Hijab Style Exclusive: Inayah Collection Interview

Today Hijab Style brings you an exclusive interview with Alisha, the 22-year-old founder of The Inayah Collection, which launched in July 2010. Read on to find out more about this London-based fashion and accessories company:

Jana: Tell us a little about yourself?

Alisha: Having graduated from university not too long ago, in a completely different field, I wanted to pursue a few of my hobbies in the arts, crafts, and fashion field, which had been neglected for years. I wanted to experiment making accessories, and handpick unique items, offering people something different. My hobbies are quite varied and I enjoy all sorts! Traveling, reading, art, cooking, sports, socializing and networking, and spending lots of time with my family and friends!

Jana: How did you come to start Inayah Collection?

Alisha: Essentially, I wanted to do something I really enjoy and have a passion for. I started off with some planning, discussing ideas, doing lots of research and took it from there. As a versatile individual, who appreciates various forms of fashion, images, cultures and art, it made sense for me to incorporate a range of ideas and labels within Inayah itself. My collection, which provides bespoke services in fashion, homeware and stationery, is currently divided into three primary labels and styles – Vintage, ethnic and contemporary. It therefore caters for a diverse market audience, so whether they prefer something hand picked with a hint of history and age, or something classy, elegant and sophisticated, or even girly and cute, they are bound to find something to suit their tastes.

Jana: What kind of things go through your mind when you're designing/selecting a piece to include in the collection?

Alisha: When I’m designing a piece, I look for ways I can make it different. Whilst I am working on one piece, I try and think about ways in which I can develop the product for another time too. When it comes to selecting items, I include them in the collection if they are unique, bold and hard to find. The current selection of rings and cuffs have been very popular for this reason; they are vibrant and different. I get my inspiration from various periods in history and distinctive cultures – I am a big fan of Indian and Middle Eastern art and fashion, so I love experimenting with these looks, and merging them with Western ideas and concepts.

Jana: What are the best and worst things about running your own business?

Alisha: The best thing about having your own business definitely has to be doing something you enjoy and being your own boss. It gives me more flexibility with regards to how I allocate my time, allows me to focus on studies, my family and my social life too. It also allows me to meet so many different people, from various countries and backgrounds, which I really love. It’s nice sharing experiences and stories, even having general conversations! The worst thing about having your own business is when people fail to communicate with each other or they don’t communicate properly, responding to important matters, it slows the whole business process down. Another down side is not always being able to identify whether someone posing a project is being serious or not – this can be very time consuming - nobody wants to be wasting hours on people/companies who are not serious.

Jana: What can we expect from Inayah in the future?

Alisha: There are various projects and ideas I would like to take up and explore in the next few months. I am looking to expand my product range, bringing in my own signature collections for rings, cuffs and brooches although this will still take some time. I am also looking to expand my clothing collection, which is currently made up of maxi dresses, as I would love to provide a range of modest and elegant clothing women can comfortably wear everyday. I would also like to collaborate more with other companies and people in various fields, from photographers, stylists, boutiques, etc. I have a few projects lined up, so let’s see how things go!

The coming April giveaway will be kindly sponsored by The Inayah Collection, so keep an eye out for your chance to win one of their beautiful pieces!

Product Review: Hijab Fashion Shop

Online retailer Hijab Fashion Shop have recently brought in a new collection of scarves for Spring/Summer. I've previously reviewed a scarf from HFS, which you can read here. Today's review is for the Light Hijabs in Fresh Grey and Fresh Plum, and the Crinkle Hijab in Grey and Pink Flowers.

Close-up of the scarves

First Impressions

As always, delivery was swift, and the scarves arrived in a bright pink envelope, with complimentary hijab pins. The colours of the scarves are quite vibrant, and all are incredibly soft and lightweight. Whilst both Light Hijabs have tasselled ends, the Crinkle Hijab actually has pretty crochet detailing at the ends, something I hadn't really noticed from the photos.

Wearability

The Light Hijabs especially are very soft and breathable, making them ideal for hot weather. Luckily enough we had a bit of sunshine last week, so I had the chance to wear the Fresh Grey scarf all day, and it definitely passed the comfort test! The scarves are all quite generously sized, but because they are so thin, they don't feel bulky at all. For this reason though, the Light Hijabs are very delicate, so I found that they snagged quite easily with pins. The fabric of the Crinkle Hijab though is much more durable. The lighter colours also are slightly see through at one layer thick, so you do need to be careful how to wrap them.

Overall

I loved the beautiful colours and prints on the scarves; probably the most stylish floral prints I've come across. They are all perfect for the coming warmer weather, or for taking on holiday. The quality of the fabric is not the best, but for the price (£5.50-£5.99) is actually very reasonable. And of course the customer service and sweet extra touches to the orders are brilliant!

