![\"Alai](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/burkini-alai-1-768x1024.jpg\")
Born in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo, Alessandra Volpi is one of the Brazilian women who sell and export burkinis. The founder of the Alai<\/a> brand, the S\u00e3o Paulo native first approached fashion through sewing to pay her bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve been sewing since I was nine years old. I always drew and made my own outfits, but I didn\u2019t work in the field. Then everything changed. When I moved to the city of S\u00e3o Paulo with my husband, I needed to work to help pay the bills, so I decided to invest in sewing,\u201d Volpi recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Years after sewing for various clients, Volpi decided to deepen her studies and completed a Fashion Design course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen my financial situation became more stable, my husband encouraged me to study. At college, I realized I’d already mastered the practical side, but I deepened my technical and theoretical knowledge. Because I sewed well, my professors and classmates began asking me to make pieces for them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n Her move into Muslim-focused fashion happened organically, stemming from observing a lack of options in the Brazilian market. \u201cTalking to clients who were Muslim, I realized there weren\u2019t many lightweight long-sleeved dress options to cope with Brazil\u2019s heat,\u201d Volpi says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter creating the first dress for them, a client who lived in London and knew me through social media said, \u2018There are no burkinis in Brazil. Why don\u2019t you make them?\u2019 I didn\u2019t even know the garment at the time, but I decided to research it and develop the piece.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having technical knowledge of sewing and fabrics helped Volpi pursue this new direction within her brand. \u201cI realized this was a garment that wouldn\u2019t be just for Muslim women. There are people who don\u2019t like to show their bodies, people undergoing medical treatment, women who prefer more coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Volpi\u2019s burkini production began shortly before the covid-19 pandemic and gained momentum during that period. \u201cWhile many people stopped, for me it was one of the strongest times. I sold a lot during the pandemic because my clients decided to gather with their families at country homes, where they used the garment a lot,\u201d the entrepreneur says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, the burkini\u2014one of the brand\u2019s main products\u2014comes in 30 different models, sold through the company\u2019s Instagram page and website. \u201cIn addition to ready-made pieces, I also produce made-to-measure items. I sell to Brazilians and have also shipped burkinis to Dubai, Portugal, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, and Japan,\u201d Volpi says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the businesswoman, those who usually buy the garment are Brazilian women who take it with them on trips abroad. \u201cFor me, producing burkinis in Brazil has a meaning that goes beyond fashion. And I believe this piece is helping to change how Muslim women are viewed. Before, people only saw them in modest clothing, but now they see beauty, style, and identity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n Mag Halat is another Brazilian woman who sells burkinis in the country. Owner of the brand By Mag Halat<\/a>, the Muslim entrepreneur has been producing modest pieces since 2021. \u201cThe idea of creating this piece came from a very personal need. I myself had difficulty finding modest beachwear in the Brazilian market,\u201d the businesswoman recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen a customer asked me for a burkini, I realized that this demand wasn\u2019t just mine\u2014there were many women looking for exactly that. So I decided to create something that would meet this need and truly serve women who, like me, want to dress modestly without giving up enjoying the beach, the pool, or moments of leisure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The piece emerged from a combination of elegance, comfort, and functionality, along with the search for international references, especially from the Middle East and Europe. \u201cBut to create this garment, above all I observed my customers. That\u2019s why I adapted the trends to Brazil\u2019s tropical climate and to the real needs of consumers,\u201d Halat explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For her, the burkini market in the country is still quite niche, which is why production costs end up being high, due to the use of technical fabrics, specialized designs, and extra care to ensure comfort and safety in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Brazil, I\u2019ve already shipped my pieces to every region, from North to South. And we\u2019ve also crossed borders: they\u2019ve reached customers in the United States, Angola, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. This shows that the need is global and that modest fashion connects women all over the world,\u201d Halat concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Born in Bras\u00edlia, Beatriz Kehdy is the owner of iCovered<\/a>, a national brand set to begin selling burkinis in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n Trained in Architecture, fashion also became Kehdy\u2019s profession later in life. \u201cAt 18, I went to the U.S. after a family opportunity, initially to study English, but I ended up enrolling in college there and stayed in the country for about 12 years. During that time, I completed my education and worked in the field of architecture for approximately six years. I returned to Brazil when I was 30,\u201d Kehdy recounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without Arab or Muslim roots, she\u2014who converted to Islam while living in the U.S.\u2014encountered difficulties working in the field of architecture back in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeyond the professional challenges, when I returned to my home country, I began to face personal challenges related to clothing. As a tall woman, I found it difficult to find more modest clothes that were suitable for the Brazilian climate and reflected a Latin identity. I wanted pieces that were colorful, with prints, and made of fabrics with a flow suited to the tropical climate. Since I couldn\u2019t find them, I decided to create my own brand in 2015,\u201d explains the Bras\u00edlia native.<\/p>\n\n\n Although its main audience is Muslim women, the brand also serves non-Muslim clients seeking more modest clothing. \u201cMy goal isn\u2019t to cater to a narrow niche but to women as a whole. My pieces cover different moments in a woman\u2019s daily life: work, leisure, institutional and corporate settings, as well as social gatherings,\u201d Kehdy explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The owner of iCovered<\/a> explains that the burkini line emerged in response to customer demand for products with higher quality and better finishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m in the process of designing the pieces and still searching for fabrics that meet the desired criteria. My main challenge has been finding materials that aren\u2019t hot, perform well in water, and don\u2019t stick to the body. That\u2019s why I expect to launch the products next year, but they will only be released once I\u2019m completely satisfied with the quality,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n Selling exclusively through its website, the brand\u2019s other items, such as scarves and dresses, have already reached customers across Brazil. Even though there is international demand\u2014particularly from countries like the U.S. and the United Kingdom\u2014 Kehdy does not export for now due to high logistical costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biologist Soha Chabrawi, PhD in Neuroscience and Cognition and technical manager at FAMBRAS Halal Certifier in S\u00e3o Paulo, is one of the consumers interested in burkinis. She expects that the launch from the brand she already knows, iCovered, will meet her needs, as she enjoys swimming at the beach or pool. \u201cI know all her pieces, and I think this one will be excellent because she always makes very good items and consults her customers a lot,\u201d says Chabrawi, a Muslim born in Brazil to Egyptian parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more<\/em>: Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Alessandra](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/burkini-Alessandra-Volpi-dona-da-Alai-arquivo-pessoal-2-1024x768.jpeg\")
![\"Mag](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/burkini-mag-683x1024.jpg\")
Launch in 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"iCovered](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/burkini-roupa-esportiva-da-icovered.jpg\")
![\"Owner](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/beatriz-icovered.jpg\")
![\"Consumer](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Soha-Chabrawi-arquivo-pessoal-3-768x1024.jpeg\")
Veiled women in business and the academy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n