By 9. The Hijab Goes Full Commercial
When my girl Mariah Idrissi was tapped to be part of an H&M marketing campaign, her visible and effortlessly cool headscarf made a splash across headlines everywhere. It was one of the first times we had ever seen a markedly Muslim woman be featured in a mainstream commercial and the impact — let alone the virality — spoke for itself. Brands could never again underestimate the power of underrepresented communities seeing a reflection of themselves in the advertising world, and countless more followed suit, giving rise to an era of possibly the most visibility for the hijab, ever. We soon saw the Nike Hijab and even the first hijabi Barbie, and far too many hijabi models, influencers and public figures to count. While the discourse on whether representation truly empowers minorities still continues, it can’t be denied: the 10’s solidified that Muslim women — and our scarves — are here to stay.