Here is the fashion buzz of the moment: Go with the flow.

The abaya - a floor-length, billowing overgarment donned by Middle Eastern women - and its accessories are sweeping the fashion world.

The robes may be associated with Muslim wearers, but they provide a touch of the exotic Arabian nights that is fascinating to women everywhere.

From Singapore's Malay enclave of Geylang Serai to the catwalks of Paris, the abaya, Moorish kaftan and everything in between are taking the world by desert storm.

Just last month, British designer John Galliano, along with 20 others, including Nina Ricci and Carolina Herrera, featured haute couture abaya at a show held at the swanky George V hotel in Paris.

The latest to channel Arabesque chic is Riccardo Tisci from French luxury house Givenchy, who took his cue from the Berbers of North Africa for his fall2009 couture show earlier this month, offering looks an Arabian goth princess would approve of.

A POSITIVE SIGN

Karl Lagerfeld of French fashion goliath Chanel has also given the nod of approval to the abaya.

He told Reuters after his fall couture show this month: 'It might be quite nice to wear it; you don't need to go to the hairdresser and you can see everything without being seen; I find that quite comfortable.

'Veils, tunics, I'm not against all that, I find (them) picturesque. Live and let live.'

The French-based German designer's comments were particularly pertinent. Recently, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for the burqa - an overgarment with a veil popularised by Afghan women - to be banned, calling women who wear them 'prisoners behind netting'.

Never mind that his wife Carla Bruni's personal couturier is the newly minted abaya aficionado Galliano.

Adlina Anis, 26, a hijab (headscarf) -wearing Muslim and stylist for fashion tome Amica Singapore, notes: 'It is hypocritical of the fashion industry to accept the abaya only when big designers like John Galliano and Carolina Herrera introduce designer abaya, but to still look at Muslim women who have been wearing the abaya for ages as traditional, close-minded and in need of rescue.'

However, she adds: 'I actually look at it positively, that designers of their stature are accepting Muslim women's place in fashion today.'

FASHIONABLE TO BE AUSTERE

In South-east Asia, Muslim fashion has already been making its mark through the annual Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF).

Started in 2006 by a Malaysian, Datuk Raja Rezza Shah, on the sidelines of the Malaysian International Fashion Week, the line-up features some of the region's biggest names such as Lee Khoon Hooi and Datuk Tom Abang Saufi from Malaysia and Indonesian couturier Adjie Notonegoro.

It branched out on its own last year, with two shows now being held in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur respectively. Dubai was added to the list last year.

This year's event in Jakarta was held in May, while the Kuala Lumpur leg will take place in the third week of November.

Plans are in the pipeline to bring the showcase to Singapore, says Datuk Nancy Yeoh, 44, president and chief executive of Stylo International, the publicist of the IFF.

Faisol Abdullah, chief executive of luxury lifestyle boutique Jendela KL, says Islamic dressing is essentially about keeping the wearer modestly clad.

The brand, which has a flagship store in the posh Starhill Gallery mall in Bukit Bintang, held a show at last year's IFF in Kuala Lumpur.

Faisol, 52, tells Urban when we visited Kuala Lumpur for this story last week: 'It is fashionable to be austere. The abaya that Arab women wear is the most elegant garment I've ever seen. A woman walks in it gracefully.

'I don't think it's confining, but allows better flow of movement.'

In fact, the likes of designer Tom Abang Saufi, a household name in Malaysia for her ethnic-inspired resort wear, feel that the appeal of Islamic fashion extends beyond followers of the faith.

She points to the fact that an Argentinian woman once asked to buy her long Islamic tunic.

'Modesty means you have to be covered but it does not have to be old-fashioned,' she says. 'You need to hear the fashion pulse of the world.'

The Sarawak native in her mid-50s, whose vivid prints on silk voile are sold under the Tom Abang Saufi label, notes the versatility of the garb: 'If you have a European wearing it, she can pair it with a bikini underneath.

'But a Muslim woman just needs to wear another layer with it.'

UNDER COVER

Indeed, designers Reem Acra and John Galliano have reinterpreted the same looks in their shows for spring/summer 2009 and resort 2008 respectively.

Datuk Tom declares: 'I want to make a contemporary version of the garment so someone who is a fashionista and non-Muslim can also wear it. I want to make an outfit that is as close to those on the world's fashion ramps as possible.'

KEEP THE LOOK SLEEK

The high-fashion spin on Middle Eastern togs has somewhat less buzz in Singapore due to the smaller market, says Stylo International's Datuk Yeoh.

Most local Muslim women seeking a fashion fix go to Joo Chiat Complex.

Saadah Ali, 44, who owns Sarah's Living in the shopping centre, says the area has turned into a 'hub' for Middle Eastern fashion.

Some shops have resorted to price wars to woo customers, she adds.

Instead of the extravagant and luxe fashion of the runway, women here prefer something more pared down for day wear, she adds.

Besides the regular baju kurung and kebaya, half of the items sold in her four-year-old shop consist of long tunics that can be jazzed up with either long skirts or pants.

'Women here reserve glittery clothes for special occasions,' she says. 'They prefer simple designs and avoid sequins and beading for regular days.'

As for fashion that fits Islamic sensibilities, Saadah says it is about keeping the wearer appropriately covered except for areas such as the face and hands.

The covered parts are considered 'awrah' (parts of the body that must be covered for the sake of basic modesty).

'Islamic fashion is anything that protects the awrah and does not have to be specifically Arabian,' she says.

'As long as it is not form-fitting and sheer, it is acceptable.'

This is something non-Muslim designers from Malaysia, Lee Khoon Hooi and Melinda Looi - who are members of the IFF - take into consideration.

Lee, 38, whose eponymous pret-a-porter line is sold at multi-label boutiques overseas such as New York City's Big Drop and Singapore's Tyan in Millenia Walk, veers away from using pictures of humans and animals in his designs.

Looi, 36, tells Urban that she chooses materials which are not see-through.

For Adlina, who has no qualms about mixing her hijab with designer threads by Gucci, the scarf can still make a woman look au courant.

'The most basic and important thing to remember is to always keep the look sleek,' she advises.

'Keep colours to a maximum of two or three because you literally have a lot going on from head to toe. Stick to clean silhouettes that do not exaggerate or belittle your form.'

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.