Barbie recently made headlines due to her most dramatic transformation in her 57-year history with the debut of a new range of diverse body types that reflects 21st century America. It’s been touted as a major milestone for Mattel, the company behind the iconic doll that has been faced with criticism for Barbie’s unrealistic proportions and unattainable figure for decades. And as if on cue, there’s a new toy creating a buzz across social media called @Hijarbie, the hijab-wearing doll.
The Instagram account @Hijarbi was launched two months ago and currently boasts 17.2K followers; and was created by 24-year-old Haneefah Adam from Nigeria. The profile showcases a non-Mattel doll dressed in miniature modest outfits styled with hijabs and abayas that are handmade and designed by Adam. Among the chic ensembles is an animal-print top paired with a black skirt; a burgundy overlay and black hijab, and a red long-sleeved column dress paired with a gray hijab that draws inspiration from Muslim style influencer @withloveleena.
Adam told Refinery29, “By ‘hijabifying’ a doll, a sense of value is created [for] a Muslim girl.” Certainly, the popular doll that originates from America has made herself feel at home in playrooms worldwide. But does the three-dimensional fashion doll resonate with various cultural codes, such as the ones in the Middle East? By styling the doll in modest clothing, Adam aims to create positive awareness about Muslim values and a role model for girls with similar upbringings.
However, this is not the first doll to represent the modest Muslim community. Fulla, a Middle Eastern fashion doll became a household name in the region since she hit shelves in 2003. Developed by the UAE-based toy company Newboy, the dark-eyed doll with fair complexion is often retailed wearing a hijab and an abaya and is even sold with a pink prayer rug. Like Barbie, Fulla lives a contemporary lifestyle with professional careers, and enjoys dressing up in the latest fashion trends with her own line of modest ball gowns, dresses, tops, skirts, pants, and accessories.
Muslim fashion has been expanding across the fashion scene with the rise of modest style influencers and luxury fashion houses catering to Muslim women such as Dolce & Gabbana—with its debut line of hijabs and abayas first revealed on Style.com/Arabia.
