• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The $40 trillion national debt is growing while Social Security goes broke—because wealthy Boomers are collecting over $100k in benefits per year

2

Welcome to the 'upper-middle-class trap': why $300,000 a year doesn't feel like winning anymore

3

'You only get like two hours of alcohol or two hours of cigarettes a day': Former Meta engineer on child safety settlement

1

The $40 trillion national debt is growing while Social Security goes broke—because wealthy Boomers are collecting over $100k in benefits per year

2

Welcome to the 'upper-middle-class trap': why $300,000 a year doesn't feel like winning anymore

3

'You only get like two hours of alcohol or two hours of cigarettes a day': Former Meta engineer on child safety settlement
MPWMost Powerful Women

French Ban Boosts Sales of ‘Burkinis’ by 200 Percent

By
Julie Mazziotta
Julie Mazziotta
and
People
People
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Julie Mazziotta
Julie Mazziotta
and
People
People
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 25, 2016, 12:49 PM ET
AUSTRALIA-FRANCE-ISLAM-CLOTHING-MUSLIM-LIFESTYLE
This picture taken on August 19, 2016 shows Muslim models displaying burkini swimsuits in western Sydney. 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. / AFP / SAEED KHAN (Photo credit should read SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)SAEED KHAN AFP/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

After over a dozen French towns have banned women from wearing ‘burkinis’ – a swimsuit for women that leaves just the face, hands and feet exposed – a demand for the product has risen 200 percent worldwide, BBC News reported.

Aheda Zanetti, who lives in Australia and owns the trademark on ‘burkini,’ says online sales skyrocketed.

“No man in this entire world can tell us what to wear or what not to wear,” she told BBC News.

Sign up: Click here to subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

On Aug. 12, the mayor of Cannes banned burkinis, calling them a “symbol of Islamic extremism,” following the July attack in Nice, for which ISIS claimed responsibility. Several other towns have since joined in on the ban, and any woman caught disobeying is charged a fine.

Photos emerged Tuesday showing several male police officers forcing one woman to remove her head covering on a beach in Nice.

The woman, who gave just her first name, Siam, said she was also fined in Cannes, according to The Guardian.

“I was sitting on the beach with my family,” she said. “I was wearing a classic headscarf. I had no intention of swimming.”

The ban has citizens divided, with some saying that burqas go against women’s rights, while others argue that banning the garments amounts to Islamophobia.

French Prime Minister Manual Valls has backed the burkini bans, but he says he’s not interested in creating a nationwide law against them.

This article originally appeared on People.

About the Authors
By Julie Mazziotta
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By People
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in MPW


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in MPW


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.