A Muslim-owned thrift shop blends modest fashion, faith and sustainability

NEW YORK (RNS) — Kadjahtou Balde has a hard time parting with some of the vintage gems that make it into her Harlem thrift shop — a silk skirt adorned with traditional Palestinian embroidery, a pink wool sweater and an embellished blazer in perfect condition.

“Look at the level of detail on this abaya,” she said while unfurling a black dress handstitched with turquoise geometric designs, a type of garment often worn by Muslim women. “It’s so beautiful, I kind of wish I could keep it.”

Balde has long been an avid thrifter and sustainable fashion enthusiast. But even in a city with a bounty of vintage and thrift shops, she couldn’t always find pieces that fit her needs as a Muslim woman who dresses modestly — and fashionably. So when her father asked for help revamping his struggling Harlem gift shop last year, Balde knew a thrift store that celebrated modest fashion could become a much needed space.

“My dad told me that he was tired,” Balde said. “I decided that I want to help him, but I want to do it in a way that aligns with my values: Islam and sustainability.”

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Last May, the shop opened as Modify Thrift on Malcolm X Boulevard. Offering unique modest pieces, it has also become a community space shaped by sustainability and Muslim sisterhood.

The secular world’s focus on Muslim women’s clothing, particularly head coverings, has prompted discriminatory policies in Europe and arguments about women’s rights and Islamophobia in recent years in the U.S. Balde said her thrift store’s mix of street wear and cultural clothes debunks stereotypes about Muslim women being oppressed or having boring styles.

“Muslim women are some of the most fashionable people out there,” she said.

And in a post-9/11 New York where those who are visibly Muslim can be fearful of hate crimes, Balde said some women who wear hijabs have learned to use fashion as a way to blend in. She hopes her store can encourage them to revamp how they dress in a way that aligns with their modesty levels.

“How do we break that barrier and make it so that it is fun, it’s trendy to be a Muslim woman — to know how to layer, how to style, how to dress in a way that represents your values in the most stylish way possible?” Balde said.

The international modest fashion industry has grown in recent years, offering Muslim women more modest clothing options than ever. Yet, Balde said much of the growth has been driven by fast-fashion brands that rely on unethical production practices.

For her, running a store that extends the life cycle of clothing is not just a business choice but a form of worship. She says it’s an expression of her commitment to the Islamic command to be a steward of the Earth.

“As a Muslim, I know for sure that I cannot be a Muslim who consumes fast fashion only,” said Balde, who also leads the city’s first Muslim environmental justice organization, Faithfully Sustainable. “We have to be people who care for the planet and for our neighbor.”

For Hafeezat Bishi, a 25-year-old Manhattan resident in the midst of revamping her personal style with a wardrobe of high-quality materials, thrift shopping helps her push back against the culture of overconsumption that she said some Muslim-owned modest fashion brands promote.

“Going into Modify really helps me re-center my purpose,” Bishi said. “It fuels my justice-based faith, and at the end of the day, I feel like I’m doing something not just for myself, but the greater good of the community and the Earth.”

Others, like Harlem resident Ella Smith, are drawn to thrift shops for more practical reasons, like rising costs and limited affordable options.

“(I) want to see if (I) can find something no one else has — catch a good, great bargain for a few bucks,” Smith said.

The majority of Modify Thrift’s racks are filled by donations from the local community, but it also sources inventory through purchased items and consignment. On a Friday afternoon in January, Assistant Operations Manager Nabiha Ali sifted through large bags of donations, inspecting pieces for quality materials like wool and cotton before pricing them.

Ali said she often fields questions from customers about what qualifies as a modest piece. She explains that it can mean looser styles that cover the limbs and neckline, though she encourages a range of pieces that on their own may not offer coverage, but when layered and styled can become modest.

“Working at Modify has taught me that no two Muslim women look the same,” Ali said. “It’s just really personal and individual, and everyone’s on a different point in their journey.”

Connecting with neighbors is central to Balde’s vision. Harlem has long been a cultural and fashion capital shaped by decades of African American creativity.

“Harlem has an insane crowd of people who just have the most insane style,” she said, adding that Harlemites will dress fashionably on Sundays for church.

Before beginning renovations at the store last year, she said she introduced herself to people in the neighborhood and got to know them. It was an approach she learned from her father, who began building relationships in Harlem in 2001, first as a street vendor then as a shop owner.

Then, just three months postpartum, Balde got to work building her dream shop with her father. She documented their process through vlogs on Instagram, quickly gaining traction. And in between their DIY projects, the father-daughter duo shared all their meals together for the first time.

“I was just enjoying moments I never had as a kid because he was always working,” she said. “He did the hard work so that we could actually live out our dreams.”

Modify Thrift is meant to honor her father’s work in a neighborhood he has called home for decades, even as Balde said gentrification continues to push longtime small businesses out.

Balde said over the next few years, she hopes to scale up Modify and open immigrant-run modest thrift stores in every borough.

“I think business should exist as a way to benefit a community, and not just to profit off of community,” she said.