I am writing this post because I try hard to support Muslim or minority-owned companies whenever I can, but the problem is that these companies are a lot harder to find. With a google search, you are only limited to certain brands. So, this post is for people like me, that want to purchase from Muslim owned business but are struggling to find them. I decided to do more in-depth research. So, I chose and reached out to the companies in this article because I found them unique and I love the story their brand. (I was working on this for a month before the Allure article came out. However, they stuck only to Muslim fashion and beauty brands.) 

Nominal

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Nominal is an Arabic inspired jewelry brand, (they will sell clothing soon as well), founded by Akram Abdallah, and based out of Arizona. Akram’s fondness of Arabic calligraphy is what inspired his reasoning to start his brand. The brand is very unique in its modern style. They sell Jewelry like necklaces, bracelets, and rings that highlight the beauty of Arabic calligraphy. As you can see from the slideshow above, the company sends its jewelry in very modern and chique packaging.

They also sell watches with Hindi numerals. (Fun fact from something I learned in Arabic class in college: the numbers used in, most, if not all Arabic speaking countries, are called Hindi numerals. The numbers we use here in America are actually called Arabic numerals.) 

(The photos in the slideshow of the watch, and the watch and necklace combined are my photos.)

SiwarBox 

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Since I took Geometry in high school, I have always been pulled toward the beauty of geometric forms and art. I love seeing each shape with its own design simultaneously and how consistent and inconsistent it can be at the same time and SiwarBox engulfs just that. They are a jewelry company where every piece of jewelry is inspired by geometric art and sacred Islamic architecture, while also focusing on modern and minimalistic design. Their items are earrings, necklaces, scarves, and bracelets. 

Salam Aref, the founder, and designer behind SiwarBox is an American Syrian from a Circassian descent, currently based in the Greater Washington D.C area.  Through her sales, she aids in sponsoring the education of Syrian children. Salam studied architecture in Damascus, Syria. She graduated with a degree in Architecture, a minor in Art History, with a concentration on Islamic Art, in Maryland.

SHUKR Clothing

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SHUKR Clothing is a modest Muslim clothing brand that really hits close to the heart for me. It is founded by a British Muslim convert, Anas Sillwood. The company idea came to be while Anas performed Hajj, Islam’s religious pilgrimage. He saw that people were dressed in the most modest and dignified clothing he had ever seen. It reminded him of the hadith of Prophet Mohamed SAW saying, “God is beautiful and he loves beauty.” He thought the clothing that he had seen during Hajj “was a reflection of this divine beauty“ the hadith speaks of.

I really recommend you watch this YouTube Video that gives you an insight into the beauty of this company. As a convert, Anas wanted to share the beauty he saw at hajj, with the west. SHUKR Clothing prides themselves on being an ethical and fair-trade Islamic company and putting “faith into fashion”. They also strive to produce a religious work environment, where staff can pray regularly and grow spiritually. They treat every worker as a part of an extended family. They sell products such as, but not limited to: abayas, jilbabs, kufis, hijabs, nursing/maternity clothes, and thobes.

Leia

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Leia is a clothing brand that stands for empowerment, equality, and ethical values. The owner, Michèle Jochem Yunus says, the dream of Leia “is to create a supportive community of strong women who support, respect, and learn from one another.” Leia is a company for Muslim or any woman who is looking for a modest and less tight fitting alternative, versus tight fitting activewear. Leia achieves this all without sacrificing function, quality, and style. What I love about the Leia brand is that Michèle puts the same amount of love into designing and creating every single piece of clothing. All Leia garments are designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, California.

The current Leia collection specializes in modest activewear, leisurewear, and swimwear. I have some of their activewear and I use the clothes to dress comfortably around the house or to workout in.

Wäbry Organic Syrup

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When I found out I was a carrier of celiac disease, I started to look for gluten-free and allergy-friendly (particularly, cashew- and pistachio-free) products. That lead me to stumble upon Wäbry, which I have now been enjoying for over a year. Though there are many ways of using Wäbry syrups, some of my favorites include drizzling them on my pancakes and ice cream or mixing them in my Italian cream sodas.  

How did Wäbry come to be? Founder Nadia Khan wanted to share one of her favorite childhood treats — strawberry milk — with her children. Upon visiting the grocery store to find the ingredients for the tasty treat, she noticed that all of the syrups she came across contained high fructose corn syrup and artificial additives. Not wanting to feed her kids junky ingredients, she decided to make her own healthy version of strawberry syrup at home. After a while, Nadia saw that her son, family, and friends loved the syrups so much that she decided to take it to the next level. There were no comparable syrups in the market, so she decided to research how she could sell her product to the public.

Wäbry syrup now has five flavors of syrup that are sold online and in some independent specialty stores: strawberry, blueberry, peach, chocolate hazelnut, and No Added Sugar strawberry. The best part? Every bottle sold funds a nutritious meal for an orphaned child in need through Wäbry‘s partnership with the non-profit GiveLight Foundation (https://www.givelight.org/). 

Diamanté Scarves

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Diamanté Scarves is a hijab company based out of Southern California. Their “goal is to provide a variety of styles of high-quality scarves.” They know that every hijabi has their “own sense of style.” Finding comfortable, versatile, and fashionable hijabs can be difficult to find and purchase. When the founder of Diamanté Scarves was creating their brand, they acknowledged that by focusing on the difficulty of finding hijabs and the latest styles. So when they created their brand they have made it easy for hijabis to find affordable and fashionable scarves. 

They offer several collections of beautiful scarves. Their scarves vary in style and colors. Currently, they are offering several featured collections of scarves to choose from. Some of their collections are Astro, Embroidery, Matrix, Basix. Basix is my go-to collection to choose from because I live in a very humid area. Since the Basix Collection hijabs are 100% cotton and jersey cotton, the fabric is breathable for humid areas. Their scarves are all very lightweight and comfortable, which works well for women who are involved in sports and other activities. 

With A Spin

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With A Spin is my go-to Ramadan and Eid decoration online store, but that is not all they offer. They sell things all of the way from nursery decor, stationery items, to books. 

I constantly get asked by converts about where they can get decorations for Eid, especially when they have children. A majority of my convert friend’s and followers were Christian before becoming Muslim and always decorated for the holidays as children. Now when you purchase from this company, you will be able to make new or sharing similar holiday cultural traditions with your friends and family.

One of the goals that Lail Hossain, the founder of With A Spin wants to do with her brand, is to help families or Muslims like me whether a convert or not, looking to express their identity. With A Spin offers banners, decorations, cookie cutters shaped like masjids, stars, and moons. I used their cookie cutters last Eid to make cookies and it made me happy to be celebrating the holiday and less lonely. It brought back the nostalgia of my childhood but, with a new spin. (See what I did there?)  One thing I loved that Lail said when I talked to her is that “she is trying her best to find a way on how she can help reverts, so they do not feel lonely during Eid and Ramadan.” She has started by offering open house iftars to converts.