What inspired you to apply for the "Celebrating Fashion Future" program?
I was inspired to apply for the “Celebrating Fashion Forward” program because I’ve always loved fashion and wanted to explore what working in fashion could look like. Fashion to me has always been about what you’re wearing, and I’ve never taken time to explore all aspects, which includes what you wear on your feet. When I met April for the first time at Howard, listening to her talk about life working in footwear opened up that possibility for me. It inspired me to engage in programs that would open doors for me to really understand fashion, and that includes footwear.
What drives you? Share your passions, values, or a defining experience that shaped who you are today.
I am driven by the idea of a community that consistently roots for you and encourages you to be your best self. The greatest defining experience that has shaped me today is my time at Howard University. Being surrounded by a community of people that look like me and always just radiate what it means to be Black, beautiful, and excellent has taught me how to be confident, demand more for myself, and overall has healed the part of me that has never gotten to grow up with any part of her community before, being from Arizona.
How do you see yourself as part of Fashion's future?
I see myself as a part of fashion’s future by redefining modest, trendy fashion. As a young Muslim woman, I’ve had to navigate finding my personal identity through fashion while also keeping up with trends I’ve loved, and most importantly, how modesty fits into all of that. I’ve been grateful that fashion has leaned more towards modesty as I’ve come up; however, finding my own personal style through the hijab is something that I hope to work on within the fashion industry. Not only seeing more hijabis in the media, but also creating spaces where I can influence hijabi-friendly trends.
How does your campus Black Retail Action Group (BRAG) create community and opportunity for students?
Howard University B.R.A.G chapter creates community and opportunity for students by opening the door and inviting fashion companies in, exposing students to what corporate opportunities in luxury and retail look like. Personally, as a member of B.R.A.G I’ve been introduced to the world of footwear as I spoke on before, but also the potential of luxury fashion, allowing me to apply for opportunities like the Woman in Dior mentorship program, the LVMH certificate, RAISEfashion x ARF, and many more opportunities I would’ve never known about had I not been in this network.
How has attending an HBCU set you up for success?
Attending an HBCU has set me up for success by allowing me to grow and reassess my self-image without any sort of bias affecting my self-perception. My time at Howard has taught me to fight stereotypes or misconceptions about myself that have subconsciously been woven into me during my time throughout middle and high school. It’s taught me a lot about how to be resilient, how to advocate for myself, and explore my passions (being inspired by the incredible fashion sense of my peers), and even just allowed me to be softer in the way I express myself.