Disclaimer: I received these scarves in exchange for my honest review. The opinions and thoughts expressed are my own and I received no other compensation for my review.

Bonus March Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Amina O. from London, UK for winning the Bonus March Giveaway! Your scarf will be making its way to you shortly.

Keep an eye out for the next giveaway coming up soon!

Rabia Z on Gulf News

Gulf News just published a feature with designer Rabia Z and a few looks she's put together for the races! You can see the full article here. I'm loving the chic hijab and hat combos:

Setrms UK Launch

For all you fans of Turkish fashion, you'll be pleased to hear that one of the biggest brands from Turkey, Setrms, will be launching their UK site on May 1st 2011! You'll be able to purchase clothing as well as eşarps by Armine, Aker and Pierre Cardin. The Spring/Summer collection will particularly feature plenty of long jackets and skirts. In the meantime, here's a sneaky peak of what to expect, you can also check out past photos from Setrms fashion shows in 2008.

Product Review: Vela Scarves

Vela Scarves is a US-based company, which provides handmade scarves designed by Marwa Atik. The scarves are not your usual designs though - most incorporate intricate embroidery, ruffles and beading for a truly unique product. You can find out more in an interview with the creative talent behind Vela here.

Today's review is for the Fish Scale square scarf.

First Impressions

The scarf arrived in a cardboard airmail box, inside of which the scarf was wrapped in black tissue paper, with a little Vela logo sticker, and a leaflet about the company.

Fish Scale is classed as a square scarf, but itself comes already folded and sewn into a triangle, with the ruffles on one end. The ruffles consist of three layers in the same fabric as the rest of the scarf, with two layers of a grey tulle in between. The scarf is finished off perfectly, and fully hemmed all the way round.

Wearability

The fabric is a very soft, lightweight chiffon, but is also quite slippery, so definitely needs to be worn with a cotton undercap. Washing instructions also state that is must be dry-cleaned only.

The Vela video tutorials provide ample guidance on how to wear the scarves; pin underneath the chin, the plain end is wrapped around the neck, then the end with the ruffles is brought over the chest, and the two knotted together. This does take a little practice to get perfect, but the effect is gorgeous! I did find however, that the ends were still quite long when wrapped around, and there was a lot of fabric left hanging after they were tied together. But I do love the fact that the scarves are designed so as to provide plenty of coverage at the front, which is great for tops with slightly low necklines.

Overall

I love the unique design of these hijabs, and the Fish Scale scarf in particular is great for adding an elegant touch to outfits when you want to dress up a little, but not too much! The scarf is quite slippery though, and will require a few pins to keep in place. For those who are not usually square scarf wearers, these do provide a great alternative by having extra coverage at the front.

Disclaimer: I received these scarves in exchange for my honest review. The opinions and thoughts expressed are my own and I received no other compensation for my review.

Bonus March Giveaway

For the second giveaway this month, Hijab Style is giving you the chance to win a hijab of your choice from Hijab Fashion Shop!

To enter, all you have to do is visit the Hijab Fashion Shop website, and send an email in with the name of your favourite hijab, along with your full name and city with 'Bonus March Giveaway' in the subject line to hijabstyle@hotmail.co.uk. Please note that if any of this information is missing, you will not be entered into the competition.

Extra Entries:

You can get an extra entry into the giveaway when you follow Hijab Style on Twitter! Simply send in a separate e-mail with your full name and link to your Twitter profile. The deadline for entries is midnight GMT on Tuesday 22nd March 2011.

The winner will be chosen at random and contacted via e-mail. Don't forget to tell all your friends and family too - the giveaway is open to entrants from all countries!

March Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Linnéa G. from Bjärred, Sweden for winning the March Giveaway! Your prizes will be making their way to you shortly.

Keep an eye out for the next giveaway coming up soon!

Imaan Collections Relaunch

Leicester-based Imaan Collections have been off the radar recently, but are now back with a revamped website and brand new collection, including stunning bridal and eveningwear abayas. Here are just a few picks, my absolute favourite being the Oyster Pearl (3rd picture). Beautiful!

March Giveaway

For the first giveaway this month, Hijab Style is giving you the chance to win a hijab and prayer mat of your choice from Muslimbase.

To enter, all you have to do is visit the Muslimbase website and answer the following question:

"What would you like to change about the Muslimbase website?"

E-mail in your answer along with you full name and city, with 'March Giveaway' in the subject line to hijabstyle@hotmail.co.uk. Please note that if any of this information is missing, you will not be entered into the competition.

Extra Entries:

You can get an extra entry into the giveaway when you follow Hijab Style on Twitter! Simply send in a separate e-mail with your full name and link to your Twitter profile. The deadline for entries is midnight GMT on Friday 11th March 2011.

The winner will be chosen at random and contacted via e-mail. Don't forget to tell all your friends and family too - the giveaway is open to entrants from all countries!