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Here in the Middle East, we’re lucky enough to have all-women salons on nearly every street corner, but our Western counterparts aren’t as fortunate in that department. Huda Quhshi is aiming to change that by opening up a female-only salon in Brooklyn that caters to hijabi women. “Le’Jemalik is a dream come true for me. I always knew my passion would lead me into the beauty industry but it makes me so proud as a Yemeni-American to be opening a women-empowering salon,” says Quhshi to Vogue Arabia.
After an uncomfortable experience that left the cosmetologist hiding in a salon’s backroom with wet hair when a man walked in mid-haircut, Quhshi (who wears a hijab) decided something needed to change. “I have always had a difficult time finding a salon that could accommodate me, even for a simple haircut,” Quhshi told the New York Post. “We want women to be able to come in and feel completely relaxed.” Called Le’Jemalik (which translates as “for your beauty” in Arabic), the new salon aims to simplify the pampering experience for Muslim women living in New York.
The salon features a rose-colored interior outfitted with blush salon chairs and ornate mirrors, plus an opaque revolving door that shields clients from male passersby. Services offered include standard haircuts, facials, and manicures, in addition to henna designs, threading, and halal nail services. Le’Jemalik welcomes women of all religions and ethnicities, and is set to open next Sunday—just in time for New York Fashion Week.
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