On September 12, 2016, Indonesian designer Anniesa Hasibuan presented her modest apparel at New York Fashion Week. Each of her models was wearing a hijab, a religious covering typically worn by women of the Muslim faith. According to Upworthy, after her astonishing and well-crafted outfits earned her a standing ovation. At that moment, the 30-year-old designer made history, becoming the first designer to have every single one of her models wearing a hijab.
This has never happened in New York Fashion Week, according to Upworthy. Hasibuan was overwhelmed by the amount of support she received from the crowd.
By the way: standing ovations never happen at New York Fashion Week. That's how you know how moved the crowd was.
Looking at the photographs from the show, it's evident that the pieces were stunning. The metallic colors, the pinks and the complex patterns were all beautiful. Each garment looked like something out of a queen's closet. When asked about her inspiration, Anniesa said the line was inspired by her Indonesian heritage.
"I want[ed] to bring the Indonesian name to the fashion world and use my clothes to introduce people to the different and diverse parts of Indonesia; Hasibuan told The Jakarta Post.
Lori Riviere, a press manager who was in the audience, agreed that the show was truly spectacular. "I have been doing this for a long time, and I have never seen a standing ovation at the end of a show. We all had goosebumps. Anniesa was so moved she was crying backstage. It was emotional for her. Riviere told CNN.
"I am so proud and thankful for everyone on the team who helped me so this event could happen, and I am grateful to international and local media from Indonesia for exposing my show. I did not realize the result can be this amazing, and I am thrilled and humbled by the welcome reaction was given, Hasibuan told CNN.
What I Think
I love when designers are inspired by their culture. Although I am not familiar with Indonesian fashions the colors and textures from Hasibuan's line are both refreshing and on-trend. It's pretty fair to say every piece of her 48-garment collection was truly spectacular.
I can imagine the courage it must have taken to put her line up there for the world to see, especially since there tends to be racial and cultural unacceptance in the fashion world. Hasibuan's fashion line makes a strong statement, reminding people all over the world that style comes in all forms, colors, and sizes. Her work will open doors for designers of different cultures to make their way to NYFW.
All photos property of Getty Images
