The world's first ever fashion show of Islamic clothing was staged in Indonesia.

The world's first ever fashion show of Islamic clothing was staged in Indonesia this week.

The country is the world's most populous Muslim country and many of the religion's specific sartorial intricacies were featured on the catwalk including silky traditional dresses, long skirts and veils.

Indonesian batik outfits plus an array of colourful scarves and beadwork all had a turn on the runway, plus metallic gold or copper fabrics.

Musa Widyatmjo, supervisor of the Indonesian fashion designers' association, told Reuters: "Muslim fashion should not be identified with long, black, scary attire, but Muslim women can appear in nice, trendy, up-to-date fashion.

"Indonesia is a trendsetter for Muslim fashion, followed by Malaysia."

All the outfits displayed at the Jakarta show were characteristically long, demure and loose but they were importantly not all black and this counteracts the oft stereotyped Muslim woman as cloaked in black shapeless attire.