Braving the Burqini TM : re-branding the Australian beach

Abstract

A cross between a bikini and a burqa, the Burqini^TM reworks a conventional symbol of Australian culture in terms consistent with Muslim modesty. In turn, the Burqini ^TM stakes a deeply ironic claim to one of the nation’s most revered sites: the beach. This article thus considers its significance in relation to two dominant stereotypes in recent Australian history: the ‘beach babe’, typically blonde, blue-eyed and bikinied; and a view of conservative Muslim culture that had taken shape in mainstream Australian media: as restrictive, regressive and misogynist. By appropriating the traditional bikini design for a contemporary Muslim clientele, the Burqini^TM is both a confronting cultural statement and a bold example of 21st century world fashion.