ALBAWABA -Hijab Barbie is back, and is pinker than ever.
After a long six-year break, the Nigerian artist Haneefah Adam posted on her Instagram account (hijarbie) photos of new Barbie dolls, most dressed in pink, in celebration of the new Barbie movie.
Haneefah Adam is a self-taught artist that was the first person to showcase dolls styled in Muslim dress back in 2015.
This was due to the lack of modest fashion or hijabs on the social media she followed, and the lack of no Barbie dolls similar to her.
Despite showing an early talent for art at school, she did not consider art as a career, and wanted to be a doctor but ended up studying physiology, followed by a master’s in pharmacology and drug discovery in the UK. Chances are she couldn't predict the huge positive impact she would make on the Barbie world back then.
Photo: Instagram - hijarbie
After having her mind set on making her own Barbie dolls, she set to sewing a navy maxi skirt, blue blouse, and black hijab, posting photos of her doll in December 2015 once she was done.
She got a lot of positive feedback, including people saying they wanted to buy the doll's clothes in their size, or that they in good humor said how the doll had better outfits than them, which only encouraged Haneefah Adam to make more outfits.
Seven years and still going!
Haneefah Adam has uploaded more than 200 photos on her Instagram and has gained over 60,000 followers. Additionally, she designed about 70 outfits celebrating Muslim culture and fashion, including a range of dolls based on real notable Muslim women.
Photo: Instagram - hijarbie
While there has been some negative response here and there to the idea of a Barbie wearing hijab, the overwhelming response has been very positive. So much so that in 2017 Mattel released the first Barbie doll to wear a hijab.
Mattel's Hijab Barbie is based on the US Olympic fencer, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and was released a year after Haneefah Adam had created her own version of the athlete.
She also said she was very thrilled to see a hijab-wearing Barbie in the 2023 movie, played by Dr Fatumina Said Abukar.
