Henna and Hijabs
Minneapolis-based fashion and beauty retailer Henna and Hijabs has announced a partnership with Amazon. Unveiling a new Amazon-branded hijab design designed for factory environments, the collaboration marks yet another groundbreaking step in Henna and Hijabs’s mission to ensure that hijabi women are represented in all sectors of industry. The inaugural launch took place last Wednesday at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Brooklyn Park.
Henna and Hijabs specializes in products designed by and for Muslim women. Central to the business are products that promote “ethical beauty,” that use organic ingredients and source sustainable fabrics in their hijabs. A highly accomplished entrepreneur, Henna and Hijabs founder, designer and CEO, Hilal Ibrahim is a 2018 Women’s Foundation of Minnesota innovator grant recipient, and was highlighted in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 under 40 in 2021.
The collaboration was a result of employee feedback, wanting apparel options that are religiously and culturally inclusive. The Amazon hijab is now available, at no cost, for the Brooklyn Park workplace for employees, and will soon become accessible to Amazon employees at other locations.“We aspire for this partnership to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging among the team members. What an incredibly humbling honor to be able to fill this need,” Ibrahim says.
Branded with an Amazon logo, the Henna and Hijabs x Amazon Hijab was designed specifically for the industrial setting. Taking fabric type, length, and fit into account, the product is both stylish and safe for the workplace environment. The collaboration was in the works for 18 months, allowing time to design the product with social and environmental consciousness in mind. “Our company is grateful to partner with Amazon to develop a line that was responsibly sourced,” says Ibrahim.
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies J. Winston also spoke at the event. “I think when you look at what’s happening here diversity becomes opportunity,” he remarks, noting that Brooklyn Park is “one of the most diverse cities in Minnesota.” Winston praised Hilal for both her entrepreneurial spirit and her desire to help the community. He also commended Amazon for taking initiative to listen to their employees' needs. “This illustrates the type of workplace we want to have in Brooklyn Park,” he says.
Since Ibrahim launched Henna and Hijabs in 2017, the company has had several other notable collaborations. In 2018 Henna and Hijabs designed a breakthrough product, a hijab designed for healthcare workers. The product spurred a partnership with HealthPartners in 2019, becoming the first hospital in the nation to provide medical-grade hijabs to their employees. Henna and Hijabs also became the first supplier of hijabs at Nordstrom in 2021, giving access to high-end fashion hijabs for shoppers in the U.S. and Canada.
Partnering with a massive retailer like Amazon is a significant step in Henna and Hijabs’s goal of “bridging the accessibility gap that Muslim women often encounter.”
“What a time and what a moment for Muslim women in the United States,” Ibrahim said.
