Halimah Muhammad founded HalimahNia.com — A Muslim Girl’s Guide to Modest Fashion in America — on Jan. 5. Her strong desire to promote modest fashion and women’s inner and outer beauty inspired the 18 year-old Kent State fashion design major to launch the site.

Halimah’s website features a thrifted online boutique that showcases her talents in pairing and styling thrifted items, along with YouTube videos and blogs filled with her design inspiration and life moments.

A Magazine sat down with Halimah to discuss her journey and passions.

A Magazine: What motivated you to create YouTube videos?

Halimah Muhammad: I really love Youtube, and I like being able to be honest about myself, expressing myself and who I am at heart. It’s also a really good outlet for me to reach out to other girls who can relate to me. My channel is a way to connect to girls about fashion or helping them with self-esteem, confidence or modesty and that they can have someone to relate to.

AM: What has been the most rewarding part of creating YouTube videos?

HM: The most rewarding part of doing Youtube is being able to have an idea in my mind and bringing it to life.  I love seeing a video finished after I edit it. It’s even more rewarding when I get responses from viewers.

AM: What do you love most about YouTube?

HM: I really like being able to showcase my journey. I can express myself and it’s about things I want to talk about.  I like that Youtube is an outlet to express myself and for girls to relate to me and I can help them.

But rather than show the beauty of my form to the world, I would rather expose the beauty of my mind, soul, personality, character and talent.

 

AM: What does fashion mean to you and why do you think it’s important to learn about?

HM: Fashion to me is art —  it’s a beautiful way to express yourself. Fashion is a great love and passion for me because I ultimately love clothes and the effect they can have on myself and people. I love the fact that a girl can wake up and not feel her best but be able to go in her closet and pick out her favorite maxi dress with a great pair of heels and feel on top of the world. Every girl deserves to feel amazing and beautiful.

I like the idea of ultimately being able to empower girls with clothing that is beautiful. I find it important to study and learn about fashion because I desire to be able to influence the fashion industry in a powerful and meaningful way. You can’t be an innovator, influencer and bring something new and different to the table without understanding what’s already been done and how the entire industry works.

AM: Why is modesty important to you?  Is your culture a big part of that reason?

HM: My faith is a big reason for why I dress modestly, and  I’m open about it. Modesty is important to me because ​at 18 years old, I’m bombarded with images of beautiful women in the magazines, television shows, billboards and even social media who have “sex appeal.”  I very rarely see public images of women who are covered, and it’s gotten to the point in this world where the idea of a woman desiring to cover herself is frowned upon. As girls we have been sold the idea that our greatest asset is our body, and I believe it’s simply not true. It’s not that the physical form of a woman isn’t beautiful; it is. But rather than show the beauty of my form to the world, I would rather expose the beauty of my mind, soul, personality, character and talent. The fashion industry lacks diversity in a variety of ways, and I believe that women who believe this and desire to dress modestly DESERVE to know that it’s OK and have beautiful options provided for them as well.

AM: Why did you decide to launch an online store?

HM: I thought my store could be a service to people, and it could be cool to find things at a thrift store and post them online for a way people to access them. I want to re-design and revamp what I find at the thrift store but eventually they become my own designs. I saw my store launch as a really good stepping-stone and to offer it as a service and product at the same time, which is what I’m all about to help people.

My dream is to have my own clothing line and to be able to have a fully established business by the time I graduate. I’ve had the idea since my junior year (in high school). I love to thrift and put value back into something. I thought what better way to begin my journey, than to do what I love the most, which is thrifting.

AM: What are your goals for the store?

HM: My goal with my newly launched clothing store is to be able to provide a product and service where people can find beautiful yet inexpensive thrifted pieces that I have hand selected that can be purchased. My goal is to provide clothing that allows people to look and feel beautiful!

My dream is that women and girls all over the world will wear my designs, not only because they’re modest, but because they’re just that amazing. I want to put emphasis on inner beauty in an industry that can be so superficial and materialistic. I plan to be real about myself, who I am, where I come from and stand firmly on the principles that matter. I’m different, and I want to show girls that there is beauty in their difference. I aspire to inspire. I want to influence the world in a positive way. One way I plan to do so is as an outstanding fashion designer with a message of confidence, self-respect, modesty and virtue.

Take a look at one of Halimah’s YouTube videos with her Renaissance Ball inspired look below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LydejS2taE]

For style inspiration and to learn more about Halimah, visit her Youtube Channel and find her on social media! 

For style inspiration and to learn more about Halimah, visit her Youtube Channel and find her on social media!