Modanisa
Istanbul, TR · Founded 2011 · 343 employees on LinkedIn · 5 known investors
Modanisa is an online fashion platform selling modest clothing for Muslim women, offering over 650 brands and 70,000 products across 140 countries. Founded in Istanbul, it operates in six languages and ships internationally.
Also known as Modanisa.com
Investors · 5
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Modanisa is an Istanbul-founded online retail platform for modest women's fashion. It launched on Mother's Day 2011 and describes itself as the first Turkish fashion platform to offer online clothes shopping to this audience at such variety. The catalogue spans dresses and evening wear, tunics, knitwear, loungewear, underwear, activewear, maternity and kids' wear, swimwear including burkinis, outerwear and abayas, plus-size ("curvy") lines, hijabs, shawls, scarves, turbans and bonnets, shoes and bags, jewellery, cosmetics and skincare, and Islamic products such as prayer dresses, prayer rugs, prayer beads, Qur'an holders, Islamic books and an Umrah and Hajj collection.
The site operates as a multi-brand marketplace: category pages list hundreds of third-party labels (for example Benguen, İmaj Butik, InStyle, MANUKA, Neva Style, Hafsa Mina, Kadeem Giyim, Bigdart) alongside in-house or featured brands promoted in the site footer — Tuva, Alia, Benin and Refka. Storefront functions include multi-language and multi-currency selection, country-specific shipping, mobile apps, and programmes for influencers, wholesale and franchise partners.
The founder, Kerim Ture, has said the name refers to a chapter of the Koran and means "women" in Arabic, and that he started the company because women who wanted to dress both stylishly and modestly had limited options.
Founding story
Modanisa.com launched on Mother's Day 2011 in Istanbul. Co-founder Kerim Ture started the business with four friends and $500,000 in capital, motivated by the lack of stylish options for women who wanted to dress modestly; the brand name references a chapter of the Koran and means "women" in Arabic.
Business model
Modanisa runs an online marketplace that aggregates apparel and accessories from many independent manufacturers and brands and sells them direct to consumers internationally. It reported deals with 800 clothing makers, many of them small ateliers in Turkey, for which the platform provides access to global buyers; the company positions itself as introducing small producers and designers to international markets. Complementary channels advertised on the site include wholesale, franchise and influencer programmes.
Revenue is generated from online sales of apparel, hijabs, footwear, bags, accessories, cosmetics and Islamic goods, listed with discounts and campaign pricing across multiple currencies. The company broke even for the first time in 2017 and turned a profit in 2018.
Traction
The company states it reaches 20 million visitors a month across its app and desktop platforms, sells over 650 brands and 70,000 products, and ships thousands of packages a day. Press coverage in 2019 reported about 150 million unique visitors a year and roughly 3.5 million returning visitors, and a network of 800 clothing makers. Awards include Reuters' designation as the world's most popular Islamic apparel website (2016), the Islamic Economy Award in the Islamic Arts category (November 2017) and an International Business Excellence award (March 2018).
Latest developments
The storefront remains in operation with current-season assortment, multi-currency pricing and discount campaigns, and lists in-house brands Tuva, Alia, Benin and Refka.
▸Full profile — market position, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Described in press coverage as one of the largest commercial players serving Muslim consumers in fashion, in a market where Muslim shoppers were reported to spend $270 billion in 2017, projected to reach $361 billion by 2023. Reuters selected the site as the world's most popular Islamic apparel website in 2016, and the founder has stated an ambition for the company to become Turkey's first unicorn.
Breadth of modest-specific assortment — including prayer clothing, burkinis, abayas, hijabs and plus-size modest lines — combined with a large supplier base of small Turkish ateliers, six-language localisation and shipping to 140 countries.
Go-to-market
Direct-to-consumer e-commerce through a desktop platform and mobile apps, supported by campaigns and discounting, localisation into six languages and country-level shipping options, influencer partnerships, and wholesale and franchise programmes. The company also co-created the Modest Fashion Week concept, which debuted in Istanbul in 2016 and was subsequently staged in London (2017), Dubai (2017) and Jakarta (2018).
Muslim and other modest-dressing women internationally, including plus-size ("curvy") shoppers, expectant mothers and buyers of children's wear; content is offered in Turkish, Arabic, English, French, German and Bahasa.
Geography
Founded and headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, with customers in 140 countries and shipments to five continents; localisation covers Turkish, Arabic, English, French, German and Bahasa, with country and currency selection on the storefront.
History
After its 2011 launch, the company expanded internationally, adding multiple language versions and shipping across five continents. It co-created Modest Fashion Week, first held in Istanbul in 2016, followed by London and Dubai in 2017 and Jakarta in 2018. It received Reuters recognition in 2016, the Islamic Economy Award in November 2017 and an International Business Excellence award in March 2018. The business broke even in 2017 and was profitable in 2018.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 6
launches, deals, and filingsRecognised for elevating local vendors onto a global platform.
Modanisa broke even for the first time in 2017 and turned a profit the following year.
The concept was subsequently staged in London (2017), Dubai (2017) and Jakarta (2018).
The modest fashion e-commerce platform launched on Mother's Day 2011, founded by Kerim Ture with four friends and $500,000 in capital.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Modanisamodanisa.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Modanisa do?
- Istanbul-based online marketplace for modest fashion, selling hijabs, dresses, abayas and accessories to customers in 140 countries.
- Who are Modanisa's investors?
- Modanisa's investors include EBRD Venture Capital Investment Programme, Wamda Capital, Aslanoba Capital, EBRD, STC Ventures.
- Where is Modanisa headquartered?
- Modanisa is headquartered in Istanbul, TR.