The Celebration of Islamic Consumer Goods in London: Design, Production, and Consumption

This chapter investigates Islamic consumer goods of different kinds, kitsch as well as art, using examples from the Islamic consumer goods market in London, specifically focusing on emerging middle-class artists and consumers and their tastes. After sketching ‘the change’ since the early 1990s, it follows up on the increasing visibility of Muslim consumer culture. The study includes Muslim musical artists (from pop-nashid music and other genres) who carefully curate their religious-artistic profile and products of material culture. Interesting effects can be created by appropriating forms and filling them with new content. London is not only a vital melting pot but also a host for all sorts of entertaining events, such as the two-day London Muslim Shopping Festival, first arranged in 2018. The chapter provides a quick tour through similar attractions and some penetrating glimpses into their offerings on display. Concerning the London Muslim consumer goods market, one needs to take both the globalization of a halal economy and local conditions into consideration, as artists, producers, and consumers are not constrained by the local or the national context, although local conditions are generally crucial for any activity. The chapter discusses Islamic consumer goods and creativity, considering three distinct yet overlapping spheres: design, production, and consumption. Once something becomes a trend in London, it often becomes popular in other places in Europe at some later point.