Melanie Elturk:: Haute Hijab

Ndaa Talks Fashion caught up with Melanie Elturk from Haute Hijab on her journey as a fashion designer, her inspirations and of course her line. Here's what she had to say.

Her thoughts on Hijab (Muslim women head covering)?

I do not believe the hijab is or should be a fashion statement. The hijab represents piety and righteousness. It is not meant to be ostentatious or flamboyant. I do believe, however, that as Muslims in America, wearing American clothing, there should be an outlet available to Muslim women who have a very serious need for appropriate garb and attire. This is what we’re trying to accomplish with Haute Hijab.    

First fashion piece?

[Melanie Cheesing] This really awesome jeans skirt I made out of pants I used to wear all the time. It was one of the first pieces I made by cutting out pieces of denim from old jeans and patching them together with stud and rhinestone embellishments. I used to love going to thrift stores and finding old vintage dresses. My favorites were 80's dresses I used to make into skirts because they had gorgeous embellishments that we don't have going on today. 

How long does the whole process of designing a piece take?

There is so much that goes into creating one piece. After sketching the initial design, a pattern needs to be made. Once the pattern is perfected, I source fabrics and make sure the fabric works perfectly with the design. Then a sample is made. Once I'm satisfied with the sample, we grade the pattern for each size and start the production process! Each piece is individually handcrafted so the production process takes the most amount of time. We put a lot of pride into our pieces - we use only natural fabrics and a lot of care is put into each piece, which explains our price point. Cottons and silks tend to be more expensive and excellent labor is not easy to find, not to mention making sure everyone gets their fair share from beginning to end.

Where do you get your inspirations?

I get most of my inspiration from throwbacks. I'm inspired by all things vintage - especially the 40s and 50s. It was a time when women used to dress like women. Women were inherently modest in their dress, and in my opinion, the most beautiful. Most of the designs from the clothing collection I designed for Haute Hijab were inspired by that era. I love watching old black and white movies and being drawn to the shapes and silhouettes of that era. I don't really pay attention to what is going on on the runway. The peplum for example has been around since the 40s and it's something I knew I wanted to put in the line because the shape is a dream to women who dress modestly. It was a complete coincidence that the silhouette blew up shortly after I designed my take on it. 

Favorite designers?

Carolina Herrera

Oscar de la Renta

Vintage Chanel

Ralph Lauren

Alexander Mcqueen

Valentino

One piece of advice for any beginning designer?

Stay true to yourself and keep your intentions straight. Make sure you stay within the boundaries of Islam. It's very easy to get caught up in fashion and everything that comes with it, but always remember Islam comes first and fashion comes second! Constantly evaluate your intentions and make sure whatever you're doing, you're doing it for the sake of Allah (S). Otherwise you could find yourself treading on dangerous ground. 

Make sure you check out their beautiful collection of scarves, wraps, and more below

www.hautehijab.com

xoxo

Ndaa