Indonesian designer Anniesa Hasibuan shot to global fame last month after her Islamic fashion earned a standing ovation at New York Fashion Week. (Link to video we made on this)
She unveiled her second collection of Islamic clothing amid controversy over US President Donald Trump's recent executive order barring refugees and migrants from seven Muslim-majority nations.
ALSO READ:
In Photos: Saudi King Arrives In Indonesia
Anniesa used immigrant models to showcase America's diversity, as she revealed her new collection.
Take a look at the highlights we've put together here.
ALSO READ:
Lempuyang Luhur: A Magnificent Temple Over The Cloud
(AFP Photo/Neilson Barnard)
Anniesa Hasibuan's collection features shimmering, on-trend pleats, silver and golden ruffles, and long trains adorned with pearls, glitter or embroidery that recalled royalty of the Middle Ages.
(AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)
The models were not chosen at random — the young designer held casting calls specifically seeking first and second-generation immigrants, seeking to show that "fashion is for everybody."
(AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)
"There is beauty in diversity and differences — something we should not be afraid of," she told AFP.
(AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)
"I believe being a fashion designer can bring a lot of changes -- and beautiful changes, of course," she told AFP.
(AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)
Annisa's dream, she said, would be to dress Kate Middleton, whom the designer said is "like a queen," adding that she admires the Duchess of Cambridge for "her elegance."
(AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)
Anniesa won worldwide praise for her fall collection in New York last September, the first to feature a hijab in every look.
(AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)
Since then she has opened new stores in her home country Indonesia as well as in Malaysia, Turkey and Abu Dhabi — proffering modern Islamic clothing dripping in glamor.
(AFP Photo/Neilson Barnard)
“As you can see by my collection, wearing hijab means you can still be part of the latest fashion and can still be yourself,†said the 30-year-old designer to AFP. “I want to show the world that wearing hijab does not prevent me from being myself, from being elegant.â€
(AFP Photo/Neilson Barnard)
For Anniesa, hijab is more than just a religious obligation and another way to express themselves.
(AFP Photo/Neilson Barnard)
Model Tiana Zarlin, a Russian-Korean second-generation immigrant, thought Anniesa’s designs were really inspiring. She said that more than just a runway to show clothes, this year’s New York Fashion Week had conveyed messages of love and acceptance.
(AFP Photo/Neilson Barnard)
Tiana emphasized that the experience of walking down the runway in hijab made her feel empowered. She also stated that hijab is womanly, sexy, and glamorous at the same time. “You don’t have to show your skin to be sexy,†she told AFP.