FEATURE-Fusion Muslim chic hits Europe's streets

(This is part of a series on Muslim women in Europe)

By Alexandra Steigrad

PARIS/ROTTERDAM, April 25 (Reuters) - Clad in skinny jeans, wrap dresses and carefully sculpted headscarves, a generation of young Muslim women is making its mark on Europe's urban street culture, and influencing mainstream fashion.

The daughters of migrants to Europe from Turkey or the Maghreb, these girls say they are as conscious of style as of Islamic dress codes -- and want to fuse contemporary chic with elements of their religious and ethnic background.

"H&M and all the French stores have taken our fashion," said Mahika, a 24-year-old from Paris. She sees Muslim influences in the current trend of wearing dresses over jeans, and layering sweaters and tops.

Shopping for clothes has become simpler, she said: young Muslim women are now able to dress entirely from mainstream outlets if they choose.

Many of her peers agree, although a Hennes & Mauritz spokeswoman Muslim fashion has not specifically inspired their collections.

"I find it very easy to dress. You find all kinds of things in town. It is about combinations and it has got easier since you see the influence of our fashion in general fashion," said 20-year-old Bushra Sayed, a student from Rotterdam.

"I am a Muslim but I am also a person who is interested in fashion and I want to combine all these things," she adds.

Bushra wears a dark brown scarf wrapped tightly around her head and neck, a dark blue shirt, a figure-hugging grey tweed waistcoat and matching knee-length skirt over jeans.

Bushra's look is a world away from the black voluminous robes and long scarves worn by more traditional Muslim women, which completely hide the contours of the body.

"For me it is important to cover my body, except the hands, feet and face. And within that I can wear whatever I want, but it should not be too tight and short," she said.

"My mother, friends, and relatives are very enthusiastic and I did not have to fight at all for my own style."

MUSLIM GLOSSY

Bushra is among five women to put together MSLM, a new glossy fashion magazine in Dutch, French and English, aimed at style-conscious young Muslims offering tips, for example on new ways of covering the hair -- with baseball caps, hoods or chunky knitted scarves.