History was made during this year's Spring/Summer New York Fashion Week. An Indonesian fashion designer by the name of Anniesa Hasibuan produced and showed the first ever all hijab-wearing Spring/Summer collection at NYFW. One would think that this idea would've been done before, but in actuality, it has not. Other collections have been shown that featured some hijab-wearing looks, but this is the first time every look that came down the runway featured a hijab. Each and every model, no matter what religious belief, was adorned by beautiful, silky hijabs that represented a culture that has next to no representation in the fashion industry. Every one of Hasibuan's creations was elegant, glamorous, classic, and they perfectly communicated the importance of normalizing hijabs in the United States.
Why should it be so important to normalize hijabs and other religious apparel in the United States? Why should any of us care if another person's religion is accepted? The answer is this: the Muslim community is made up of approximately 1.6 billion people. That's more than one seventh of the world's population! That is an extraordinary amount of people whose religion doesn't matter or shouldn't be recognized as important. How many of those people are wearing hijabs everyday? Countless! For them, that is the norm. For them, it's a welcomed part of their religion that signifies power in modesty. Every woman is entitled to find power in modesty, promiscuity, both, or somewhere in between, and that choice is no one's business but their own.
Until now, thanks to Anniesa Hasibuan, the choice of religion-related modesty hasn't been represented well in past Spring/Summer collections. A dear friend of mine, who identifies as Muslim and also wears a hijab, finds it difficult to find apparel that she can wear during the hot months, because what comes along with wearing a hijab is that women who choose to embrace it must also wear long sleeve clothing that respects their modesty. In the middle of August, wearing long-sleeved clothing is absolutely no picnic, and it makes it difficult for them to participate in their own religious beliefs and go about daily life.
Anniesa Hasibuan has created a collection that meets the need for high-end and functional clothing for women of the Islamic faith. By doing this, she has also begun to bridge the gap between the acceptance of everyday religious clothing, and the everyday rejection of an entire world religion. Over the years, the fashion industry has certainly made positive steps towards representing the Muslim community; the clothing brand MANGO has a Muslim-friendly collection every year. Her revolutionary collection represents the wish to integrate world religions and cultures as a move for mass acceptance, rather than mass rejection. Anniesa Hasibuan's bravery has been recognized; she received a standing ovation at the end of her showing, and hopefully, the rest of the world will take note of her message.
