Hijab in Fashion: Inclusion, Cultural Borrowing and Who Gets Credit

A scarf appears in a fashion campaign. It is wrapped around a model’s head, styled beautifully and described as the season’s new look. Some viewers see a welcome sign that fashion is opening up. Others wonder why a style associated with Muslim women can become fashionable on a runway while the women who wear it for faith still face uncomfortable questions in daily life.

That tension is worth exploring without deciding, from one photograph, what every model, designer or Muslim woman must think. Clothing travels between cultures. Designers learn from fabrics and silhouettes they did not grow up with. At the same time, a religious garment or a particular community’s design can carry meaning that disappears when a brand treats it as decoration.

The old Amani’s article on hijab in fashion mixed a specific magazine-cover controversy with unverified quotes and sweeping claims. Rather than replay an argument through questionable details, this guide asks what respectful inclusion, borrowing and creative credit actually look like.

Inclusion and appropriation are not simple opposites

A campaign can be visually inclusive while still raising questions about who had a voice in making it. Conversely, a designer might draw inspiration from unfamiliar clothing traditions thoughtfully rather than exploitatively. The number of headscarves shown does not settle the issue.

It helps to separate three things: the wearer’s choice, the designer’s process and the message used to sell the result. A woman may feel comfortable wearing a scarf in a fashion shoot. That personal experience does not automatically prove that every part of the campaign has been considered well. A brand may have good intentions and still describe a familiar religious garment as though it invented it.

Looking at these questions individually usually produces a more useful answer than calling an entire collection either a victory or a failure.

Hijab means more than a scarf shape to many women

A head covering can have religious significance, personal meaning and a practical place in everyday dress. The word hijab may also be used in a broader discussion of modesty. When a fashion label treats it only as an attractive wrap, it can miss the reasons some women wear it.

That does not mean that every scarf tied around the head is a hijab, or that every woman wearing a headscarf is Muslim. Many communities have forms of head covering, and individuals have their own preferences. Describing a garment accurately is more respectful than attaching a religious identity to any covered hairstyle.

A designer or editor should ask what the particular item is, how it is being worn and whether calling it “hijab” is accurate. Our guide to hijab, khimar, niqab and other garment names explains why the labels matter.

When a trend creates an uncomfortable double standard

One criticism of fashion borrowing concerns the different treatment of similar clothing on different wearers. A wrapped headscarf may be praised as bold styling in a commercial image while a Muslim woman wearing a similar covering in an ordinary setting is questioned about her choices.

That concern deserves to be heard even when no individual model intended harm. The people who receive attention for an idea, the people who live with its social meaning and the people who profit from the campaign may not be the same.

A careful response is not to assume that a model caused the entire problem. Instead, examine the choices made by the brand, the publication and the people directing the campaign. Who was consulted? What language was used? What did the company do beyond creating the image?

A beautiful photograph cannot tell us who made the decisions

Casting is one part of the process. Styling, direction, captions, interviews and the rights to reuse an image may all be controlled by other people. A model can agree to participate while having limited control over how the final picture is framed.

Brands can improve this by discussing religious and cultural styling before the shoot, not when everyone is already waiting for the photograph. Ask the person being photographed how she wants the garment to sit and what she is comfortable showing. Explain the purpose of the campaign and the intended uses of the images.

It is also important to ask permission before touching or adjusting someone’s head covering. That small courtesy should be ordinary professional behaviour, not an exceptional accommodation.

Our guide to hijab in fashion campaigns looks more closely at casting, creative control and the terms people should understand before accepting a booking.

Credit is more useful than vague claims of exotic inspiration

A description such as “ethnic pattern” tells a shopper almost nothing. If a design borrows from a specific textile tradition, it is better to name and research the reference rather than lump unrelated cultures together.

Where traditional cultural expressions are involved, the World Intellectual Property Organization encourages fashion businesses to think about respectful engagement, acknowledgement and collaboration. Its discussion of traditional cultural expressions in fashion focuses especially on Indigenous peoples and their heritage, so its framework should not be misrepresented as a single rule covering every headscarf or garment.

The broader editorial lesson is useful: names, origins, makers and relationships matter. If a company is using a particular artisan’s design, saying so honestly is more meaningful than calling it “timeless global luxury”. Where permission or a partnership is appropriate, the business should investigate that rather than assuming anything old or unfamiliar is free to reproduce.

Borrowing a technique is not identical to copying a protected design

Fashion has a long history of exchange. Pleating, dyeing, weaving and draping appear in different places and periods, sometimes with shared influences and sometimes through independent development. It would be inaccurate to assign every loose dress or floral scarf to one culture.

But a particular embroidered motif, sacred symbol or community-held design can have an identifiable history and significance. Using it without understanding or acknowledgement may cause harm, particularly when the original makers are excluded from the benefit or their work is represented inaccurately.

A responsible designer should ask a more precise question than “Am I allowed to take inspiration?”: what exactly is being used, who developed it, what does it mean and what relationship, if any, should exist with the people who maintain that tradition?

Different intellectual property laws may apply, and an ethical question is not necessarily the same as a legal infringement. Complex cases need appropriate advice rather than a simplified verdict from a fashion blog.

The women being photographed are not one community spokesperson

Not every Muslim woman wants the fashion industry to use hijab in the same way. Some welcome visible representation. Some worry about commercialising religious identity. Others are more concerned about whether clothing actually fits and whether campaigns treat women respectfully.

Those positions are not proof that one group understands faith better than another. A woman may enjoy fashion while taking hijab seriously. She may dislike being asked to explain the headscarf every time she appears in a campaign. She may also prefer not to participate at all.

