Marwa Biltagi is a Palestinian Irish influencer leading the way in modest fashion. As founder of Mademoiselle Meme, she uses her blog to share what is trending in fashion and lifestyle, while showcasing the hijab as a fashion statement. She goes by her alias "Meme" (pronounced as "Mee mee"), which is also part of her brand.
Biltagi was born to a mixed family, and raised in California, the United States. After obtaining her bachelor's degree in art history, in 2013, she relocated to Oxford, the United Kingdom where she studied Arabic language. Around that time, she was using Instagram as fashion influencer, going by her username @mademoisellememe, an account that presently has thousands of followers.
In 2015, however, she decided to launch a blog focusing on fashion and lifestyle, hence launching Mademoiselle MemeThe concept was inspired by her travels, blending elements from the Middle East and Europe. In fact, many articles published by Mademoiselle Meme, whether touching on fashion, lifestyle, arts, eats or travels, have been inspired by Biltagi's ever-changing home base, including Los Angeles, Oxford, Edinburgh, Dubai, New York, Silicon Valley, and Princeton.
As a Muslim living between the United States and Europe, being a hijabi gave Biltagi an advantage in standing out in the fashion world. With contacts at New York Times, as well as being part of New York Fashion Week, she was able to prove that the hijab can be part of fashion in spite of common misconceptions. In a 2019 interview with the podcast channel, #LIPSTORIES, she said that diversity has played a role in opening society to other cultures, with the fashion blogger being at the forefront in breaking down stereotypes about Muslims and modest fashion.
