In Afghanistan, mannequins are hooded and masked under the Taliban rules.
The Taliban regime in Kabul enacted strict dress codes for public display, which included hooding and masking all mannequins. The mannequins in Kabul's women's clothing stores are a spooky sight under the Taliban, with their heads covered in fabric sacks or black plastic bags.
These hooded figures are a symbol of the Taliban's strict religious authority in Afghanistan. However, they are also a modest demonstration of defiance and innovation on the part of Kabul's clothing retailers.
The initial demand from the Taliban was for the severed heads of the dolls.
According to local media, shortly after the Taliban's August 2021 coup d'état, the Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue issued a decree ordering the removal of all mannequins from store windows or the amputation of their heads. A severe interpretation of Islamic law that outlaws sculptures and pictures of the human form because they may be worshipped as gods served as the basis for the decree, which fits perfectly with the Taliban's push to keep women out of the public view.
Several retailers cooperated. Nonetheless, there was resistance from some.
They were concerned that they would have to destroy expensive mannequins to properly exhibit their clothing. In the end, the Taliban changed their mind and let store owners put a cloth over the mannequins' heads.
Merchants were caught between pleasing the Taliban and luring clients. Lycee Maryam Street, a commercial corridor in northern Kabul dotted with clothing stores catering to the city's middle class, is a showcase for the myriad approaches they've taken to the city's problems. Fashionable mannequins in a rainbow of colours and patterns adorn the storefront windows and display racks, each wearing a different style of headdress.
In one store, the heads of the mannequins were covered with bags crafted from the same material as the traditional garments they displayed. One of them wore a purple hood to match her cowrie-shell-bedecked clothing. Yet another wore a crimson velvet mask adorned with a gold crown and looked almost as refined as she did in a red gown with intricate gold embroidery.
When asked why he didn't put plastic or other unattractive coverings for the mannequins' heads, Bashir said that doing so would make his storefront display and overall business seem worse. He talked to The Associated Press under the condition that he only use his first name out of fear of retribution, as did other owners.
Since the Taliban took control of the country and international aid was cut off, the economy has crumbled, plunging nearly the entire population into poverty.
Even before the Taliban, weddings in Afghanistan were traditionally divided by gender, providing women with a rare opportunity to shine in their finest attire.
Weddings are one of the rare possibilities for large-scale social events to continue under the Taliban. However, as budgets have gotten tighter, they have become simpler.
Bashir claims sales are a fraction of what they formerly were.
He stated, "Buying wedding, evening and traditional dresses is no longer a priority for people," he said. "People think more about getting food and surviving. "
Hakim, one of the business owners, moulded metal foil to cover the heads of his mannequins. He thought that it gave his goods an extra bit of glitz that would help them sell.
He remarked, "I made an opportunity out of this threat and ban and did it so the mannequins are even more attractive than before."
The mannequins wearing sleeveless dresses in one store were all covered with black plastic bags. The shopkeeper said he was out of money.
Aziz, another shop owner, claimed that agents from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue frequently inspect stores and malls to ensure that all mannequins' heads are either covered or removed. He didn't buy into the Taliban's explanation for the regulations. He stated, "Everyone knows mannequins aren't idols, and no one's going to worship them. In all Muslim countries, mannequins are used to display clothes. "
Some male mannequins with their heads covered may be seen in-store displays, implying that the prohibition is being enforced consistently.
When the Taliban first came to power in the late 1990s, they promised a more lenient approach to social regulation. However, over time, they have increased their already severe restrictions, especially targeting women. They have mandated that women and girls hide their faces in public and have outlawed education for them past the sixth grade.
An individual female shopper on Lycee Maryam Street recently observed the shrouded mannequins. She said, " When I see them, I feel that these mannequins are also captured and trapped, and I get a sense of fear".