Sarah Rahmani Takesh

SARA Rahmani’s best-selling fashion design last year was a shirt made from a burqa remodelled into a peasant blouse with just a hint of cleavage.

This year the 38-year-old Afghan designer shows off her new season’s success, a jacket made from the black turbans worn by the Taliban and Pashtun men from the south and east of the country.

Ms Rahmani’s company, Sara Afghan, is one of three Kabul fashion labels that operate in an environment far removed from the baby doll fashions sweeping European catwalks.

The majority of women who buy from them locally want tailored clothes that are in keeping with local cultural sensitivities.

“This jacket is very popular,” Ms Rahmani says. “I used to make shirts made from burqa, but I think it is important to change with the season.”