Thursday 12 / December / 2024
Story: Shruthi Nair
Photo: Ali Jani
Most people assumed that the tradition of Arab women covering their hair has purely religious roots and reasons, but the hijab was originally worn by women in the Middle East as a symbol of social status long before the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Women who belonged to well-to-do families and did not have to earn their own living were allowed (or could afford) to be veiled, which added to their mysterious allure. Later, it is believed by some, that the hijab was only worn by Prophet Muhammad’s wives, as his house doubled as a community mosque. Over the eras, head covering has been adopted by many Muslim women as a sign of their Muslim identity, a symbol of modesty, or as a statement of personal style, which, just as in days of yore, is associated with feminine mystic.
Recently, amidst storms of racial and religious discrimination and polarisation, the international digital media outlet, The Huffington Post, launched the #HijabToMe campaign through which women around the world could post on social media about wearing the veil. Some said that the hijab made them feel empowered, others simply said that wearing one is their personal right, others still said that the hijab denotes their freedom of choice and expression. A great number didn’t mention religion at all, explaining that, like the women who came before them, the hijab is about beauty, fashion, and confidence.
This ancient tradition has gone through some decidedly modern adaptations, from designer scarves and colourful, flowy sheilas to the latest hijab trend to take Oman by storm — new, ubercool turbans that I first came across when I met the petite, dynamic Nadia Al Shamsi, owner of Mazayen Oman, a custom jewellery and accessory brand that she both designs and produces herself.
She has imported turbans and adorned them with custom embellishments, in hopes of introducing the trend to the Omani market to give women a colourful, stylish, alternative way of covering. The idea came to her when she was styling her beach-a-colada collection of light, simple summer jewellery. She began thinking about the fact that Omani women, like herself, would want to cover their hair, even at the beach, and there ought to be a more cooler option. Turbans would protect them from the sun and are easy to wear. They just needed a little extra bling for the bejewelled women of the Sultanate, which she was able to add.
Hand made out of elastic and polyester, the turbans fit all head sizes, and most of the adornments are gold plated and feature embellishments such as Fatima’s hand, precious stones, Arabic letters, and traditional Omani designs and range between OMR8 and 12. The Omani entrepreneur behind them is a living example of the graceful strength that the veiled women of Arabia represent, and she has created beautiful head coverings that make a serious style statement for any woman, Muslim or not, who is hoping to add some old-school glamour and a coy dash of mystery to her look. —[email protected]
