For the first time in the history of the catwalk, Anniesa Hasibuan hosted an all-hijab catwalk show, a show so successful that she received a standing ovation and has hit the headlines as a new star of the fashion industry. Inspired by her home country of Indonesia, Hasibuan had her models strut the catwalk in beautiful pastel tones and silks. Not only were the outfits amazing, the show also stands as a powerful message of defiance against the recent surge in hate in the United States against Muslims and immigrants.
Here are our top four reasons why Anniesa Hasibuan’s catwalk show was so significant, and definitely one for the fashion history books!
1. Fashion should be for everyone.
It’s fair to say that the fashion industry hasn’t always been the most accepting of places. Plus-sized and disabled models have campaigned effortlessly for their place in the industry, the success of which has only really been shown in recent years on the catwalk. Through having her models wear hijabs, Anniesa Hasibuan is sending a strong message of acceptance, not only to the fashion industry, but also to young Muslim women everywhere that you should be proud of who you are. The show stood as a powerful statement that fashion should never be restricted by race, religion or tradition.
2. There is nothing wrong with modesty.
In modern society, we should be able to wear whatever we want without being judged, be it a crop top or a hijab. The modesty movement has been making stride recently, and Anniesa Hasibuan’s NYFW show can be seen as the pinnacle of what the movement stands for. She has shown that there is nothing wrong with wanting to be modest, just as there is nothing wrong with showing skin. The show has perfectly exemplified that modesty doesn’t have to clash with high fashion, and that girls should never have to compromise their personal beliefs to look and feel amazing.
3. Breaking down stereotypes.
In November 2016, there were 867 reported hate crimes in the United States ranging from anti-immigrant to anti-LGBT to anti-Semitic, the surge in hate crimes has only been encouraged by Trump’s election and his policies. Through her catwalk show, Anniesa Hasibuan has brought the hijab into the mainstream, which is a powerful message to the world that hate will not triumph. The designer herself wrote on Instagram that “I believe fashion is one of the outlets in which we can start that cultural shift in today’s society to normalize hijab in America so as to break down stereotypes and demystify misconceptions”.
4. Bringing tradition into the 21st century.
Anniesa Hasibuan’s show is a tribute to showing that tradition can still have a place in modern society. It acts as an example that we can uphold our values and our traditions whilst still being fully functional members of the modern world, and that these values and tradition should be accepted by everybody. By bringing the hijab to the catwalk, Hasibaun has shown that tradition is something beautiful that should be celebrated and accepted, and that everybody should be proud of who they are and where they came from.
Let’s hope that Anniesa Hasibuan’s strong message of hope and acceptance goes way beyond the catwalk!