Alia Khan, the Founder and Chairwoman of the Islamic Fashion and Design Council (IFDC), is a pioneer in the Islamic economy with an increasingly significant consumer demographic. IFDC is an organization dedicated to addressing the growing demand from the Islamic fashion and design global market. With unparalleled speed, Alia has elevated IFDC to become the preeminent organization representing fashion, art, architecture, and interiors that represents a spending power of over $250 billion. IFDC initiatives have undoubtedly ushered in a new era for Islamic and modest fashion, lifestyle, and design.
Known as one of the leading authorities in the Islamic economy, Alia’s vision is to establish a narrative unlike any other in a creative space that most would have overlooked until long overdue global attention was brought to it, largely due to the efforts of Alia’s work under the numerous initiatives at IFDC.
From Canada, New York, California, Dubai, London, and Spain, Alia has lived all over the world and travels extensively for her IFDC work which has further expanded under her new banner, ModestLife.Style by IFDC, which encompasses all aspects of lifestyle.
Before IFDC, she made a one-year stop in Jordan to further her Islamic studies at Qasid Institute, Alia took a deeper dive into the Islamic lifestyle. Upon completion of her studies, her philanthropic interest in the development of the underprivileged areas of the Muslim world became a priority. Through this work, Alia discovered great artistic and design talent, whom she has become a promotional voice for through IFDC.
She has taught development, leadership, and creative courses in several places including Bradford University’s Namal College where she has been a recurring guest lecturer and counselor, WIEF Young Leaders Network, MOCAfest, KP Public Schools, The College of Fashion and Design, and Esmod Fashion Institute, among others.
Alia with the support of her IFDC team, has developed training programs, and commercial initiatives. She is determined to fill the void that she’s identified in the Islamic design and lifestyle sector. She has made historic deals with global retailers, fashion weeks, events, and media to open immense doors for the industry players that were only once open to mainstream fashion players.
She has spearheaded partnerships with key entities around the world to develop an unprecedented global network now well known as IFDC. This, along with the creation of IFDC’s brands like Pret-A-Cover™, a new shopping category not unlike pret a porter, couture, or active wear, as well as COVER Magazine, Business of Modest Fashion and Design (BOMFD), proprietary events, IFDC Pop-Up Design Schools, Modest Man, iDez arts and design, the Modest Channel, and more are among the many initiatives that make Alia’s vision revolutionary for the Islamic/modest fashion and design industry.
Alia has had the privilege of working with experts from around the world and is a recognized industry expert speaker. She has also partnered with top business forums, conferences, and events including the London School of Economics, Women In Leadership Summit, M Powered Summit, World Islamic Economic Forum, Turin Islamic Economic Forum, Bosphorus Summit, World Economic Forum the Tokyo series, Dubai Shopping Festival, MOCA fellows, International Textile Fair, Dubai government’s Halal Seminar, French Fashion Institute Esmod, Global Islamic Economy Summit, Jakarta Fashion Week, Malaysia Fashion Week, Leadership Summit, Arab Luxury World, Asia Islamic Fashion Week, Torino Fashion Week, Fashion Revolution, Al Sharq Forum, The Retail Summit, among other government and private events and platforms.
She has been featured in multiple global publications and been written about in books and papers. Publications that have featured her achievements include Vogue, Forbes Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle Magazine, Vanity Fair, Financial Times, Drapers, Business of Fashion, Thomson Reuters GIES Report, EuroMonitor’s Halal Fashion and Arts booklets, CEO Magazine, Bloomberg, Start-Up Magazine, Arabian Business Magazine, The National, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, BBC, Gulf News, Khaleej Times, Style.com influencer list, CBS MoneyWatch, Marie Claire, Hia, Sayidaty, Fast Money, Al Jazeera among other leading global press. She has been featured in Christian Louboutin’s ad campaigns as a leading personality, as well as covered in academic research, papers, and books published on the Islamic economy and more.
Alia Khan, a true leader and visionary, has been nominated Business Woman of the Year by CEO Magazine and Entrepreneur of the Year by Gulf Business News. She is on the DXB 100 list, is listed as one the top 50 Most Influential Women in the Arab World (CEO Magazine/Arabian Business), is one the top 50 leaders in the global Islamic economy (Islamica 500), recently named the top 50 most influential women: MENA Retail, and is in the most influential Muslims list published by ISFIN annually. She continues to run IFDC whilst building her tech start-up focusing on consumer demand and social commerce.
