The world was recently introduced to Barbie in three new body sizes, petite, tall and curvy, but now 24-year-old Haneefah Adam has paved the way for ‘Hijarbie’, a hijab-wearing Barbie.
Haneefah Adam, a Muslim girl from Nigeria, created an Instagram account a few months ago, to showcase her Barbie sporting a hijab in a collection of customised outfits which she sews herself.
She told Buzzfeed that the outfits are “inspired by the normal everyday look of a hijabi girl.”
She first got the idea when she came upon the hugely popular Instagram account Barbie Style, an unofficial Barbie account which features the doll in everyday life.
“It got me thinking about how I’d actually like to see a doll dressed up like I would have — covered up,” Adam told Mic. “I was mulling about the idea for about three months while I was still studying for my master’s degree in the UK. When I got back to Nigeria, I went to the mall, purchased a doll, dressed it up, documented it and here we are.”
Adam explained, “My hope with this account is to create a positive impact and awareness.”
“I want Hijarbie to inspire the Muslim girl child. It’s about having a doll that looks like her, that represents her own cultural and religious background,” she added.
Adam, who wears a scarf, explains the important role hijab plays in her life and hopes that this doll reflects that for other girls who also cover their heads.
“Hijab means modesty to me and it’s my unique identity. It’s my crown and it represents my own personal control over the way I want to be seen. Not leaving out the fact that it’s a religious induction,” she said.
In an interview with Refinery29, she further explained her view. “By ‘hijabifying’ a doll, a sense of value is created [for] a Muslim girl,” said Adam.
Adam’s work has caught the world’s attention, with Cosmopolitan and even Italian Vogue talking about the latest Barbie creation.
Now, to answer what we’re all dying to ask: Will Hijarbie’s clothes be up for sale? YES. Adam told Buzzfeed, “it’s being seriously worked on now. So they will be available for sale soon.”
With over 11,000 Instagram followers already, Adam is going to have to start sewing at lightning speed. Here are a few more of her designs:
