale, and Ernst van Rhyn all getting involved for the kit reveal, the new away shirt went on sale this Thursday morning (10 Aug).
Aside from the recognisable chevron pattern, which nods to the famous Mancunian music venue and the city’s storied clubbing scene, the launch video was filmed within a special exhibition in honour of the man behind The Haçienda and co-founder of Factory Records, the one and only Tony Wilson.
Plenty of tourists have visited the city to see the Tony Wilson Exhibition at the Smolensky Gallery – the showcase having just ended this past July – but this short shoot looks to help extend the celebrations of his legacy.
As for the kit itself, Sale Sharks and Macron have gone for another very Mancunian colour scheme, it would seem, choosing magenta and Bordeaux hues as a tribute to another one of our most famous creations: Vimto.
You’ve just got to love a kit with multiple hometown references.
It might not be full-on black and yellow (Man City already did that a couple of years ago), but it’s still an eye-catching pattern and colour combo.
Other little touches that will no doubt please fans include the embossed print depicting a shark fin at the bottom of the shirt and the date 1861 – the year the rugby union team was founded.
While plant-based ‘super food’ sponsor BOL takes pride of place in the front of the female jerseys, the men’s team remain with Toshiba, and the shirts themselves are made from Eco Fabric: 100% polyester derived from post-consumer recycled plastic.
So, what do you make of the new and very Manc away shirt, Sale Sharks fans? All we know is it’s been a great summer for kits all-round.
Daisy Bradbury -
30th April 2021 
