Meet Hijarbie: Barbie with a Muslim makeover
Just days after Mattel announced that it was giving Barbie a makeover, adding features such as wider hips and fuller thighs, a spinoff on the classic product is taking the Instagram world by storm.
Hijarbie, a hijab-wearing Barbie with colorful headscarves and lengthy abayas, is the brainchild of Haneefah Adam, a 24-year-old medical scientist in Nigeria. Adam posted the first photo of Hijarbie, clad in a bright blue skirt and black hijab, eight weeks ago and has already garnered more than 24,000 followers.
Adam came up with the idea to create the Hijarbie account after perusing the popular Barbie Style Instagram account. The account, separate from Barbie’s official Instagram feed, shows Barbie engaging in typical activities, like packing and watching the Super Bowl with friends. In the photos, she sports a variety of outfits, from a Zoolander-inspired black and white combo to a denim shirt-and-skirt ensemble. The account boasts 1.3 million followers.
Mini Hijab Fashion! (@hijarbie) * Instagram photos and videos
"It got me thinking about how I'd actually like to see a doll dressed up like I would have — covered up," Adam told Mic, a youth-oriented news site. "I was mulling about the idea for about three months while I was still studying for my master's degree in the U.K. When I got back to Nigeria, I went to the mall, purchased a doll, dressed it up, documented it and here we are."
Adam says she makes all of Hijarbie’s clothes herself. She told Mic that her inspiration has recently come from popular Muslim fashion Instagrammers and bloggers like Habiba Da Silva and Leena Asad. On World Hijab Day on February 1, Adam posted a photo of Hijarbie in a black hijab, blue eyes twinkling, with the caption, “What does the hijab mean to you?”
Adam described Hijarbie as a “modest doll” intended to inspire Muslim girls. “It has roots in my religion and cultural identity,” she told CNN. “The way Barbie dresses is very skimpy and different and there's nothing wrong with it. I just wanted to give another option for Muslim girls like me.”
Many have praised the product, with users leaving comments like “I LOVE THIS” and “Such a great idea” on the doll’s Instagram photos. “I'm not Muslim but I think this is amazing in showing diversity this is the coolest thing ever, kudos,” one user commented. Another gushed, “This is the absolute everything! Keep on being awesome!”
Others are not fans of Hijarbie. One user commented, “Poor Barbie .... If something doesn't belong to your community of beliefs, why do you try to change it?” on a photo of Hijarbie looking off into the distance in a yellow top, a metallic clutch tucked under her arm. “Don't change the world around you, live in your own world and let the world to be free.”
“Hijab Barbie! Comes with everything you see here. Explosive vest sold separately,” another user wrote.
Adam defended the hijab and other clothing worn by many Muslim women. “People think that when Muslim women cover up they are forced to. (The) majority of us are not,” Adam told CNN.
She also spoke up for female followers of Islam who do not wear the hijab or other head coverings. “A lot of Muslims don't cover their hair and it doesn't make them any less of a Muslim,” she told CNN.
Adam hopes to expand her account to include Barbies of color. “I couldn't find the Different types in Nigeria (no Amazon or eBay or anything, Lol),” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I'd have loved to dress up a black doll myself too. I've ordered for some internationally and they'll soon be here.”