Hijabistyle.com Interview

Article from http://www.hijabistyle.com/

Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping

Hijabi Style


Where Hijabis Have Style
Meet Muslim Fashionista: Nicole Queen

The greatest Muslim sensation after Ummah Films on youtube is a Texas born 27 year old women named Nicole Queen. Queen made headlines all over the net thanks to a video posted on youtube letting everyone know how she converted to Islam. Her interview encouraged other Muslim converts to share their stories as well as born Muslim to teach aspects of Islam to those who wanted to know more. I recently got in touch with the beautiful lady and I had to ask her a few questions. Take a look at how Queen feels about fashion, new hijabis, and sewing!






Hijab Style: What do you do for a living?


Nicole Queen: Well I wouldn’t call it making much of a living…LOL. I am a digital photographer. I have been a professional photographer for about seven years now. I started out working in a digital portrait studio for a big franchise. Eventually I worked my way up to management, and traveled and managed studios for the franchise. They moved me to New York for a few years, then I came back to Dallas and started my own business. I started focusing on event photography, it was much easier than portraits and better money. I worked in the nightlife industry. This was all Pre Islam, as I call it. I had so many large accounts in downtown Dallas, all the hottest parties and celebrity events. I was able to shoot everyone from Justin Timberlake, to Tommy Lee, all kinds of pro atheletes like Tony Romo, Dirk Novitzki…Timberland, Nick Cannon, Danity Kane, Owen and Luke Wilson with Kate Hudson…It was quite a ride. I was surrounded by greedy rich people and it started to wear me down physically and emotionally. I just keep thinking, there has to be more to life than this. If I am around these people and they are supposed to have the best life…well there has to be more than this right? I did some soul searching. Eventually when I discovered Islam, and converted…I was able to escape my crazy lifestyle. I changed my whole career. I changed my whole website, and created a completely new portfolio. I focused on happy things, Brides, Weddings, Charity Events, Muslim Fashion Shoots…anything that felt clean and away from the greedy lifestyle I led before. Now when I go through my portfolio, I don’t have a bunch of half naked girls, and crazy party photos, now I have photos of diplomates, politicians, and beautiful Muslimahs rocking their beautiful Hijab fashions. I also am dabbling in designing hijab myself…I wanna do it right so I am taking my time, learning the ropes, and learning my new sewing machine!!! Now thats a whole new nightmare!



Hijabi Style: How has hijab impacted your life?

Nicole Queen: Wearing hijab is a huge decision for anyone, especially for a convert. This is something that no one in our community or family ever wears, or even understands. It’s a public display to everyone you know past and present, that you have converted to Islam and are devoted to it. I know that when I started to wear it, I never realized how big this choice was going to be. God has been right there by my side, supporting me and lifting me up when I am feeling astranged from what I knew as normal. Before I became a Muslim I was so enslaved to society and dressed to please everyone except God. My shirts were never low enough, some even had to be taped on my chest! Pants weren’t tight enough, I spent hours on my makeup and hair, shoving pins and saturating it in hairspray, then coming home at 2am and sleeping in it all…Not too caring about my skin or hair huh? The more I learned about Islam, the more I was aware of the chains I had been dragging around. In the world I lived in, beauty was overrated, anyone could be beautiful if they had the cash. You bought your tan, hair extensions, breasts, lips, nails and bleached teeth. Everyone was beautiful and you were never the prettiest girl there, no matter what…but every night you were a slave to trying. Now that I where hijab…God has set me free. I am free of those chains of the demanding material world. I dress for God now, and half naked clothing and gloppy makeup and hair is not exactly His taste. Hijab set me free…that is the best way to wrap it up. Now when people see me and say I’m beautiful…they mean it…beautiful women can look amazing by only showing their face…Can we say the same for all those naked glitter covered slaves out there?

Hijabi Style: How would you describe your fashion?


