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Seher Istar, a hijab-wearing Muslim woman living in Melbourne, is used to getting stares from strangers. Now, however, she’s attracting attention for a different reason. Seher’s collection of hats are now attracting attention as the designer and founder of the world’s first hijab-friendly hat.
“When I wear the hat, it literally turns heads,” says Seher. “People already stare at me…I actually want to make it worth their while. A lot of clients have said the same thing. They’re like, ‘oh my god, I take it off to be low-key.’”
It’s easy to see why, given her selection of four hats: the boater hat, the baseball cap, the beret, and the bucket hat.
“When I was designing my first ever hat, the Jamela Boater Hat, I wanted to design a very elegant, very classy hat. A hat that made women feel worth it, confident, and comfortable in what they were wearing, and made a statement at the same time. It definitely delivered,” Seher says.
The hat exudes sophistication, and you can see why strangers can’t help but stare. They’re wide-brimmed with a black grosgrain ribbon that can be tied under the chin and come in three fabric options. And, judging by the oversized Jamela Bucket Hat, you can tell that the typical Jamela Boutique woman isn’t afraid to stand out.
The concept behind Jamela Boutique, on the other hand, was far from glamorous. Seher went to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage in 2019, and it was extremely hot there. She returned to Australia with a severe skin burn on her face.
The idea for a hijab-friendly hat was born from there. However, the road to launching her hat line wasn’t easy. Her millinery friend was uninterested, claiming that there wasn’t a market for it. Seher, who has no experience in the fashion industry, tried three times to make the hat molds and lost a lot of money in the process. She even borrowed money from her sister to keep her husband in the dark about how much money she was investing in her fantasy.
Seher began selling her hats at market stalls once the samples began to feel right. “I didn’t even have a tablecloth, nothing,” she says. “I just had my hats on the table but I will never forget the first impressions I got from women. They’d put it on, and their face said, ‘ohhh! It actually fits!’. It was so emotional for me.”
“I couldn’t get this out of my heart, I couldn’t get this out of my mind. I felt obligated. I was like, somebody needs to do this and I guess that’s me.”
Other hijabi women told Seher that this summer with their Jamela Boutique hat had been their best yet, and she began to receive feedback and compliments.
As a Muslim woman who has always loved fashion but felt marginalized by Australia’s fashion industry, this is a personal victory for Seher. Seher is forging her own path by carving out her own space in a place that has never welcomed her with open arms. Seher, rather than being cynical, wishes for more collaboration and respect among Australian brands. Jamela Boutique’s Instagram is full of Reels of Seher styling oversized monochrome ‘fits and autumn park playdate ideas.
