also ideal for non-Muslim women who may be "worried about the damage that exposure to sun could do to the skin."

A few days after the M&S launch, another British department store, House of Fraser, unveiled its own burkini range. Also known as "modest sportswear," House of Fraser's "legging and tunic sets cover the body from the neck to the ankles, and also come with a separate hijab head covering." The burkinis are "designed to encourage women to feel both comfortable and stylish when participating in sports and provide extra sun protection."

Companies from across Europe are making forays into Islamic "modest wear."

In January 2016, Italy's luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana launched its first-ever collection of abayas and hijabs. (Abayas are ankle-length robes and hijabs are scarves that coverthe head and neck but not the face.)

According to Dolce & Gabbana, the new line — named The Abaya Collection: The Allure of the Middle East — is intended to be "a reverie amidst the desert dunes and skies of the Middle East: an enchanting visual story about the grace and beauty of the marvelous women of Arabia." The collection is available at all of the brand's boutiques in the Middle East, as well as stores in Paris, London, Milan and Munich.

In September 2015, Sweden's H&M, the world's second largest retailer, featured a Muslim model wearing a hijab in an ad campaign for the first time. British media portrayed her appearance in the video as a milestone for Muslim women in the UK.

The model, Mariah Idrissi, born in