Thanks to brands like Christian Louboutin, Naja, Nubian Skin, and FleshTone.net, the fashion world is slowly changing, one skin tone at a time. And now an even more culturally woke label has come to fruition: Skin, created by blogger Habiba Da Silva, has answered our call for a full flesh-tone range of hijabs for women and men.
According to her website, the inspiration behind the collection is the concept of marriage — but not exactly the kind you think. Da Silva, who's of Lebanese and Brazilian heritage, hopes her designs paint a picture of "a bond between people from different backgrounds and cultures." The range begins with four shades, one median hue for each range of skin tones on the spectrum, and the names for each wrap stand for different facets of cultural connection.
From light to dark, there's Zaffeh, which means "wedding march" in Arabic, an announcement signaling the wedding will begin; Rukhsati, an Urdu word meaning the "sending off" of the groom and his family with the bride; Aroosadda, which is Somali for "bride"; and finally, the darkest shade, Aure, or Hausa for "marriage." Plus, the hijabs are non-slippery, meaning they can be worn comfortably without pins or fear of unraveling.
Despite having completely sold out, the head scarves have received criticism over their cost of 20 British pounds (which is about $25). With the average hijab costing around $12 to $15 (and with Muslim blogger Hana Tajima's second Uniqlo collaboration featuring pieces at a similar price point), some Twitter users were upset. Though the line's quality (pieces are made from a fine cotton) somewhat justifies the price point, many have congratulated the blogger on her intention, but vow not to spend that much on a hijab. Regardless, Da Silva told BuzzFeed News, "I have put so much [investment] and effort into…this. I literally can’t go anywhere else with the price."
With every boundary pushed comes backlash. That's to be expected. But regardless of any urge to nitpick something foreign, a clothing line whose sole purpose is to represent more than white skin tones and cultures in its product and branding is still an anomaly in the industry. And, really, it's hard not to celebrate that type of inclusivity.