Bold Creations

Devout Muslim Woman Joins Top Designers At New York Fashion Week

(CBS)  At New York City Fashion Week, the hottest runway threads can leave little to the imagination. But some revealing outfits are the creation of an unlikely designer, reports CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano.

Turkish designer Rabia Yalcin is a devout Muslim. In public she wears a hear scarf and conservative dress. But the plunging neck lines, peek-a-boo bras and see-through material reveal her flair for the sensual.

Asked if she would ever wear her garments, Yalcin responds, "Of course I would wear it, but in private at my home."

Yalcin believes a girl can have it all, mixing haute couture with Islamic sensibility.

"It's my everything. It's my life," said Yalcin when asked if religion was a big part of her life.

And for much of her life, since she was 5 years old, she's been designing clothes, adds Solorzano.

"My feet didn't even reach the pedals of the sewing machine, so I would have a girlfriend who would step on the pedals of the sewing machine and I would use my hands to sew," said Yalcin.

Now she's trying to stitch together threads from Eastern and Western cultures.

"My religion has taught me about understanding and loving," said Yalcin. "As far as I'm concerned, I create designs for women of all backgrounds and religions and I don't discriminate, and I have respect and love for all."

Yalcin's clients include Middle East royalty. The styles of her $3,000 gowns are inspired by Turkey's Ottoman Empire. But she also designs with the average woman in mind, and she believes all women are sexy and should be able to choose how they want to dress in public.

"If we accepted each other with such tolerance, there would never be war," said Yalcin.

It's unclear if her creations will sell in America. But at the very least, she hopes to make acceptance in Turkey and abroad more fashionable.