Posted by Chesca Deans
on January 23, 2026
When my husband and I came up with the idea of a modest clothing brand, it stemmed from my own internal state of imposter syndrome. Being in an interracial/interfaith marriage brought a lot of newness. Great ones, but still new.
As a very stubborn styled woman, I have a very distinct “uniform”. I love what I love and very rarely veer away from it. So when I would partake in/visit anything to do with the culture and religion of my husband, I’d often feel like I was in the foreshadows of an identity I didn’t know. I hugely respected every element but the stubbornness of my own style would always creep around my mind. I would also always ask my husband, "Do I look ok?" "It doesn't look like i'm wearing a costume, does it?" "Are you sure I can wear this?".
I’d try to search for modest clothing that I guess one would call more “European fashion” but I would never find what I identified with.
Being from the UK, and also being amongst a very multicultural group of friends, I’d also hear the same from those who would dress modestly. As they were from the UK, they identified with both the “European” direction of fashion and their cultural heritage direction of clothing. They would always have to layer their Zara dresses or add more layers to this, won’t buy that because of the slit etc. When I realised we all actually shared a similar frustration, I knew combining my career with my own “problem” could be a really impactful thing. I had been designing for some really exciting brands like Maserati, Zara, Harrods, Represent clothing, Next, M&S and so on.. for years, so I had also been building this really insightful understanding of the commercial factor in fashion too.
Fast forward over two years and we have launched Kimesca. This is our modest clothing brand through a high-fashion lens and is for any woman who sees herself in it, modest or otherwise.
There has been a rise in more modest approaches to things like wedding guest dresses, black-tie dress, and even high end brands who now bring out Ramadan collections. There's so much social proof behind the mainstream shift to more modest dressing that my personal and career goal is to be one of the leading designers to spear head the mainstreaming of modest clothing so that it is no longer a subcategory within the "Big-4" of the industry. It is not a fad. It has probably one of the longest standing fashion histories that is wrapped up in ideas like cultural heritage, religious identity, personal preference, and so on.
Part of this mission was to also bring production to the UK to amplify the norm of developing modest fashion even for the western market. We are very proud to have had such an exquisite team behind the development of Kimesca where the dresses were developed through true artistry and considered hands in a professional atelier in London. The heart of the brand is to amalgamate the recognised precision of British craftsmanship, the impact of editorial high-fashion, personal problem solving, and extensive experience as a commercial designer in order to create quality garments that show modest fashion can be expressive and high-fashion worthy.
As the Creative Director, I’ve long admired the construction and execution of garments from some of my most-loved designers. So to now have my own designs brought to life in the very same studio - by the same skilled hands - is surreal and incredibly special.
Explore the Kimesca gown and make it your own - available now.
To see the latest creatives from kimesca, follow @kimescabrand on instagram.