Nicole Queen: I would say that my style of hijab is totally my own. Right away I started covering up the only way I knew how…my way. I mix American classic style with a lil of the arab bling bling. My signature look is long bohemian style skirts, crisp linen tops, with high necks that allow me to where my hijab in a pinned up style, similar to a pony tail, sometimes I top my scarf with a bolero style hat..or tie a matching headband around it. Basically I treat my scarf like hair…I style it, I don’t just throw it around my head and head out the door. I like to coordinate lightly…not too much color, we have to wear so much that it’s easy to overdue it. I stick to classic colors and textures, they usually look the best. White linen skirts and denim ripped short coat with wedge sandals compliment a brightly pattern scarf…Classic American is pretty much my style…

Hijabi Style: Can you comment on what Queen Covers will be?


Nicole Queen: I will say a little about it, but I can’t give away my secret…might be copy cats out there, and so far my design is completely original. Basically I have some classic, and some runway looking designs for hijab…but most people complain about being able to do those styles at home with their own scarves. Especially our Mothers out there, no time for spending on pinning up a fancy scarf look, I don’t blame them. So I have created a way to get the look without all the time. My designs are totally modern, with a bit of parisian victorian flavor thrown in…Wow do I wish I lived in that era! I also am changing to the name, soon to be released, with a website full of blogs, products and accessories, and discussions about things that we Muslimahs are interested in. I can’t wait to get it finished, but it’s a lot to do!


Hijabi Style: Who or what inspires your style?


Nicole Queen: LOL…sometimes I ask myself that question, I think it would be a whole lot easier to get dressed if I had a little more inspiration! I know my husband would certainly appreciate a little more speed in the dressing room! Basically I’m inspired by simple beauty…I look everywhere, small boutiques, large department store, even Ross and Marshalls. I look and look for pieces and scarves that I feel relate to my style. Sometimes it takes a while to get it all put together for an outfit. I started learning to sew so I can just make what I want, instead of looking everywhere for new things that I may never find. I also love books on vintage clothing from the French victorian era…and the southern belles of the 1800’s…Those days, women never left the house without a beautiful floor length gown, and there hair up and covered with beautiful ornate headpieces…They had class! I try to mix that class, with modern style.

Hijabi Style: What advice would you give new Hijabis?


Nicole Queen: I would say “Welcome to the Family Sister!!!” It’s such an awesome feeling when you first start to cover. You feel like you are part of some secret society, and everytime you see another Hijabi, she is part of this club and your secret code word is “Salamu Alaikum”!!! I swear it’s like we are all related when we see each other, then we move about with our business, you don’t want to give away our secret existence…LOL…Be strong, don’t let people’s uneducated glances or reactions wear you down in any way. Surround yourself with the best kind of friends who will support your decision and it doesn’t help to make some extra Hijabi friends too…its nice when your around other ladies dressed with as much class as you, instead of feeling like the odd one out. I used to still hang with my old friends at first, with their tight jeans and tank tops, and me sweating in my hijab, but then I added new Hijab friends too…and we sweated our summers out together! LOL…Don’t think that wearing it stops you from doing anything that you did before…well except for bad things..LOL…You can still swim in private with other ladies, or even get a Hijab bathing suit for vacation! Go on ski trips instead of to the beach, you can rock some cute ski wear and it’s all hijab on everyone, no need to worry about what to wear! Have fun and be creative with what your wearing, but remember that your publically representing Islam and other Sister, so tight fitting clothing and showing part of your hair under your scarf is not supporting hijab, it actually hurts us and our reputations. Don’t get carried away with color corridinations…stay away from neon tones and please dont’ wear a skin tight long sleeve top under a strapless, backless prom dress to a wedding! It looks ridiculous and it’s mimicking what they are wearing. Try buying a pretty formal short coat, they are tailored for wearing over dresses, and you will look more beautiful and classy and way less silly! Be proud you are sooo valuable! You can’t let those strangers see your beauty! Who are they? They are no one compared to God and wearing hijab is saying that God is more important, than trying to look cool and keep up with the dressed but naked society. Believe me, on the last day God will ask those people why they cared more about pleasing each other, than pleasing Him. I will be so glad to avoid this question as much as I can, and I started with HIJAB!!!