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| Burkini Is ‘Freedom and Happiness,’ Its Australian Inventor Says | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| HONG KONG — The woman credited with creating the burkini said the controversy over efforts to ban the full-body bathing suit worn by some Muslim women has helped bolster demand for her invention, which she said was not meant to be a political statement. | HONG KONG — The woman credited with creating the burkini said the controversy over efforts to ban the full-body bathing suit worn by some Muslim women has helped bolster demand for her invention, which she said was not meant to be a political statement. |
| Aheda Zanetti, the Lebanese-Australian inventor of the swimsuit, said officials in more than a dozen French beach towns seeking to prevent women from covering up have misconstrued the purpose of the bathing suit. | Aheda Zanetti, the Lebanese-Australian inventor of the swimsuit, said officials in more than a dozen French beach towns seeking to prevent women from covering up have misconstrued the purpose of the bathing suit. |
| “They’ve misunderstood the burkini swimsuit,” Ms. Zanetti, 49, said in a telephone interview from Sydney. “Because the burkini swimsuit is freedom and happiness and lifestyle changes — you can’t take that away from a Muslim, or any other woman, that chooses to wear it.” | “They’ve misunderstood the burkini swimsuit,” Ms. Zanetti, 49, said in a telephone interview from Sydney. “Because the burkini swimsuit is freedom and happiness and lifestyle changes — you can’t take that away from a Muslim, or any other woman, that chooses to wear it.” |
| Ms. Zanetti said she designed the garment in 2004 for women who wanted to show less skin while bathing or exercising. | Ms. Zanetti said she designed the garment in 2004 for women who wanted to show less skin while bathing or exercising. |
| “I wanted to introduce a full range of clothing to suit a Muslim woman — or any woman — that wanted a bit of modesty and wanted to participate in any sporting activities,” said Ms. Zanetti, who is a Muslim and wears her own swimwear products. “It was also my aim for them not to be judged for who they are, or where they’re from, and who people think they’re representing.” | “I wanted to introduce a full range of clothing to suit a Muslim woman — or any woman — that wanted a bit of modesty and wanted to participate in any sporting activities,” said Ms. Zanetti, who is a Muslim and wears her own swimwear products. “It was also my aim for them not to be judged for who they are, or where they’re from, and who people think they’re representing.” |
| A fashion designer and former hairdresser, Ms. Zanetti coined the name burkini, a blend of the words burqa and bikini, but said that the swimsuit was not intended to exclude non-Muslims and was not meant to be a political statement. | A fashion designer and former hairdresser, Ms. Zanetti coined the name burkini, a blend of the words burqa and bikini, but said that the swimsuit was not intended to exclude non-Muslims and was not meant to be a political statement. |
| The French burkini bans, and the news reports about the ensuing debate, have been good for business, she said, with online sales rising about 200 percent in recent days. Most demand is coming from Australia, Europe and Canada, she said, and some new customers include skin-cancer patients who are looking for ways to shield their skin from the sun. | The French burkini bans, and the news reports about the ensuing debate, have been good for business, she said, with online sales rising about 200 percent in recent days. Most demand is coming from Australia, Europe and Canada, she said, and some new customers include skin-cancer patients who are looking for ways to shield their skin from the sun. |
| Ms. Zanetti said that her company, Ahiida, has sold 700,000 swimsuits since 2008. The company sells its products in stores in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, the United States and Southeast Asia. | Ms. Zanetti said that her company, Ahiida, has sold 700,000 swimsuits since 2008. The company sells its products in stores in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, the United States and Southeast Asia. |
| Ms. Zanetti, who moved to Australia from Lebanon as a 2-year-old, said that she did not feel comfortable wearing traditional swimsuits as a young girl. She and her friends would sometimes swim in full clothing, she said, but they did not linger in the water because they were embarrassed. | Ms. Zanetti, who moved to Australia from Lebanon as a 2-year-old, said that she did not feel comfortable wearing traditional swimsuits as a young girl. She and her friends would sometimes swim in full clothing, she said, but they did not linger in the water because they were embarrassed. |
| Years later, she said, her teenage niece wanted to play netball, a game similar to basketball that is played mostly by women, but was prohibited by her local Sydney league from playing while wearing a hijab. Ms. Zanetti said her sister wrote a letter of complaint to league officials, who reversed their decision. | Years later, she said, her teenage niece wanted to play netball, a game similar to basketball that is played mostly by women, but was prohibited by her local Sydney league from playing while wearing a hijab. Ms. Zanetti said her sister wrote a letter of complaint to league officials, who reversed their decision. |
| Even so, Ms. Zanetti said that her niece’s hijab was “completely unsuitable” for athletics. | Even so, Ms. Zanetti said that her niece’s hijab was “completely unsuitable” for athletics. |
| Ms. Zanetti said she designed the burkini, which covers everything except the face, hands and feet, so that women like her niece could cover and still participate comfortably in sport. She also created the hijood — headwear attached to the burkini, to look like the hood of a sweatshirt. | Ms. Zanetti said she designed the burkini, which covers everything except the face, hands and feet, so that women like her niece could cover and still participate comfortably in sport. She also created the hijood — headwear attached to the burkini, to look like the hood of a sweatshirt. |
| Ms. Zanetti said that her four children, who once “rolled their eyes” over her swimwear innovations, have recently become more interested as they follow the news from France. | Ms. Zanetti said that her four children, who once “rolled their eyes” over her swimwear innovations, have recently become more interested as they follow the news from France. |
| She said that her children have noticed “that I have a strong voice on behalf of women, for freedom of choice, ” she said. “I can feel how proud they are, more than they’ve ever been.” | She said that her children have noticed “that I have a strong voice on behalf of women, for freedom of choice, ” she said. “I can feel how proud they are, more than they’ve ever been.” |