When Sanah Ali and Talleda Rasheed met at an East Bay book club several years ago, they clicked instantly, bonding over their shared obsession with clothes, a passion for fashion and a love of community.
After co-hosting a brunch for family and friends to celebrate the end of Ramadan, the new pals—both professionals and moms—realized how effortlessly they worked together. Conversations quickly turned to starting a business: a clothing label, naturally.
Last fall, Azali (uh-zuh-lee) introduced itself to the world.
The Hawa trench by Azali(Courtesy of Azali)
Defined by sculptural silhouettes and soft, flowing lines, the five-piece debut collection embodies the founders’ vision for the brand, the name of which means “eternal” in Arabic. “Our aesthetic is very East meets West—but elevated,” says Rasheed. As women of Arab and South Asian heritage with roots in Islam, the partners set out to create modern modest fashions that fuse timeless Western tailoring with the richness of their cultural roots.
Indeed, Azali’s origin story follows a familiar mantra: build what you can’t find. While Ali and Rasheed acknowledge there are other modest fashion brands out there, none truly resonated with the uber-stylish duo.
“We were always buying things, but they never felt like us,” explains Ali. “Most of the time, we’d end up adding fabric, altering, embellishing—doing something. Things were too low-cut, too short, or too basic.”
Upon meeting the founders—both decked out in their label—it becomes infinitely clear that “basic” has no place in the Azali world. Au contraire: like their “unapologetically individual” creators, the clothes are bold, confident, and commanding.
Azali's Noor dress(Courtesy of Azali)
Over espressos at a San Francisco café, easy banter flows between Rasheed, a native Danville-ian and Academy of Art University grad who spent more than a decade in styling and operations at Stitch Fix, and Ali, a longtime advertising executive who grew up in Dallas and moved to San Ramon eight years ago. They chat happily about their career paths, devotion to fashion, and the spark that led them to launch their own line.
“It was a now or never moment,” says Rasheed. “We were both about to turn 40 and had been sending sketches back and forth for a while. The timing felt right, and we jumped in.” Last April, they officially established the business, and it’s been all systems go ever since.
The campaign imagery for the first capsule (Chapter 1: 786) was shot against the striking backdrop of San Francisco’s Financial District. The pieces balance sharp tailoring with maximalist details, exaggerated silhouettes, and feminine draping. Prices range from $275 to $500, planting Azali in the “luxury-lite” space.
Creating garments that captivate without overwhelming the wearer is no small feat, but Azali has cracked the code to elegant power dressing. Exhibit A: Hawa, a sheer black organza trench destined to become a brand signature. She’s at once voluminous and structured, ethereal, and dramatic.
Azali's Fira dress(Courtesy of Azali)
Other standouts include a sophisticated-cum-edgy vegan-leather set: Yara 1, a boxy cropped blazer with oversized peak lapels, and Yara II, a high-waisted maxi skirt with vertical panels and a fluted shape. Then there’s Fira, the wild child of the collection—a zebra-print minidress that seduces with an outsized collar, statement buttons, and a sculptural waist.
Encouraging women to express their individuality through sophisticated modest wear is Azali’s raison d’être—and it informs the brand’s small-batch production model. Producing just 30 to 80 units per style promotes exclusivity while aligning with the company’s intentional sustainability framework. Working with female-owned and operated manufacturers that prioritize craftsmanship and the planet is a core value—B Corp certification is a future goal.
Currently, you can shop Azali on its website. Starting in February, select pieces will be available at Wolf & Badger. (Congrats on the first stockist!) And, yes, the next collection, Chapter 2, is in the works. After all, fashion springs eternal.
