Turkey : Islamic swimsuit for conservatives September 1, 2006

Mehmet Sahin, a Turkish businessman has claimed to have prepared the world’s first Islam-inspired swimsuit to cater to the demand of well-heeled Muslims. He said that his firm is preferred by wives of conservative politicians and even though it is a small market but has been growing. His swimsuit resembles shiny track-suits with stretchy hoods and they remind of the swimwear worn by Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman who made and wore it in 1906. Sahin had designed his first swimsuit for men when he was studying law in Istanbul since he became bored of wearing other clothe while going for swimming. His brand Hasema has become famous in Turkey and 40,000 swimsuits were sold in 2005 and he expects to sell up to 50,000 this year. Many Turks have been surprised to see Islamic bathing suit on Turkish beaches since bikinis are a common sight there. Sahin has already set his eyes on markets like United States, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Germany and he even has plan to organize a fashion show in Cairo next year.