Veiled mannequins at a shop in Kabul. Afghanistan's capital. Picture: Wakil Kohsar/AFP
Mannequins in Kabul are draped to conform with the Taliban's strict modesty rules.
In the streets of Kabul, shop windows are adorned with elegant ball gowns and sophisticated wedding suits, though the mannequins' faces are obscured, reflecting the latest directives from the Taliban’s morality police.
According to a local clothes seller, stores have been instructed to conceal the faces of mannequins and remove any photographs of models.
The shopkeeper told AFP; "It does make the display somewhat unattractive," said the 22-year-old vendor, who wished to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions, "but it doesn't impact sales."
Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, they have reintroduced a stringent interpretation of Islamic law, including a ban on the depiction of human faces. "The environment must adhere to Islamic principles," the shopkeeper explained.
Women’s evening dresses, which come in an array of bright colours, often feature designs that expose the shoulders or include plunging necklines, with nearly all of them adorned with sequins.
However, these dresses are purchased to be worn exclusively in private settings, such as gender-segregated weddings or engagement parties.
To comply with the Taliban’s regulations, the heads of the mannequins wearing these dresses are wrapped in plastic, foil, or black bags.
"There’s a chance they might eventually require the arms to be covered as well," the salesman told AFP.
Other stores showcase traditional Afghan wedding attire, featuring full-bodied skirts and intricate embroidery, all while adhering to the government's strict dress code.
Women out running errands in Kabul’s shopping districts are seen covered from head to toe in abaya robes, with their faces obscured by medical masks.
Following the introduction of the ban on depicting human faces in January 2022, religious police in Herat took the extreme measure of decapitating mannequins, severing their heads to comply with the new rules.
This regulation is now enforced across the country by teams from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, who, clad in long white jackets, make frequent visits to Kabul's shops.
In a multi-storey shopping centre in Kabul, mannequins are typically concealed with plastic bags or foil wrapped around their heads. “In some places, the 'Vice and Virtue' patrol on specific days, so the shopkeepers cover and then uncover the mannequins' faces," said a shopkeeper who asked AFP to be identified as Popalzai, a pseudonym.
"But here, there are three to six guys who come two or three times a week. They inspect from a distance, and they’re more lenient than before," added Popalzai, who had lived through the Taliban's initial reign between 1996 and 2001.
At the entrance of his shop, male mannequins dressed in Western clothing, like jeans, which are disapproved of by Taliban authorities, are all hooded, with one even sporting sunglasses.
Despite the faceless mannequins, customers and sellers seem largely indifferent.
IOL Lifestyle
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