Rilek1Corner

Tag: Hijabi Fashionistas

  • Is The Hijab Being Turned Into Everything It Stands Against?

    Is The Hijab Being Turned Into Everything It Stands Against?

    As a hijab wearing Muslim woman, it pleases me to see hijabis getting recognition. Companies have noticed Muslim women’s presence and have started catering to their modest fashion needs. For example, Nike recently came out with a line suitable for Muslim women and those that wish to dress in conservative sports gear. It even includes a head piece with the classic Nike logo.

    Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing brand, has also just released a collection of headscarves. Even designer companies, such as Dolce and Gabbana, have come out with floral printed hijabs and abayas for Muslim women to wear. Brands like DKNY and H&M have previously come out with Ramadan modest clothing collections.

    Understandably, many Muslims are welcoming these companies’ moves. Why not? It is a sign that we are being acknowledged as consumerists. Companies have discovered a niche in the market from social media where hijab fashion bloggers have created a platform for themselves and are using apps, in particular Instagram, to showcase modest fashion. Some of the most popular ‘hijabi fashionistas’ have up to two million followers. These Muslim women have gone beyond fashion and into beauty; there are now thousands of hijab wearing women across the world creating makeup tutorials on how to achieve the perfect winged eyeliner.

    However, with the good comes the bad. Are hijabis turning the hijab into everything it stands against?

    Aside from the hijab representing modesty, it represents liberation; a stand against objectification and sexualisation. When a woman covers herself, she compels people to judge her on the basis of her character and her actions; not the way she looks. A hijab is not merely a scarf but a way to free oneself from societies that tell women that their worth is determined by their appearance.

    But have we Muslim women succumbed to idealistic beauty standards, and have we simply made the headscarf a fashion trend; an accessory rather than our identity as followers of the Islamic faith? It seems as though we have now submitted to society’s beauty demands that we had been resisting since the beginning of Islam. We are now following all the latest trends and styles; the only difference is that we have a scarf wrapped around our heads. The hijab is in the process of being commercialised and multinational companies are capitalising from it.

    Companies should not stop catering to Muslim women’s clothing needs. After years of not being recognised as consumers, we are now spoilt for choice. However, as Muslim women, we should remember exactly what the hijab symbolises and do it justice, and not allow our appearances to define who we are or let fashion engulf us.

     

    By Priya Jasmin Begum

     

    Source: Huffingtonpost

  • Commentary: The Problem With ‘Hijab Fashion’

    Commentary: The Problem With ‘Hijab Fashion’

    I’d like to take a minute and speak about this prevalent trend of ‘Hijab fashion’ and ‘Hijabi Fashionistas’. Before anyone gets defensive and feels they’re being attacked, this is not about anyone’s *personal* journey, rather more about *public journeys* and how we are influencing our youth. So no one is judging anyone, nor being holier than thou, this is a bit of food for thought.

    Recently I’ve been seeing fashion shows/cat walks, Muslims women on the runways etc highlighting “modest fashion” where the idea is to cater for Muslim women.

    I completely understand Muslim women fall into many many categories when it comes to implementing the Hijab in its entirety, and by that I do not mean just the headscarf. I understand the difficulties in implementing the hijab (been there, done that). I understand all the thought processes before finally making the decision to implement the hijab outwardly and inwardly. I also understand wanting to look nice and presentable.

    What I do not accept nor understand is the category of women who outright reject the command. Our attire and what we have been commanded to wear is clear cut, stated in the Qur’an and ahadith. It’s fine for you to do business, also fine for you to cater for Muslim women as there is a huge market, but I feel somewhere in all this business and making a name, the true essence and identity of a Muslimah is getting lost behind make up, pouts and excessiveness.

    There are so many problems with the Hijab Fashionista era that we are living in. Here are three:

    1. Our attire is being commercialised and we are condoning it.

    Initially it was just within, now it is also external. We do not need Nike to promote our hijab, we do not need Debenhams to start endorsing our clothes. We do not need approval or validation from any mainstream companies. They are not doing us a favour, they are not “accepting us” they are thinking with their business hat on and how to make a profit. So firstly, it is important we do not fall into that trap of thinking finally the world is starting to accept us.

    2. Are catwalks modest?

    When Muslim women are walking up and down the runway, there are male photographers present, male audience present, men reading and seeing about the fashion show in the news, does this defeat the purpose of hijab? Whilst we flaunt the “modest clothing” on our body, we are being watched and ogled at. Beautified faces, beautified clothes, is this really modest, if we think about modesty in its entirety and not just a piece of cloth? Does this thought process make me extreme? O_o

    3. Is it really Hijab?

    We are seeing Muslim women bloggers who categorise themselves as Hijabis and whilst they may be struggling to wear the hijab in its correct form, showing your hair and neck is not hijab and should never ever be promoted as hijab. Whilst these bloggers influence our youth to wear turbans, show their awrah yet call it hijab, surely we should be challenging this and not encouraging when these bloggers “make it” and become “famous”.

    Honestly is it a great thing to see sisters excelling and making a name for themselves, but at the expense of a lost identity?

    Are Muslim women having an identity crisis, trying to fit in between the “modern world” and Islam? What are WE doing to lead our youth and what CAN we do to lead them? To ensure our youth do not feel like they need validation? To ensure our youth are looking up to the correct figures as their role models?

    May Allah allow us to excel in His beautiful Deen, and forgive us when we fall short.

    by 

     

     

    Source: ilmfeed