Brief History of Celebration Fashion Show
The Celebration Fashion Show was founded by Sister Amira Wazeer of the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam in 1986. The inspirations for the event were grounded in her experience of seeing Muslim women from all over the world adorned in diverse and beautiful dress during Hajj in 1984 and her desire to share and celebrate the beauty of modest dress. She volunteered
to assist with fundraising efforts at the Atlanta Masjid and was given the responsibility for coordinating activities during the month of May, her birth month. The first fashion show was held at property formerly owned by the community on Bankhead Highway – there were only two designers, Sister Amira and her mentor from Cleveland, Sister Hafina Shabazz. For the first two years, Sister Amira made most of the clothes showed with one or two additional designers and the format included an auction at the end of the show. She also managed all components of the operation. During the third year, Celebration moved to a restaurant and featured designs by a young designer from St. Louis Missouri, Shukuru Bilal with an increase of women attending from other parts of the country. The fifth year brought an exponential increase in the number of participants with bus loads of women driving to Atlanta from all over the United States. Over the years, as Celebration has expanded, volunteers have staffed the event which has become a professional production. In its 25 year history, Celebration has been featured in a documentary produced by the British Broadcasting Company on the growth of Al-Islam in the West; featured in Azizah Magazine; received national press coverage from a variety of publications; and featured in a full page spread in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 225 women have served as volunteer models (196) and staff (40) and 40 designers from all over the United States and beyond its borders have been featured in the show. Celebration continues in its celebration of the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, the beauty of modest dress, and of its biggest star – the Muslim woman, as it continues to shape the look of that woman. Over the last two years Celebration has seen new breath brought into it with a new team of a younger generation of women who are mentored by those before them. Celebration is more than just a fashion show, it's an evolution of womanhood. The new theme The Sealed Nectar represents the level of modesty Muslim women should aspire to live. The show has evolved to encompass workshops that help women to grow from the inside out. Inner beauty and outer beauty is the essence of The Sealed Nectar. Each year, the show meets and exceeds the expectations of its audience. It's an evolution of womanhood through, fashion, knowledge, and sisterhood.
