Many Islamists who are working for the Islamicization of social and political life participate in the global economy in ways that are both reconciled to their Islamic principles and compatible with the imperatives of consumer capitalism. This collaborative research project will investigate the intersection of Islamism and capitalism and its geopolitical and cultural implications through a multi-sited case study of the new Turkish veiling-fashion industry and its transnational connections to Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam. Turkish producers of veiling-fashion, which is fashionable Islamic dress for women, have begun to export their products to retail outlets in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. The investigators will analyze the scope, history, and geography of the veiling-fashion industry headquartered in Turkey by tracing out the circuits of production, design, sales, and finance that characterize the industry. They also will explore the implications of the production, sale, and consumption of veiling-fashion for geopolitics, geoeconomics, and identity formation in a transnational context. The investigators will employ a multi-method research design with four components: (1) a survey of the veiling-fashion industry in Turkey; (2) interview-based case studies of three transnational veiling-fashion companies (Tekbir, Aydan, and Dicle); (3) focus groups with consumers of Turkish veiling-fashion in Istanbul, Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam; and (4) the production and analysis of a veiling-fashion archive of catalogues, brochures, advertisements, company reports, and fashion shows.
This research project will provide an empirically grounded assessment of the effects of transnational Islamic businesses and the rise of veiling-fashion amongst Muslim women in contemporary Europe and Turkey. More broadly, project results will illuminate the geopolitical and geoeconomic implications of the transnationalization of Islamic practices and identities. The project will focus on the structure and dynamics of the veiling-fashion industry and the role of Islamic business practices, economic governance, and workplace regulations at each stage in the global commodity chain. Through the analysis of how the production and consumption of veiling-fashion has become entwined with political and cultural identities in Turkey and in Europe, this research will provide new understanding of critical issues, including questions of migration, the regulation of public veiling, and the transnationalization of Muslim identities, that now are at stake in Turkey, Europe, and other parts of the world.
