Summary: Verona is the first Muslim fashion store opened in Orlando, Florida
Verona, an Islamic fashion store, opened in Orlando, Florida over the weekend, becoming the first store of its kind in a major U.S. shopping mall. Owner of Verona Lisa Vogl said the store is already challenging Islamophobia in America.
“We have this stereotype that hijabis are oppressed, that they’re forced to wear it, and they’re uneducated,” Vogl said. “These things are everything that I am not and everything that my customers are not.”
Eighteen-year-old Verona model Rayyan Sokkarie said even the launch of the story indicates that Islamic culture is spreading throughout America.
“Being integrated into a major mall like this with people constantly being exposed to the true face of Muslim women, not the negativity they see in the news, helps narrow the gap between the Muslim community and others,” Sokkarie said.
Vogl is already planning to expand by opening stores in London and Paris.
Read the full story online at Fusion.