As we sprint towards the new year, it’s time for our annual reflection on the blessings we enjoyed and the lessons we have learned over the past 365 days. And, what a year it’s been for Haute Hijab! Desperate for a fresh start after the tumultuous year prior (like so many of us were), we couldn’t get to 2021 fast enough. However, we’re not sure if any of us were able to catch a breath, as transitioning into the new year was quickly followed by a new presidency, the January 6th Capitol riot, an unprecedented winter storm in Texas and the global supply chain crisis – just to name a few major events and challenges.

Yet, our tenacity has grown and our resiliency hasn’t wavered. We are grateful for also experiencing beautiful moments and significant accomplishments as a company and collective community that could not have happened without you. Please join us as we reflect back on 2021 at HH!

It has been a few years since we set our intentions to bring HH to the United Kingdom! Alhamdullilah, after much research, prayers and a few setbacks, it finally happened in May of this year, and we could not have been more excited about it!

High shipping costs, customs fees and long delivery times were part and parcel of sending out orders from the U.S. to the UK prior to us having a presence there on the ground. We knew we needed to have a fulfillment center physically present in the UK to alleviate these concerns, and 2021 was the year it came to fruition! It has been seven months since we launched in the UK, and the love and support have been amazing. The launch has not come without its challenges, but we look forward to perfecting our service to the beautiful Muslim community in the UK, and we are working tirelessly to do so.

Of course, we have not forgotten about the rest of our diverse global HH community! We’re hoping to continue to serve through expansion beyond the U.S. with your continued support and du’as.

Not only did we celebrate a major goal with our UK launch, but we also debuted some amazing new products and hijab collections. We started things off in April with the Silk-Blend Satin Underscarf. Made of our incredible Bamboo Jersey on the outside and lined with an ultra-smooth silk-blend satin on the inside, it was created to address the needs of women with natural hair as well as those with sensitive hairlines, delicate/textured hair and hair that easily falls out. Everyone can benefit from it,and it’s an option that we’re so happy to include in our collection of ultimate underscarves.

Another product that was introduced this year was the Recycled Chiffons! As we strive towards our commitment to sustainability, we partnered with Waste2Wear to create chiffon hijabs that are made from 7 - 8 recycled plastic bottles, helping us reduce our carbon footprint while giving you the same sleek, polished look as our signature chiffons you know and love. Each recycled chiffon comes with its own QR code explaining the origin of the waste, the environmental report of production, and how it is made. How cool is that?!

In August, the sleek collection of our mighty hijab magnets showcased a breathtaking addition: As strong as the original, the stunning Pavé Crystal Hijab Magnets feature more than one hundred sparkling pavé crystals, doubling as jewelry while putting in the work to keep your style secure throughout your most special occasions.

October came along and brought the goods! We started with our first exclusive collection of woven prints, right alongside the Positive Threads campaign! The collection features four prints carefully selected to reflect the colors, prints and patterns that you – our community – love! They are made on our sustainable and ultra-soft bamboo woven fabric in limited edition designs that are exclusive to HH!

The wonderful and dynamic women chosen to model these hijabs and lead our campaign are Aaliyah Yunus, Zahara Basir, Rida Ali, Halımah DeOliveira, Saniyyah Bilal and Yasmin Ben Ltaifa. They come from our own communities and actively choose to weave their strengths and Allah (S)-given gifts into their lifestyles. Be sure to read through each of their features for inspiration of what it means to step into our power and purpose.

Next, our Fine Pleat Hijab Collection was released. Our Fine Pleat Hijabs are nothing like anything we’ve produced before! They elevate your everyday style with a luxurious micropleat on sturdy crepe fabric expertly created to last. A chic gold metal plate adds an extra touch of sophistication to complement the lush drape and elegant design which can be dressed up or down!

Finally, the much anticipated and long-awaited fall and winter Premium Jersey and Bamboo Woven colors were made available along with a restock of some of your favorites. The delay on these two collections due to supply chain issues was a major hurdle for us (and so many other companies) but your patience and understanding kept us going and just made their release even sweeter!

Of course, the year is not over yet and we’ve got one more addition that you have demanded since the launch of our HH Sport. On December 21, our entire sport collection will be available in black. You asked, and we delivered.

Every year we take the opportunity to give back to our community in different ways and it is especially during Ramadan that we reset our intentions to serve. This year, we joined LaunchGood’s Ramadan Challenge and partnered with A Continuous Charity (ACC) to empower Muslim students to go to college without worrying about taking on interest-bearing loans to do so. ACC is a U.S.-based organization that provides Muslim college students with interest-free loans for higher education. By doing this, they hope to bring about a generation of graduates that will have a strong Muslim identity and be well-versed in their fields, using both for the benefit of mankind. Alhamdulillah, with your help, we surpassed our goal of $15,000!

In the spirit of giving back, we not only focused on serving through charity but also through nurturing our community. In 2021 we brought back the HH Halaqas during Ramadan centered around issues impacting us, including an in-depth look into racism with Layla Abdullah-Poulos, an insightful conversation about our hopes and anxieties with Dr. Rania Awaad, a beautiful discussion about tawakkul and our spiritual stamina with Dr. Rand Diab, and more – all of which can be found on our Instagram page.

Come November, we partnered with ACC once again for Giving Tuesday. A portion of all sales proceeds from November 30th was donated to ACC for Women’s Empowerment or ACC4WE, a program dedicated to empowering Muslim women to achieve their educational and career goals through the support of interest-free loans. The HH community came through and maximized our donation!

We also worked to serve our communities through the continuing content we produced on our blog, which was then shared across our social media channels to encourage discussion, dialogue and growth. In August, during the Islamic month of Muharram, we passed the mic to Shi’a Muslim women in our community for their posts on what Ashura means to them. In September, with the 20th remembrance of 9/11 upon us, we hosted a robust discussion about what it means to be a visibly Muslim woman. And in November we were honored to share stories of women working in charity across a variety of organizations and endeavors.

We also continued to report and on and work towards ending hijab bans (including at the Olympics) and the ways Muslim women are persevering across all areas of life in the face of such bans with our ongoing #CantBanUs campaign. See this post for how we are working with the National Federation of High Schools on their rule changes in regards to hijab and religious headwear waivers.

Last but certainly not least, another major highlight from this year is our wonderful addition to the team! First up, Bayan Fares came on as our Social Media Specialist and our Community Manager. You may have already enjoyed some of her fun reels on Instagram over on our @HHSpottedClub page. She also brought back the print try-ons, and we can’t wait to see everything else she’s got planned for all of you!

Next, Haneen Abugharbieh joined as our new Logistics Specialist. She is no stranger to the HH community and comes armed with four and a half years of experience as our former Senior Account Manager. Haneen is hard at work applying her expertise and skills to elevate your experience for unmatched service and quality, and we are so excited to see her take off in the upcoming year!

Finally, we were thrilled when Hakeemah Cummings joined the blog writing team as our newest fashion writer! She’s an incredible modestwear stylist with an eye for hijab fashion and trends, so don’t miss any of her posts in the coming new year!

These milestones remind us of what we’re grateful for and also what it took to get here. No matter what life has thrown our way, we can look back and say that we’ve grown and have done our best to meet the challenges that came our way. It’s time to leave behind that which doesn’t serve us and apply our growth with an optimistic outlook for what is to come.

May you all enjoy an abundance of blessings, success and happiness. May your du’as be answered in beautiful ways! Thank you for being here with us.