“Wearing the hijab and being fashionable might not be the two easiest things that come together..,” starts out Ms Al Saraireh, civil engineer turned fashion designer and makeup artist. “But it definitely has become feasible these days,” Ms Al Saraireh continues.
Having studied civil engineering overseas, and raised in Romania, Ruru Al Saraireh discovered her love for fashion, makeup and the arts when she moved to Australia twenty years ago. As a result, she studied fashion design at Ultimo and completed her makeup and beautician qualification at TAFE.
“When I arrived in Australia, I witnessed how women wearing the hijab (called Hijabis) struggle to style their clothes. Whether it be the type of material, what clothes suit their body type or skin tone or how to make an outfit look more modest, there was always this struggle..,” Ruru explains to me.
“I also used to get a lot of questions asking for help in styling modest outfits so I decided to dedicate a page for Hijabi outfit styling so I can simultaneously guide and inspire Hijab-wearing women on how to style their outfits,” Ruru discloses.
Inspired by the famous fashion blogger, Dalal AlDoub, Ruru’s two pages on the social platform Instagram, @newlook19 and @ruru_style1 founded in 2019 are committed to representing modest fashion in an elegant, youthful and modest style.
Via her pages, Ruru aims at showing that modesty doesn’t go against elegance and does not have to indicate a lack of taste or knowledge in fashion; rather, can definitely be fashionable, trendy and that Hijabi women can absolutely be successful in all walks of life.
“We need to normalise the Hijabi women in mainstream media. Many Hijabi women have proven themselves successful in the medical field, sports field, and political field. I am here to show that they can also be successful in the fashion field too,” Ruru proudly states.
“It’s a shame that some countries have banned the Hijab in certain areas or positions. The Hijab shouldn’t be an obstacle for anything,” Ruru affirms.
Ruru supports Muslim fashion brands by attending modest fashion events and promoting their products on her Instagram page, usually free of charge. “I really want to get the message out there. I want to help in redefining the meaning of modest fashion,” Ruru states.
“By putting a face to how the Hijabi ‘next door’ can be both elegant and modest,” Ruru hopes at creating a kinder understanding of Hijab in Australia and throughout the Western World.
“Any woman wearing the Hijab can look fashionable by choosing the right clothes size, choosing colours that fit her skin tone, opting for cuts that suit her body type and prioritising quality over quantity,” Ruru adds, hinting at some of her styling tips.
Ruru Al Saraireh has created an amazing sisterhood of over 25 thousand followers and has inspired and helped many women along their Hijab journey.
She hopes the modest fashion in Australia will grow and hopes to see more variety in the choices in shops and online and perhaps a bit more of a pop of colour in the outfits Hijabi ladies choose.
“I would also like to see the elderly Hijabis display an interest in modest fashion more. Age should never be an obstacle to being elegant,” Ruru states.
When asked what her outlook to the future was, Ruru is quite certain that the Modest Fashion Industry will continue to grow in Australia as the demand for modest wear increases.
“I also expect more Hijabi women to occupy high positions and important roles in our community and for their representation in mainstream media to grow exponentially,” Ruru predicts.
Ruru Al Saraireh is now working in her makeup studio, offering makeup sessions and styling sessions. She also plans on putting together styling events soon for the modest fashion community.
Ruru concludes by quoting Sayida Fatima Az Zahra (r), by reminding us that, “Modesty is the best jewel of a woman.”
This is simply amazing! Thank you