With elevated fabrics, opulent silhouettes and bespoke embellishments, The Haute Hijab Luxury Collection is the first of its kind. Haute Hijab Creative Director Gizelle Begler discusses the inspiration and labor of love behind the collection.

When I joined the HH team in the fall, I had a long strategy conversation with Melanie about the direction we wanted to take the company from a design perspective. I was elated when we decided to start with luxury because while I do have experience in all areas of fashion, luxury is what I was specifically trained in and what comes most naturally to me. Fortunately, Melanie and I have a mutual appreciation for timeless and sophisticated aesthetics making the design process very natural for me.

We planned to release the collection in the winter season - when a multitude of evening events happen. The luxury category for hijabs produced in mass doesn’t exist here in the US and we wanted to fill that gap - as well as seize the opportunity to provide you with a range of classic colors and a variety of embellishments to give you choices. You’ll find everything from Swarovski crystals to bugle beads and embroidered flowers, on the finest of pure silks, tulles, and laces. If you’re not a diamonds girl, we have options for you. If you’re not a silver girl, we have a gold look. We tried to give everyone an option, and stick to neutrals that will be versatile with your formal attire.

This collection is intentionally small and concise, focusing the palette on elevated neutrals and timeless embellishments that could work for a variety of personal styles and formal occasions. We varied the level of embellishments and explored ways to add richness with fabric manipulations as well as sparkle. They should be easy to match to an existing garment - or even better, build an outfit around the hijab itself!

The mood board we created for this line.

Setting the story and mood for this line was also a collaborative effort between Melanie and I. This is the most elevated collection that the company has launched so far, so we needed a story and inspiration to match. When designing, I definitely wanted to stay true to the origins of the company, why it was founded, and most importantly, for whom. As an all-American brand designing for American Muslims, it felt natural to take inspiration from the timelessness of the Old Hollywood aesthetic. As such, this collection revolves around a time when elegance was a priority and beautifully crafted head coverings were regular parts of ensembles. Women of the 1930s and 40s frequently blended luxury and modesty with a level of embellishment that was not gaudy, but sophisticated. Silhouettes of this era incorporated Your hijab is an extension of your outfit and should be given just as much care and attention as the other components of your look. a lot of draping, pleating, and big shoulders; fashion was less about the exposure of skin and was defined more by the manipulation and embellishment of textiles.

It was also a unique time in high fashion when head coverings were considered integral parts of an outfit, which is how we think about hijabs here at HH. We wanted to channel these timeless looks and headpiece silhouettes that have survived the decades into modern looks for today’s women.

The next thing I had to consider when putting the collection together was the color story. Because we wanted to capture timeless elegance, I wanted to understand what it was about this time period that made their fashion so timeless. Aside from having fairly basic silhouettes that were heavily embellished, garments also used sophisticated color schemes, with blush, beige, gold, ivory, black and silver. We knew that remaining in this palette would help us capture the sophistication of the era in colors that would flatter all skin tones.

 

With with my background in bridal and couture fashion, it was such a delight to create these pieces on the couture level of design and construction, while taking the stress and work away from you. We devoted so much time, energy, and craftsmanship into the creation of pieces that would be timeless — not trendy.

Each hijab is a handcrafted work of art made with 100% pure silk and includes embellishments ranging from Swarovski crystals, embroidered tulle, opalescent sequins, pearls, organza flowers, and custom designed luxe crystal appliqués — made to last for any formal occasion.

The collection features a range of colors, textures, and embellishments to appeal to individual styles and tastes. While designing this line, we kept various head sizes and hair volumes in mind, so each caplette is adjustable with elastic and handmade silk ties at the nape of the neck.

This is the hijab you will pass on to your daughter. A timeless heirloom meant to hand down for generations.

I hope you enjoy this collection as much as we enjoyed making it!!

XOXO,

Gizelle

PS- Take a look at the collection video below, and check out our exclusive with PopSugar, as well as features in InStyle, ELLE & Glamour!  

Shop the collection today!! Quantities are limited!