Fashion with a conscience!

How many of us consider where our scarves are from or where a portion of the profits from sales of the clothing we buy goes? Many of us buy clothing and scarves without giving a second thought to how our money is being invested or spent. There are many charities available where we can donate our money for very worthy causes however there are very few clothing companies which have an affiliation to certain causes to who they pledge some of their profits.

A few months previously I came across Haya having seen the group on facebook. I was intrigued by the individuality of the scarves which were being sold and the vibrancy in the colours and patterns available. There are many hijab stores emerging on the market however it’s hard to find contemporary and unique designs, hence why Haya caught my eye. Its founder Shirin tells me more about Haya, launched in June 2010 and the message behind it.

Shirin explains that she begun wearing the hijab last year and struggled to find scarves that were in-line with the fashion today and that were made of good quality fabric. She purchased most her scarves from her various travels and that’s when the idea of launching Haya formed from. She envisaged creating a Hijab line which provided women access to scarves from all over the globe! Her aim is to inspire women to express their individuality through Haya scarves.

It is obvious through speaking to Shirin that her vibrant background and travels are the primary inspiration behind Haya. She goes on to tell me that ‘I’m lucky to call several countries/regions home - the Middle East, Canada and the UK!. I lived in Canada for eight years and it’s a special place for me. I moved to the UK after getting married and have added London to my ever-growing list of places to call home’. All these experiences and countries have encouraged her to keep an eye on fashion trends and experiment with colour, textures and styles of hijab.

Just as importantly as her scarf range is her desire and vision to give back to those in need through supporting local charities and campaigns. Shirin has always wanted to blend her passion for scarves with raising funds for charity. Her chosen charity Restless Beings works on two fronts: prevention or relief poverty through development over a sustained period of time; and to raise awareness of human rights violations of silenced communities. All the profits from Haya’s first collection were donated to this grassroots organisation for their Uighur Women’s Rights Campaign. Haya’s aim is to provide hijabs with a conscience and is proud to support Restless Beings with their incredible work. Haya’s second collection will support the Pakistan flood victims, 5% of the profits will be donated to the cause. Having spoken to Haya and the causes its supports it really hit me how important charity is and how often we seem to forget this. The Quran reminds us: "Spend (in charity) out of the sustenance that We have bestowed on you before that time when death will come to someone, and he shall say: "O my Lord! If only you would grant me reprieve for a little while, then I would give in charity, and be among the righteous." (63:10).

Review 1

Pink Flowery Business 3SC-FRBZ-01 £8.50

I love the feeling of this scarf, it’s very difficult to find good quality and attractive chiffon scarves. The scarf is lightweight and its pattern is bang on this autumn’s trend. It can be worn teamed up with an evening dress or even with a nice tunic or mac for a more urban autumn look. I have placed another plain scarf beneath it which is hidden and then layered the chiffon scarf on top to give it a bit more volume and more elegant look.

Review 2

Blue Beach 3SC-BEAC-01 £8.50
 

This is such a lightweight and beautiful hijab, it drapes well and the material is soft and flowing,  it also has very intrictae flower detailing that makes it stand out and it is really beuatiful to wear during the summer or for an evening out, there is plenty of material for coverage and it look nice with flower accessories. Im definatley wearing this with a black maxi dress as I think the scarf just adds the single touch you need.

All Styling courtesy of Hijablicious

Haya’s website is currently under construction however scarves can be purchased via the facebook group which provides fans with updates and images of the scarves:. Order requests can be mailed to info@love-haya.com

GIVEAWAY AND DISCOUNT!

Haya have teamed up with Hijablicious to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a plain silk-chiffon scarf! All you have to do it ‘like’ Haya on facebook and email me letting me know which plain silk-chiffon scarf you like best.  Closing date is 10^th October 2010. Entries to samia@hijablicious.com

(Please note the opinions and thoughts expressed are my own) http://www.hijablicious.com/

Join Hijablicious on facebook and twitter www.facebook.com/hijablicious for updates/giveaways and reviews and to get in touch you can email me samia@hijablicious.com

The Muslim Weekly segment of the review is below:

 

Author- Samia Khan (All rights reserved -Subject to copyright ©)

Noor D'Izar - Review and GIVEAWAY!

An exclusive review and insight into the contemporary hijab company Noor D'izar, plus a fantastic GIVEAWAY up for grabs!

This week I had a great opportunity of reviewing the upcoming and contemporary hijab fashion company Noor D'Izar. The first thing that really drew me into researching into this hijab company was to be honest the name. It has a really wonderful ring to it and I love the fusion between the words Noor meaning 'light and beauty' and 'Izar' which is the name given to a rectangular cloth the Berbers would use to drape their heads with. The word Noor really reminded me of the verse in the Quran in Surah Noor which always eases my heart whenever I read it 'Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things'. Maybe the verse is a bit irrelevant to a fashion review, But I think its wonderful when something we wear or somewhere we shop reminds us of Allah and that indeed we cover ourselves for his sake.

Noor D'Izar is based in Antwerp where its founders originate from. Fatima Rafiy and Inge Rombouts who founded the company met during a neighborhood street party. Both women shared the same passion: fashion! After teaming up, the foundations were laid for a great idea! Noor D'Izar was designed and created to offer the modern muslima a new, contemporary look, and also one which enabled ease in wearing it and where the scarves were adjustable to accommodate both a casual and a dressed up look.

Now I don't know about you readers, but I always think that you can really tell the elegance and style of a company in the packaging. I know they say don't judge a book by its cover but I think when it comes to online ordering you have to do just that! I knew from the moment I received the hijab's and saw the packaging that the quality and care of the hijab's would be good. They come in wonderful slim boxes which slide out to reveal the hijab neatly folded in tissue with a small style guide on top. Hijablicious loves attention to detail so I must admit I was very pleased with such small touches!

Now onto the hijab's, having had a look on the website I was aware that the style Noor D'izar primarily offers is similar to the Al-Amira scarves which are commonly available from Islamic websites and normally bookstores, however what really does differentiate these scarves as mentioned before is the attention to detail. There are little slots between the fabrics which allow you to easily wear your sunglasses, a fantastic idea! This is something which many hijab's find difficult with normal scarf styles without their hair getting stuck in the glasses. There are also small details such as tiny metal logos of at the side which I think adds a really elegant and cutting edge look to the scarf which definitely makes it stand out from other scarves.

Now the quality. I am absolutely in love with the quality of the scarves. The fabric is made from a stretchy Jersey style material which allows the wearer to frame their face very well and as it is stretchy it will adjust well to different face shapes. Compared to the Al-Amira hijab's which I mentioned before these quality of these hijab's is no comparison, they are definitely of a higher quality. The material is very lightweight and allows your skin to breath without feeling too stuffy, also there is no need for ironing as the material retains its texture and does not leave creases, again another positive aspect.

All in all these scarves seem the kind to suit sisters who partake in sports as they do not require any pins and are very easy to just put on and take off. Also for mummies on the go to and fro with their kids and who don't have time to use pins on their hijab's, then this style and scarf is so easy to use. Similarly its looks very modest and sleek teamed up with western style clothing and as seen in the pictures can easily be adjusted, what I found is you can also wear it as an under-scarf and drape a nice thin scarf over it to achieve a trendy look, this way you can ensure that your neck is covered and not exposed, this layering method is shown in my review.

The only downside of Noor'Dizar is their prices. With the ever growing and highly competitive Hijab market in honesty I found their prices very steep and very expensive, I understand the quality of fabric being used is extremely good however with prices ranging from £34 I can imagine this as being a turn off point for many people. I do hope however that they will review their prices and consider arranging some offers and more competitive prices as the scarves are nice.


Imsar Hijab

This beautiful stonewash Hijab is very thin and lightweight and is made from a very soft material which sits very nicely on the skin. What I liked about the scarf was that it can be worn on its own, especially during summer when some sisters are looking for more breathable hijabs, and its can be layered with another scarf and accessorised as shown in this picture which we layered together to achieve a more trendy and covering look.

Izar Hijab

This is a very different type of hijab. The style is very similar to the Imsar one but this has two beautiful chiffon pieces at each end. At first I was unsure of what to do with them but there are a variety of options which you can do to suit your own style and face shape. On this model I used the chiffon bit on the hijab by draping them at the back and then bringing them to the front again and creating a round circular shape at the side which I pinned. This would look nice for a party or evening out and it has a very 50's look to it which has a sense of elegance about it.

GIVEAWAY!

IMSAR HIJAB UP FOR GRABS

Hijablicious have teamed up with Noor'Dizar to offer it readers the opportunity to grab one of its scarves for free in honour of the month of Ramadan! This beautiful Imsar Hijab as shown above is available in Stonewash and can be yours free! You can wear it alone or its great for layering and good coverage! All you need to do it to email me at samia@hijablicious.com and join Hijablicious on facebook (www.facebook.com/hijablicious) and write that you have entered the competition. In your email or facebook message, just tell me the following 'What makes Ramadan special for you'. The closing date is the 1st September and the winner will be announced on facebook and here so get your entries in ladies!


You can check out Noor D'izars wonderful range and a video explaining how to wear the hijab on their website: http://www.noordizar.be/

(Please note the opinions and thoughts expressed are my own) http://www.hijablicious.com/

Remember to join Hijablicious on facebook and twitter www.facebook.com/hijablicious for updates/giveaways and reviews and to get in touch you can email me samia@hijablicious.com

Muslim Weekly segment of review:

Author- Samia Khan (All rights reserved -Subject to copyright © )