Why the Internet Is Freaking Out Over Dolce & Gabbana's Hijab and Abaya Collection

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana founded their namesake fashion line over 30 years ago, but the pair continues to break new ground with their business. The company has caused an online stir with the announcement that the brand is realeasing its first-ever abaya collection. Since news broke Tuesday, the collection has been covered by many publications — fashion and otherwise — and shared on social media countless times.

The range is comprised of long abayas and hijab head coverings. The collection is on sale as of this month in Dolce & Gabbana stores throught the Middle East, as well as in Munich, Milan, London, and Paris. The brand describes the range as "a reverie amidst the desert dunes and skies of the Middle East: an enchanting visual story about the grace and beauty of the marvelous women of Arabia." Many of the pieces are adorned with the same daisy and rose patterns as were seen in the house's Spring/Summer 2016 collection.

So why is this important? It's not the first time Dolce & Gabbana has designed for a specific market; last year, the brand created a one-off collection for Mexico and, according to the company, did similair initiatives in China, Japan, and Brazil.

The excitement has generated headlines including Mashable's "Dolce & Gabbana Hijab Collection Is a Game-Changer," while The Cut explains "Why Dolce & Gabbana's Hijab and Abaya Line Is So Important." The former points out the importance of the estimated $484 billion Middle Eastern market to the fashion industry, while the latter argues that D&G just proved following religious dress codes can be fun and even trendy.

Both ideas are relevant and true, but I'd like to add one more reason to the list: the clothes are beautiful. In the era of the naked dress, it's fulfilling to see measures of fabric decorated with great thought and detail. Whether or not one chooses to wear such items is beside the point; the craftmanship is there, and it's stunning.