Recently appearing in campaigns for Fendi and Jean Paul Gaultier, Taqwa Bint Ali’s career has undoubtedly been on a meteoric rise this year. While the Tunisian-French modest wear influencer made headlines as the first hijabi to model for both houses and the first to collaborate with Jean Paul Gaultier, there’s so much more to know about the Paris born and raised beauty.
“As a hijabi woman, it has never been easy for me to find a school, an internship or a job,” Taqwa told Mille World. Consequently, the fashion maven who is breaking stereotypes and pushing boundaries is involved in two projects that empower her community and help other hijabis feel assured. Through them, Taqwa, 22, is working to highlight the Muslim creative scene in fashion and art in France and inspire hijabis to get involved in sport.
The Campaigns
Taqwa, who has a weighty impact on her 42,000 followers on Instagram, was one of the five women who appeared on Fendi’s social media page, modelling pieces from the summer range. While dressed in a loose-fitting logo T-shirt, a chic silk scarf, tied under her chin, was used as an eye-catching accessory.
Along with diverse personalities wearing his vintage couture designs, Taqwa was chosen to be part of a series of images celebrating Jean Paul Gaultier’s immense archive. For the project entitle “No Show,” the slick modest dresser donned an oversized lime green jumper, which features trailing neck ties. It was teamed with a black feather-trimmed skirt, and what seem to be football shin guards.
Galeries Zarafet
Taqwa is the Co-Founder of the first modest fashion platform in France, Galeries Zarafet. The influencer, who has described her style as “modest, but Parisienne” to The National newspaper set up the platform that promotes modest fashion with her cousin to help hijab wearers feel comfortable in France. She told The National that the project that is helping create change "seeks to celebrate Muslim and modest culture" and is even garnering attention from non-Muslim men and women.
Akagi Club
The modest dresser with clout is also actively involved with the Akagi Club, which helps offer a safe space for Muslim women who are interested in practicing sports and staying active. Taqwa, who played basketball for six years during her teens, had to quit as she didn’t have a hijabi role model to look up to.
She told Harper’s BAZAAR Arabia one of the reasons the organisation was created was to boost the image of Muslim women in sports. “With this project we hope that, in the future, people will no longer be surprised that a woman who wears a hijab practices sports and is active,” she said.
