Burkini bans good for sales: Australian designer
SYDNEY: Burkini bans in France have boosted sales and interest in the full-bodied Islamic swimsuit, particularly from non-Muslim women, the Australian credited with creating the design said Tuesday.
The burkini has sparked huge controversy in France, with bans in 15 towns in the country's southeast amid high tensions following a string of deadly terror attacks.
But Australian-Lebanese Aheda Zanetti, who claims the trademark on the name burkini and burqini and created her first swimwear for Muslim women more than a decade ago, said the furore in France has attracted more publicity for her products.
"It's just been so hectic," she told AFP.
"I can tell you that online on Sunday, we received 60 orders ─ all of them non-Muslim," the 48-year-old Sydneysider said, adding that she usually received 10 to 12 orders on Sundays.
Zanetti did not have sales figures for the rest of the past week but said she had also received numerous messages of support ─ and only one disparaging email ─ since the French bans.