Sheikha Hub is the virtual place to be in the Islamic fashion industry if you are a young designer looking for customers, a model looking for work, or an investor looking for a hot new product.

That is the goal, anyway, of its founder, a former international bonds trader in Kuala Lumpur who launched the fashion portal in June on the advice of her 15-year-old son.

"There is an extraordinary pool of very creative and innovative talent here in the Islamic fashion industry. We have seen a positive growth in the number of online entrepreneurs selling Muslimah-fashion related items and services and at Sheikha Hub, we aim to provide as much support as we can to these entrepreneurs," founder Norzihan Ahmad Latt said.

Sheikha Hub offers an array of services: free advertising, informational seminars, classy networking events and access to a mentor panel of leading international designers.

While inviting entrepreneurs to register on her site's online business directory for free, Norzihan also encourages them to support the hub's charity efforts by offering goods or services for sale at special auctions where all proceeds are channelled to charities.

Taking flight from an empty nest

A couple years ago, Norzihan dabbled at being a designer herself. She was grappling with empty nest syndrome after her only son, Omar, enrolled at a boarding school in Melbourne. He challenged his mother to take up a meaningful hobby.

For the fun of it, she launched a Muslimah travel line of flowy lycra trousers, skirts and shift-shape tops in 2011, and offered them for sale online.

When he came home for school break, Omar rewarded his mother with a website revamp and a Facebook page.

"That was when I started receiving likes from all over the world – US, Spain, Mauritius," Norzihan told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Friends urged her to participate in a Milan fashion show funded by the United Nations Population Fund for emerging Muslim-wear designers.

"I only had three styles so I didn't feel right about going. Again, it was Omar who pointed out I should help others by spreading awareness of such opportunities, because I have the networking," Norzihan said.

Business acumen told her this would be worth her time. The Muslim fashion market is worth billions on an international scale. She could help other start-up designers tap into those opportunities.

Helping others

At first, it was not easy to find suitable candidates for the venture. But Norzihan began finding leads when she explored e-commerce fashion sites. Run by IT-savvy entrepreneurs in their early 20s, they carried the kind of modest-but-mainstream styles she was looking for. Hundreds of emails later, she was able to launch her hub this June.

In September, she attended her first international show in Melbourne at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), and arranged for retailers and buyers to talk shop with designers.

Back in Malaysia, she organised a "meet and greet" tea with hub mentors Zeina Abou Chaaban of Dubai, Fatma Ghanem of Qatar, and Farrah Adeeba of Malaysia.

Norzihan is scheduled to go to Doha with Malaysian designer Leslie Variyan and oversee a charity auction of some of his designs at the Sheikha Hub International Showcase on November 23rd. Proceeds will go to an orphanage.

"We are like a little version of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation," a body promoting local enterprises to the global market, Norzihan said. "Over here we are helping the little people."

An enriching sense of community

They include cousins Syahira Shaharudin, 25, and Puteri Iman Megat Hisham, 20, who launched their own online fashion brand, Ayra Awa, after Syahira won grand prize in the model search competition organised by Sheikha Hub earlier this year.

"Being part of the Sheikha Hub Muslimah fashion directory has helped us to build our base," said Puteri. "Sales have definitely increased."

But just as rewarding as the increased profit is the feeling of fashion solidarity among Muslimahs.

"Having a centre where Muslimah fashionistas can gather is going to be enriching for the industry. The introduction of new hijab fashions will not only encourage more Muslimahs to embrace modesty but give rise to a new genre in fashion design," she said.