Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar shared photos of herself on Instagram wearing the abaya on National Sports Day, which has been designed by VCUarts Qatar student Noor Rashid Butt (@/_by.noor/).

Developed by Dr. Khalid Saoud of the Nanotechnology and Textile Lab, the abaya is made from fabric that utilizes nanotechnology to absorb vitamin D-rich light, blocking the sun’s harsh rays. Additionally, the fabric has thermal insulating properties to help regulate the body’s temperature.

The Vitamin-D NanoAbaya is part of a larger project which aims to develop functional textiles with thermal, anti-bacterial, UV-protection, self-cleaning, or water-repellent properties.

Featured in Harpers Bazaar