The American company Henna and Hijabs have their line of hijabs on sale at major US retailer Nordstrom this month. 

Hilal Ibrahim, who runs the boutique firm, says hers are the first hijabs to be selling at a major fashion retailer in the United States. The 26-year-old began her company in 2017 to make hijabs accessible to everyone using sustainable materials. They currently sell at $45 at 16 Nordstrom stores across America. 

“That’s what makes it so special. It celebrates the moment. This is something that hasn’t been offered before. It’s almost like a recognition and celebration of representation,” Ibrahim said.

“I want young women and women of colour and not just Muslim women, to know that this hijab symbolises that they can do everything that they want to do. You never know the impact you can have, and I didn’t know how vast it would become, but to continue doing that is what my goal is.” 

In a statement, Nordstrom said the following:

“We look forward to continuing to evolve our assortment while listening to our employees, customers, brand partners and neighbours along the way,” Jen Jackson Brown, EVP and President of Nordstrom Product Group, Nordstrom, Inc., said. “We hope this collection provides a sense of pride, excitement and confidence for an otherwise underrepresented community of women.”

This isn’t the first foray Ibrahim has made into the wider community: she launched the first-ever medical hijabs in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, she has an extensive background in healthcare and has donated nearly 1,000 healthcare hijabs to Minnesota hospitals.