HelloGiggles
Tuesday June 16, 2020
ANYWEAR, INSTAGRAM
Somali-American model Halima Aden has teamed up with tech company Anywear and Allure magazine to design a line of face masks for frontline workers who wear hijabs, which include matching protective face coverings and turbans. Aden first made headlines back in 2016, when she became the first Miss Minnesota USA contestant to wear a hijab, and she created the capsule collection of hijab-friendly masks as a way to help healthcare workers of all faiths feel comfortable and safe during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
As part of the Banding Together Project, Aden helped design a line of face coverings with special touches for frontline workers—keeping their comfort top of mind. At the beginning of the pandemic, Aden shared on Instagram that she used to work at the St. Cloud Minnesota Hospital cleaning patient rooms, so she knows firsthand how important it is for workers to have the protective gear they need. But there aren’t many options out there specifically for people who wear hijabs, especially because regular face masks usually don’t feature pins, buttons, or clasps to properly secure a hijab.
“Having worked in a hospital, even several months into my modeling career, it was important for me to support this project,” Aden wrote on the Banding Together official website.“As many hijab-wearing women are working at health care facilities, I wanted to make sure they have a comfortable option for wearing a mask while keeping their hair covered. It can also get hot running around at the pace health care employees are right now, so a breathable fabric was a must,” she added.
Shoppers can purchase her designs with a slew of customization options, from the hijab set ($45), which comes with a headwrap and matching face covering, with an option for an extender and a set of four matching scrunchies. You can also buy a pack of three face coverings, either in breathable bamboo ($40) or tetra fabric for warmer months ($40). She’s also selling a separate line of turbans ($52) for those who may already have face masks at home.
In a solid range of pretty prints and colors, Aden added, “I really wanted the pieces to give a feeling of tranquility and calm, so I went with soft shades that bring a feeling of peace.”
And perhaps the best part of it all—for every purchase made, Anywear will match with a donation of a headband or medical cap with buttons to a medical professional in need. As if we needed any more reasons to click “add to cart,” tbh.