When Hilal Ibrahim discovered that Muslim healthcare workers threw their hijabs between shifts for infection control purposes, she set out to design a hygienic headscarf that could be easily washed and safely reused.
The Minnesota fashion designer and owner of Henna & Hijabs, a boutique specializing in handcrafted hijabs and organic henna, has donated more than 700 hijabs to COVID-19 doctors and nurses statewide. They come in a variety of neutral colors – including black, blue, blush pink, and tan – and have been designed at a length that adheres to religious needs.
“More importantly, they have no impact on mobility at work and stay firmly in place,” Ibrahim tells ELLE.com.
Hospital grade hijabs are flexible enough for patients and employees to wear. Each upholstery is hand cut and hand sewn with ethically made fabric. They are also designed to withstand industrial washing machines.
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In light of COVID-19, Ibrahim’s tailors have added additional steps to the manufacturing process. Everyone wears gloves and masks when handling hijabs and take extra care to help mitigate the spread of germs when packing them.
Ibrahim is reaching out to hospitals in Minnesota – including Health Partners, Park Nicollet, Hennepin Health, Allina Health, University of Minnesota Health, and the Mayo Clinic – to come up with a safe deposit plan before delivering the hijabs.
She says that over the past few weeks, Henna & Hijabs has been inundated with hijab requests from healthcare workers across the country.
Ibrahim says, “A hygienic hijab in a healthcare setting is essential for control of infection, and is often considered unnecessary due to the lack of familiarity with the standard religious headgear of Muslim women.”