Listening becomes possible only when brands stop treating a single model as the answer for millions of different women.

A collaboration should be more than a photograph

If a company wants to celebrate a particular community’s craftsmanship, there may be opportunities to work with designers, makers or advisers who understand the tradition. An arrangement can involve payment, proper credit and meaningful input into how the work is presented.

That does not mean every look inspired by another culture needs an elaborate partnership. It means the stronger the claim of authenticity or specific heritage, the more important it becomes to show the evidence behind it.

For a small business, even simple habits help: do not claim a mass-produced trim was handcrafted by a particular community unless it was. Name an artisan when permission and the relationship allow. Be open about where the garment was designed and made, rather than letting customers assume a more romantic story.

Inclusion should also be visible in the products

A company can cast a woman wearing hijab and still fail to offer useful modest clothing. Product descriptions may show only one angled photograph, omit scarf measurements or ignore whether a dress is lined. The visual campaign suggests understanding, but the shopping experience leaves customers guessing.

A genuinely useful collection explains the garment. Is the abaya open or closed? Does a scarf need an undercap? Is a dress opaque in daylight? Are garment lengths stated clearly? Can the wearer lift her arms and walk normally?

At Amani’s, abaya length numbers refer to inch-based shoulder-to-feet guidance, not UK dress sizes. Sharing that detail is more helpful to a customer than another vague claim about effortless modesty.

A brand should be able to celebrate cultural creativity and still provide precise information about what it sells. One does not replace the other.

Distinguish a fashion idea from a religious recommendation

A campaign may use the word “modest” as a visual or marketing description. That does not make the garment suitable for every wearer’s own religious requirements, and it does not mean the brand is qualified to give a religious ruling.

The same goes for styling tutorials. A loose scarf arrangement may be exactly what one model wants for a photograph but not provide the neck or chest coverage another woman prefers. A commercial label should not turn a fashion choice into a universal instruction about faith.

A clearer approach is to describe the actual design and its coverage. Let viewers decide whether it works for them, and leave individual religious questions to trusted qualified sources.

The way a campaign responds to criticism matters

People can disagree about cultural borrowing in good faith. Some objections will concern religious meaning, others about representation or inaccurate language, and still others about payment or the treatment of collaborators.

A company does not need to declare every criticism correct. It does need to understand what is being said and respond to the relevant facts. If a motif was misidentified, correct the caption. If a participant says her wishes were ignored, investigate that seriously. If a campaign makes a false claim about the origin of a garment, explain and repair it.

Reflexively telling critics that the brand was “only celebrating diversity” can leave the underlying problem unanswered. The intention may be sincere while the work still needs improvement.

A shopper can enjoy a look without endorsing every claim

You may see a beautiful headscarf on a runway and want to try a similar colour or drape. That interest does not require you to agree with all the marketing around it. Nor must an individual shopper resolve every historical debate before buying an ordinary scarf.

You can ask sensible questions: has the business described the garment honestly? Does the product suit your needs? Are claims about heritage or craftsmanship supported? Can you identify what is included and how it should be cared for?

It also helps to follow designers and writers who explain their work. Good creative influences often become more interesting when their history is visible rather than hidden behind a generic trend name.

What an editor or brand team should check

Before publishing a fashion image involving hijab or another culturally significant garment, consider these questions:

• Is the name of the garment accurate?
• Does the subject understand the intended use of the images?
• Has she been able to discuss styling and coverage preferences?
• Are cultural or religious claims based on research rather than assumptions?
• If the design references a specific maker or tradition, is credit and appropriate collaboration being considered?
• Does the campaign give customers enough factual information about the product?
• Can the company correct an error without dismissing the people who identify it?

These are useful questions for a global fashion magazine and for a small online shop. They make the work more thoughtful without insisting that every collection have the same aesthetic.

Frequently asked questions

Is a non-Muslim woman wearing a headscarf automatically cultural appropriation?

No. Head coverings have varied histories and uses, and a single photograph cannot reveal every intention or context. Concerns about appropriation usually involve how a specific cultural expression is used, credited, commercialised or separated from the people who give it meaning.

Can a fashion campaign featuring hijab be inclusive?

Yes, it can. Inclusion is stronger when the wearer has genuine agency, cultural and religious details are described accurately and the company’s ongoing decisions match the welcome suggested by the image.

Why does it matter who designed a pattern?

Some designs have identifiable makers or cultural traditions and may carry meanings beyond decoration. Accurate credit helps people understand the work and can support fair relationships with its creators and custodians.

Is cultural appropriation always a legal offence?

Not necessarily. The ethical discussion is wider than copyright or other legal rules, and laws differ. Particular designs, trade marks or cultural expressions may raise specific legal issues; complex questions require expert advice.

Should modest-fashion brands avoid all cultural inspiration?

No. Cross-cultural exchange is part of fashion history. It is more useful to research the reference, describe it honestly and consider credit, collaboration and any relevant permissions than to pretend inspiration never crosses borders.

How can readers judge a campaign without knowing the people behind it?

Begin with what is visible and verifiable: the accuracy of the garment description, the sources credited, how advertising is disclosed and whether the business responds to informed questions. Avoid assuming that every model shares one belief or has identical influence over the final image.

Creative exchange works better when people remain visible

A headscarf can look beautiful in fashion photography and carry serious meaning in a person’s daily life. These are not mutually exclusive truths. Problems arise when a campaign takes the appealing shape but discards the people, history or context that give the garment significance.

The more thoughtful response is neither to forbid all inspiration nor to call every use a celebration. Ask who contributed, who is heard, what the design actually is and what the audience is being told. Good fashion can carry several influences while still treating the people behind them with care.