ASU student’s Sotra Fashion line makes modest clothing for all

In 2019, the word “modest” comes with more than a few connotations. Good or bad, Sotra Fashion Founder and CEO Sophia Collier wants people to understand that modesty is simply a “conscious style of dressing.” 

As a junior in Barrett, The Honors College studying technological entrepreneurship and management, Collier has made empowering women who choose modesty her mission. Whether it be your personal preference or religious belief to dress modestly, Sotra Fashion is dedicated to cultivating a stylishly modest community that has access to comfortable, affordable and breathable clothing for women year round.

Collier’s entrepreneurial spirit comes from both nature and nurture. She recalls growing up in a “entrepreneurial household” and always knowing she wanted to create a company for herself. 

“I really saw a problem in the market in terms of modest fashion not being very addressed,” Collier said. She believes that every entrepreneur tries to solve a problem, and this is hers. 

Growing up, Collier had many friends who were Muslim. With modest clothing being her personal style preference she says she was fascinated with her friends’ scarves and hijabs. The CEO even remembers the exact events that led to her to launch Sotra Fashion.

Collier was helping friends shop for Eid al-Fitr or the festival of breaking the fast, an Islamic celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. The women had been in a Forever 21 for two hours, searching for modest formal wear when Collier suggested pairing the revealing clothing with modest pieces underneath them. 

After years of watching her closest friends struggle to find comfortable clothing that matched their standards, the problem in the market was staring her in the face as she was unwittingly solving it. This is where Collier’s service began and for her, service bred passion. 

Collier said, “As you start building something, start serving people. That’s where your passion starts to grow.” Sotra Fashion was originally created for Muslim audiences, but the CEO and her team are adamant that modesty knows no religion.

With inclusivity at the forefront of the brand and its marketing strategies, a loan of $300 from Collier’s parents turned into $9,000 in gross revenue in less than a year. Even though Collier is establishing herself as an entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with, she’s not going it alone. Between mentors, advisors and her team of ASU student interns the sky would be lucky if Sotra Fashion stopped there.

Sarah Abdallah, Sophia Collier’s influencer management intern, heads up the brand ambassador program. Pursuing a degree in fashion and a certificate in global marketing from ASU, Aballah is in charge of reaching out to influencers who might be interested in reviewing and promoting the brand. The two met at Abdallah’s Pi Beta Phi meeting when Collier was rallying troops for her business. 

Though Abdallah hopes to do marketing work with Sotra Fashion in the future, she is learning a lot about influencer management. According to her, every influencer they reach out to has a different audience Sotra Fashion can attract.

“There’s modest women everywhere, so this brand can become so big if we reach out to everybody, and I think it will,” Abdallah said. 

Sotra Fashion could not be more on track with what they are accomplishing. 

“I feel like, at least in the world that we live in, a lot of people really think that the less you wear the more beautiful you're considered, the more sexy you are or whatever word it is that people use,” Collier said.  

“But I think people do really need to understand that, you know, a woman who has really decided to dress modestly is beautiful and you can portray confidence and you can have fashion and style added to it.”