Burqas need not be black: Shanaz and Nayaab

When Shanaz Rukshana, a 23-year-old based in Chennai, was desperately trying to find the perfect scarf to suit an outfit, she had to search far and wide to complete her look. That’s when it struck her,  no store in Chennai sells contemporary, fashionable hijabs for women — so she started making her own! One of friends Nayaab Shawl, who also shared her passion, came on board to form Hayaah, a clothing brand.

Hayaah means modesty, and has nothing to do with religion — it caters to women who want to dress modestly, clarifies Shanaz. “An abaya or hijab is just a loose-fitting overcoat, that covers the body, while a hijab is a scarf that covers the head and neck,” she explains. “Islam never said that either of these garments should be black, so we decided to add a twist of colour to our products.”

Colourful hijabs, burqas, capes and dupattas are what they sell, through online platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. “We wanted to tell our customers that traditional wear for Muslims need not be boring — so we jazz up the outfits with tassles, colours, hair accessories and more,” she adds.

They also aim at beating the notion that people like to wear ‘blingy’ clothes during festivals like Ramadan. “This year, many women are opting for pastel or nude colours, as opposed to gold embroidery,” says Shanaz, to which 22-year old Nayaab adds, “Generations are changing and so is fashion. All our customers are fashion-conscious and want to learn how to assemble an outfit well.” And since the temperatures don’t seem to be dropping, they only sell clothes in fabrics that are suitable for this weather.

“We also teach youngsters how to tie hijabs properly, so it doesn’t slip off their head, or they don’t feel hot,” says Nayaab. “It’s this extra step we take to satisfy our customers, that has gained us orders from as far as Bengaluru and New Delhi!” says Shanaz. “The second we uploaded the pictures, we received thank you notes from many, saying Chennai finally got a store that caters to the needs of young Muslim women who want to be fashionable yet modest,” they
conclude.