By With all the signature chaos of New York Fashion Week, it’s time we check the progress of one of its most critical factors of the past decade: inclusivity.
To close out SS24 of New York’s biggest month in fashion, Muslim Girl and Getty Images brought their historic partnership to the forefront by hosting an in-depth workshop and conversation on beauty inclusivity in stock photography with our founder Amani Al-Khatahtbeh and Muslim Girl Photo Director Shirley Yu. The closed event drew together a diverse array of innovative creatives, high-level speakers and industry titans to reconceptualize what that means for the fashion space.
In support of Project #ShowUs, the Muslim Girl x Getty Images Collection is taking Muslim women’s representation above and beyond the scope of what we once knew was possible with the biggest stock photo collection by and of Muslim women on the Internet.
The Motive Behind the Muslim Girl x Getty Images Collection
As we know, Muslim women of this day and age mostly grew up in a world that surmised being a Muslim woman was a whole hodge-podge of victimization, oppression and oriental exoticism.
“Very early on, whenever I was giving a speaking engagement, one of the things that I’d always do is I would invite the audience to take up their phones, open up Google Image search, and type in ‘Muslim woman,’” Amani said during the Muslim Girl x Getty Images NYFW exclusive event in Manhattan. “And at that time, it was unanimous, hundreds of pages across Google Images that showed the same image of a Muslim woman over and over again, where we looked victimized, we looked depressed, and we were hidden behind the same black face veils.”
It’s always other people speaking for us. So yeah, we’d better be overrepresenting ourselves and the images that we’re putting out there ourselves because we’re being talked about at that caliber.
— Amani, Muslim Girl x Getty Images, NYFW SS24
With such harmful misrepresentation came the unwavering clamor that ushered Amani’s initiatives in the direction of launching the first-ever stock photo collection to represent Muslim women the way we actually carry ourselves in real life.
“I wanted to see more pictures that look like me and my girlfriends — that look like the Muslim women that we all know and love, you know; not this figment of our imagination of what we think Muslim women do look like or how they act,” Amani added.
Muslim Girl Stock Photography’s Coming of Age
First celebrated in 2017, the Muslim Girl x Getty Images collaboration has surely gained ground and made massive strides over the past years in presenting accurate stock media stills of Muslim women from all backgrounds and milieus. But getting to where we are today was none other than formidable.
“When we were putting together the brand visuals, and when we were putting together the first iteration of this image library collection, and we were starting it from day one, I asked you, ‘How do you want Muslim women to be shown from your perspective?’” Shirley reflected on the first-ever, authentic photoshoot featuring Muslim women.
Those collections have also evolved beyond the first one that was about friends and hanging out. We’ve gone through life, into work, into family, into fitness as we’ve grown the scope of stories that we are able to tell beyond just that.
— Shirley, Muslim Girl x Getty Images, NYFW SS24
Around that time, Shirley’s question to Amani struck the nail on the head. First and foremost, at that moment in particular, the future of Muslim women’s representation and inclusivity in stock images and media stills lied in their hands; as they were about to get into the then-new realm of visual storytelling in the post-9/11 era.
“We are overrepresented in a lot of the wrong ways. And I can absolutely speak to that as a Muslim woman. Muslims especially are overrepresented in news stories and inaccurate headlines; in the way that we’re talked about constantly in the news cycle, but we are never the ones that are leading those conversations,” Amani clarified to participants.
In essence, it was a moment of revelation that necessitated bravery and resolve — given the overarching stereotypical visual narratives saturating newsfeeds at that time.
“It’s always other people speaking for us. So yeah, we’d better be overrepresenting ourselves and the images that we’re putting out there ourselves because we’re being talked about at that caliber,” Amani continued.
All of the collections are shot by Muslim women photographers. All the models are Muslim women. […] The ones that are photographed wearing a headscarf actually wear them in real life. […] The ones that aren’t wearing them don’t. And we didn’t ask anyone to put on a front or a show. We didn’t put anyone in a scenario that they wouldn’t typically live.
— Amani, Muslim Girl x Getty Images, NYFW SS24
The first photo shoot was about capturing the vibrant moments that Muslim women and girls typically live on a daily basis. Little by little, Muslim Girl shifted to portray more intimate moments and events that reflect the shared reality of Muslim women and girls from all walks of life.
“Those collections have also evolved beyond the first one that was about friends and hanging out,” Shirley continued. “We’ve gone through life, into work, into family, into fitness as we’ve grown the scope of stories that we are able to tell beyond just that.”
Altering the Visual Stereotypical Depiction of Muslim Women Worldwide
One of the main highlights of the Muslim Girl x Getty Images event was explaining to attendees that bringing authentic visuals out to the world wasn’t just about taking pictures of Muslim girls and women.
Amani explained the importance of Muslim Girl’s stock photo collection being real: “We really just wanted to photograph us doing the things that we do. And I think that is so important and really destroying a lot of the stereotypes that are propped up about who we are.”
If anything, every image has its own theme and purpose. What’s more, those projects are brought to the world through the collective work of Muslim women.
“All of the collections are shot by Muslim women photographers. All the models are Muslim women. They actually identify as Muslim women. The ones that are photographed wearing a headscarf actually wear them in real life. They’re not playing dress-up. The ones that aren’t wearing them don’t. And we didn’t ask anyone to put on a front or a show. We didn’t put anyone in a scenario that they wouldn’t typically live.”
Expanding the Scope of the Muslim Girl x Getty Images Alliance in the Post-9/11 Era
Dismantling the stereotypical stories about how Muslim women behave or look isn’t over — the real work has just begun. Muslim Girl is expanding exponentially into yet-uncharted territories and domains within Muslim communities with Getty Images’ announcing the next phase of the partnership.
“We are creating another new shoot that we’re adding onto this collection. So we are now going to enter into the process of selecting the next photographer to be featured in the Muslim Girl x Getty Images collection, and then sourcing the next cast of models that we get to feature in this. And each shoot has its own theme.”
How to Get Involved in Empowering More Muslim Women Across the Globe
With so many authentic stock photo collections that are yet to be added to our Getty Images repository, we encourage you to stay tapped into our conversations and updates. Share Muslim women creators and amplify their stories to bring their unique strengths to the table.
It’s always been time to show the world all-inclusive visual depictions that deconstruct far-reaching, baseless stereotypes in today’s digital world.
Highlights of the Day
