Coming on the heels of Mattel’s release of Barbies with different body types comes “Hijarbie,” or Barbie in hijab, reports Style.Mic.
Hijarbie is the creation of the 24-year-old Nigerian woman Haneefah Adam, and will be available at major toy retailers in the U.S.
Adam got the idea for Hijarbie a few months ago, after taking an earnest look at the hugely popular Barbie Style Instagram. Barbie Style is a separate Instagram account from the regular Barbie one, and it finds Barbie with blogger-worthy style and grown-up Instagram habits (think selfies, artfully messy tablescapes and organized closet porn). The account has over 1.2 million followers.
"It got me thinking about how I'd actually like to see a doll dressed up like I would have — covered up," Adam told Mic. "I was mulling about the idea for about three months while I was still studying for my master's degree in the U.K. When I got back to Nigeria, I went to the mall, purchased a doll, dressed it up, documented it and here we are."
Adam’s Hijarbie seems perfectly timed to meet rising demand in the Muslim fashion industry, as evidenced by Dolce & Gabbana’s January announcement of their new luxury hijab and abaya collection.
But more importantly, Adam said, she wanted girls who wear a hijab to know that they are no less beautiful.
"I want them to be inspired — this is about having an alternative and creating an awareness of having toys that adopts your religion and culture and in your own likeness, which at the end of the day, leads to an improvement in self-esteem," Adam said.
Read the full article here, and browse Haneefah Adam’s Hijarbie Instagram here.
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