The Veiled Vintage
Nabiha Jamal Merhi (She/Her)
Nabiha Jamal Merhi is the first hijab wearing pinup model in Australia. Her Instagram page “The Veiled Vintage” aims to utilize Vintage and Pinup fashion as a means of inspiring and empowering Muslim women to work towards body positivity, inclusivity, autonomy and self- determination. Influenced by the golden age of Hollywood and the glamour of 1950’s vintage fashion, Nabiha creates looks that intersect the Hijab with vintage pieces, and what emerges from these are looks that encapsulate and accentuate the agency, shape and essence of what she believes Muslim woman should celebrate about themselves.
Interviewed by Gemma Hassall
Nabiha, first off, can you tell me a little bit about yourself and the ethos behind " The Veiled Vintage"?
My name is Nabiha and I am the first hijab wearing Vintage and Pinup Model in Australia. I have been collecting vintage and pinup clothing for 8 years and enjoy exploring the history behind the garments that I source. My mother was infatuated with the Golden Age of Hollywood, and adored Marilyn Monroe. My mother’s Western name is actually Marilyn. Every Saturday, we would watch movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It was from this moment that I fell in love with the fashion of the 1950s. I became enamoured with the glitz and glamour and when I discovered vintage in 2016, I felt that I had finally found my niche. I always had a very ostentatious style- my wardrobe featured dazzling gowns, luxurious furs and a large collection of jewels and shoes. So, when I started wearing vintage clothing, my style pretty much remained the same- except that my modern gowns were replaced with vintage gowns and my fur collection grew to include vintage fur pieces from the 40s and 50s. My vintage collection is quite diverse and features clothing from the 1920s all the way to the 1980s, but the 20s and 50s are by far my favourite eras. I admired the way women in the 1950s wore gloves with their gowns, and the way they accessorised their ensembles with fur, jewellery and hats. I incorporated these features into my own style and also worked on expanding my collection of hats and fascinators. Wearing the hijab with my vintage pieces involved a little experimentation but I soon discovered how to style my hijab in order to complement each era of clothing that I wore.
Can you tell me a bit about your experience of fashion and identity within your culture, and how this has influenced "The Veiled Vintage"?
Fashion is actually quite a complex topic when it comes to my culture and faith. I want to focus on a discussion of the hijab since it is such a big part of who I am. In the Islamic faith, women are required to wear the hijab when they are ready and when they come of age. Women are encouraged to wear it with humility and modesty and scholars who interpret the Quran state that clothing must be loose and simple. I can tell you now that most modern Muslim women don’t strictly adhere to this requirement. Whilst it may have had some relevance in 8th century Arabia- I don’t believe that it is fair to limit women in terms of what they can and cannot wear in the modern world. Also, I have come to learn that Salafi (mainstream) interpretations of Islamic Scripture are very literal and quite misogynistic. Unfortunately, the dominance of men in Islamic theology meant that men reduced the act of wearing the hijab to clothing alone- ignoring what the hijab is supposed to spiritually represent: bodily autonomy, spirituality and empowerment. Over time, Muslim women and men have been indoctrinated within this very superficial and reductionistic understanding of hijab which means that many Muslim women like myself- are often the target of abuse and judgment. I’ve been accused of “changing” my religion to suit my needs but I think this is a tactic that is used to silence women like me. I’m not changing Islam. I’m changing the way Islam has been misconstrued in order to keep women in subordinate roles.
I think it's amazing how you're using pinup fashion to inspire other Muslim women, I'm wondering how this intersection between traditional attire and pinup fashion came about?
The intersection emerged as a result of the sexism and discrimination I faced in my own community. I refused to let men tell me how to wear my hijab. I grew up being told that the female body was something to be ashamed of. I never felt ashamed of my body, and when I discovered Pinup, I loved how the female form was celebrated in such an elegant way. So, I weaved together my love of the hijab with my love of pinup. The hijab is not supposed to make women feel ashamed of their bodies. Also, pinup was dominated by white women and I wanted to change this by showing minority women that they could still wear a hijab and also be pinup models. For generations, women have been told what to be and what to look like. The purpose of “The Veiled Vintage” is to crush patriarchal notions that cripple Muslim women and to empower them to use vintage and pinup fashion as a means of reclaiming the agency they once had over their bodies and their stories.
Colour and boldness are such prominent features on your Instagram and aesthetic, I'm wondering what colour and aesthetic means to you?
Colour plays a big role in the planning and coordination of my overall vintage and pinup looks. I find that so many people are hesitant or not confident enough to experiment with bold colour palettes. I often see this as a challenge and one of the things I immensely enjoy when putting my outfits together is working with bold colours. To be frank, I’ve had so many women refer to my style as “over the top”, “extreme” or “drag”. Rather than feel insulted, I feel quite flattered because drag queens are some of the most skilled makeup artists and fashionistas! I love how unafraid they are when using colour and boldness in their own ensembles. Fashion is not about rules for me. It’s about breaking the rules. I mean, I am a vintage and pinup model who wears the hijab. I’m the very embodiment of rule breaking.
You mentioned to me briefly how large levels of misogyny and discrimination in your community have been quite paralysing to Muslim women, how do you hope "The Veiled Vintage" will offer a voice to these women?
One of the things that has profoundly affected me over the years is witnessing Muslim women become oblivious to the way that men have achieved control over their bodies. Some women are convinced that men are permitted to do this because it means that a man cares about his partner and wants to “protect her”. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to protect those that you love, I don’t believe that forcing a woman to dress a certain way is “protection”. That is control. That is subordination. I was in past relationships where men attempted to dominate me and change the way I dressed. I did not ever give in or change who I was. I eventually walked away from those relationships. The Veiled Vintage was created as a means of encouraging women to use fashion as a means of reclaiming their body autonomy and to demonstrate that fashion holds the power to shatter social norms that cripple women. When I first got into vintage and pinup, I couldn’t find one photo of a hijabi pinup or vintage model. My work “The Veiled Vintage” will change that because maybe in 10-20 years a hijabi girl might want to dress in pinup but might be hesitant to do so. She might see my images in a magazine and become inspired to pursue pinup. That’s where you instigate change. Fashion for me, is a form of activism.
You mentioned that you're a mother, how has motherhood influenced you in wanting to empower Muslim women?
I know that a lot of mothers say this, but motherhood really does change you in the most profound of ways. I have faced so many struggles as a Muslim woman. At times I wonder how I have managed to rise above it all and triumph. I have had so many women over the years tell me that talking about the struggles of Muslim women isn’t appropriate or that it will achieve nothing. There’s this culture of silencing women because it isn’t considered “ethical” to talk about such issues. I disagree with this because if we don’t talk about misogyny, and if we don’t attempt to eradicate it; then we are complicit in the oppression of our own daughters. Becoming a mother has made me more resolved in creating a future for my daughter that is full of hope, joy and endless opportunities. I want her to know that she is of equal worth to a man and that she will be loved and supported unconditionally.
What are your hopes for the future of "The Veiled Vintage"?
I am working on a number of things at the moment. My first hope is to continue to be published in numerous magazines so that my work is made visible and available to other women. Hijabis need to be seen. We need to be given the same opportunities as women who don’t wear hijab. I’ve been modelling at events and am working on expanding my modelling portfolio and I thoroughly enjoy working with emerging photographers who are also Muslim women. Finally, I am part of an amazing network of women I have met at events across the years and am working on expanding that sisterhood. After all, I started The Veiled Vintage for them. To inspire, empower and celebrate them.
