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Fusion of fashion and modesty: Lucknow entrepreneur makes designer ‘hijab’
Lucknow entrepreneur Sadaf Khan’s journey from an amateur ‘hijab’ maker to creating designer ‘hijab’ started with a hunt for a suitable ‘hijab’ for herself when she was in class 11.
LUCKNOW: Controversies around hijab (head scarf) are not new to Sadaf Khan, a young entrepreneur who is globally known for her designer hijab or Lakhnavi hijab. But the rows seem to have left no effect on this city-based hijab maker who caters to more than 20,000 pin codes and whose creations are a style statement among women in Gulf countries.
“The Karnataka hijab row is not the first controversy I am coming across, but any such thing never diverted me from my goal that aims to save chikankari and zari work, the fading arts, in my own way. In fact, such baseless issues that are made out of nothing often give me more power and a reason to work,” says Sadaf Khan, 26, the founder of ‘The Hijab Bee’, which she started in 2019.
She says her entry into a hijab making business was perhaps impromptu. However, her journey from an amateur ‘hijab’ maker to creating designer ‘hijab’ was a tough one. She says that it all started with a hunt for a suitable ‘hijab’ for herself when she was in class 11. “When I was looking for a ‘hijab’ for my own use, I found that there were hardly any varieties available. And then I got some from China and Malaysia that were fabulous. That very day I decided to cater to girls looking for a fancy but decent ‘hijab’ and then I started the business with the help of family members,” she recollects.
Khan’s venture got wings when her sister Samiya Khan (23) supported her and one of her aunts, who used to own a boutique, helped her in the selection of cloth.
But this much was not enough for this young hijab maker who always dreamt of serving her own city in her own different way. “I thought about giving a Lakhnavi touch to the ‘hijab’ by carrying out Lucknow’s very own chikankari and zari work on it. This not only made our ‘hijab’ luxurious but designer too, giving freedom to women of all age group to wear them with all attires,” she adds.
She says her ‘hijab’ is equally famous among non-Muslims girls too who use it for protection against the sun or as a scarf that is much in vogue. She says instead of instigating such issues, the government should ensure that the educational institutes steer clear of a dress code that invades one’s personal freedom.
