Inside the world of hijabistas: The social media mavens helping change the face of the modern Muslim woman

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LANGSTON HUES/MODESTSTREETFASHION.COM

For some women, an It bag is their must-have accessory. For some observant Muslim women, the hijab is the ultimate statement maker. Not only an important part of their religious beliefs, the traditional headscarf has caught up with fashion’s latest trends, breaking its way into the mainstream with the help of social media.

If the first Instagram stars were street stylers, the latest are “hijabistas,” who use the app (in addition to others) as an outlet to show off their style, find fashion inspiration, and meet their peers around the world. Social media has become a powerful tool allowing hijabistas to show young Muslim girls that they can still be fashionable while adhering to their faith. It’s also been a key factor in showing the Western world that hey, Muslim girls like being trendy too.

U.S.-based photographer Langston Hues has profiled those with some definite hijab swagger on his blog Modest Street Fashion. Currently shooting some of the most popular hijabi bloggers for his upcoming book of the same name, he’s found that sense of style exists, regardless of the parameters.

Bloggers like the ones Hues shoots are seen as influencers, and brands are beginning to see the potential of working with them to reach a larger, and for the most part untargeted, audience of Muslim women. In turn, businesses catering to Muslim women are on the rise and using social media to do so. Look at Hijab-ista, an one stop shop for all things hijab and other wardrobe essentials.

Here, we introduce you to some of favourite hijabistas helping change the face of the modern Muslim woman:

Ascia Al-Faraj, Kuwait

If you’re looking for hijabistas making a splash in the wider fashion realm there’s Al-Faraj, a popular fashion blogger from Kuwait. She is a widely-recognized style star who is constantly being invited to exclusive viewings (such as the Isabel Marant pour H&M collection) and New York Fashion Week. Her turban-tying talent also landed her an impressive gig with Halston Heritage.

Yasmine Kanar, United States

“Yaz the Spaz” hit the YouTube scene in 2010 with her hijab-styling tutorials. Her YouTube videos have taken her from a mere vlogger to a big time social media personality with an online shop of her own and almost 50,000 followers on Instagram.

Dina Tokio, United Kingdom

The fashionable Dina Tokio is a hilarious YouTube personality that shows other hijabis how to drape their hijabs. She is also a fashion designer and owns an online shop, Lazydoll. She currently has over 59,000YouTube subscribers and some of her videos have almost 70,000 views. She also has 131,000 followers on Instagram.

Saman Munir, Canada

Closer to home we have the beautiful Saman Munir from Mississauga. She gained fame through her makeup and hijab tutorials on YouTube and now almost 200,000 likes on Facebook. She’s become somewhat of a local celebrity and partakes in several projects in the city.

Source: fashionmagazine.com