The fashion industry is taking steps to become more inclusive, but it still has a long way to go.
Many American brands still don’t offer options for cultures that have specific clothing needs.
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That’s why we are loving these luxury hijabs from the American-Muslim brand, Haute Hijab. They’re filling an important gap in the fashion world with their gorgeous designs.
Melanie Elturk and her husband, Ahmed Zedan, are Muslim-Americans who founded their company, Haute Hijab, in 2010.
Melanie told Bustle that growing up she often struggled to find fashionable and functional hijabs in America.
Haute Hijab sells a variety of hijabs so that stylish Muslim women have a ton of options.
“As an American who was born in Detroit, I identity most with my American culture above my Lebanese and Filipino roots,” she said.
“While I take great pride in where my parents come from, my American identity is the strongest after my Muslim identity, and it’s what I identify most with. Being able to design a collection that celebrated this felt amazing.”
Their new Luxury line takes that mission one step further.
This line was specifically created for formal events and features fine fabrics and delicate embellishments. This black tulle hijab, for instance, is adorned with gorgeous floral embroidery.
And finally, this is the Celestial Silver design.
According to Haute Hijab’s Instagram account, this is their most popular luxury design and it’s easy to see why. The beadwork in this design is incredible.
These luxury hijabs were inspired by Elturk’s own struggle to find a formal hijab.
“On my engagement day I spent so much time obsessing over the perfect outfit — a grand ball skirt, a sequined and beaded belt I made myself, and this luxurious silk top,” she said.
“I even replaced the regular buttons on the top with crystal buttons. But then my hijab just fell flat.”
“I wore a polyester chiffon hijab that for everyday I love — but on my engagement day, I wish I had something more elevated.”
Melanie couldn’t find what she needed in the market, so a year later, she brought it to the market.
However, she and her husband were very cautious about the way they wanted to present their new line.
“As an American brand, we wanted to make sure first and foremost the collection did not come across as ‘ethnic’ in any way,” Elturk said.
She explained how the American-Muslim population is so diverse, and they “didn’t want to alienate any groups or ethnicities with ‘Arab’ or ‘Asian’ inspired designs.”
Elturk keeps her customers in mind while she designs her collections, beyond the typical supply and demand mindset.
“I could actually see different customers wearing each design from the collection so beautifully,” she said.
She considers the execution and reception of her designs one of the best parts of her job — especially when she gets the reaction she imagined.
“It made my heart sing today when one of our customers actually purchased the exact design that I envisioned her wearing,” she said.
Overall, the luxury collection includes a total of 5 designs embracing a neutral palette to target both diverse outfits, and diverse people.
The Ethereal Ivory hijab includes ornate pearl and sequin details. Is this gorgeous or what? I stan an elegant queen right here! This design would also be perfect for a wedding or engagement party.
Here’s The Vintage Gold Beaded Lamé & Silk Hijab.
With a less flashy look, this luxury hijab could function with a little more flexibility than most of the others.
We are loving these designs from Haute Hijab and can’t wait to see more in the future.
We’re so glad this brand is committed to helping Muslim women find fashionable options that blend with their whole identity, rather than just a sliver.
There’s also the Rose Gold Aurora design.
Did I mention that I absolutely love everything rose gold? That includes this breathtaking hijab. This silk chiffon hijab is gorgeously adorned with Swarovski crystals.
