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Maha Gondal (@moxeb) and Nemah Hasan (@nemahsis) are two friends situated in Toronto. Hasan is a singer and songwriter, while Gondal works as a fashion stylist during the day. Individually, they will tailor the content of their pages to their respective skill sets. Gondal provides unique styling inspiration, while Hasan’s singing voice is well worth the double clicks. The pair collaborates on fashion-focused videos showcasing their gorgeous modest style, and they completely steal the spotlight on the app.
The two have been friends since they met in 2015 at the city’s Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention. “We had been following each other on Instagram for a few weeks prior,” Gondal says. Hasan adds, “We immediately bonded over our love for fashion, art, and music.” During lockdown in the spring, they began experimenting with their joint TikToks. “The COVID[-19] restrictions had demotivated and limited [us], so I approached Nemah with the idea of combining fashion and friendship,” Gondal says. Hasan had been experimenting with the app since March. “I started making TikToks alone in my room to pass the time during COVID[-19], and then Maha came up with the brilliant idea of becoming content-creating quarantine buddies,” Hasan says.
In May, they shared their first TikTok together on Hasan’s page, where they showed off their stylish backyard outfits. Their pages have since evolved to include full-fledged runway walks, in which they wear Eytys, I.Am.Gia., and MISBHV pieces. As a result, Gondal now has over 48,000 followers, while Hasan has over 190,000.
Gondal and Hasan, both Muslim women, hope to use TikTok to inspire others to be proud of their modest clothing choices. Hasan says, “I just want to wear what’s on the runway in a modest fashion, I basically wear what everyone else wears on social media but make it ‘hijab’. Maha and I both struggled immensely with styling high fashion as a Muslim woman. We, as Muslim women, didn’t want to feel restricted from high fashion because we chose to dress modest. Therefore, we made it our goal to inspire women like us.” Gondal agrees, adding that their distinct personalities come naturally to them both. “I don’t really think about it anymore; it just comes naturally to me,” she says. “I no longer have to pick between high fashion and modesty because I am a creative. I found a way to connect the two different worlds in a unique way.”
