HERE'S HOW WE CELEBRATED EID WITH MUSLIM SISTERHOOD

We recently hosted a dinner party at Curve Club, London, to mark the end of Ramadan with creative collective Muslim Sisterhood (you can read our chat with them about their new ASOS edit here). The vibes were immaculate ft. stunning table decorations, an incred menu and outfits that ATE. Oh, and of course the guest list included all your fave content creators and industry heavyweights too. We even managed to catch up with Noor, Naaliah and Siham to chat Eid + so much more! Scroll for the scoop. 

Hey Noor! We hope you had a great Eid. What are some of your favourite Eid memories?

I grew up in South Africa where we didn’t have most of our family to go and visit, but we were blessed enough to have friends who had an open-door policy, and throughout the day we'd go and visit everyone we could. They welcomed us like family. 

We love that. You’re a photographer and captured the images for this event, how did you get into photography?

I’ve always loved taking pictures. You know how there’s always one person in the family who’s taking pictures and documenting family get-togethers? That was me. So naturally, it was something I paid more attention to in school. And then when it came to choosing my degree, it seemed like a no-brainer. I was in a very privileged position to not have to work immediately after graduating, which meant I could give the time to interning and creating my portfolio. I think that period was really crucial in building my career.

How does your culture come through in your photography?

If I’m honest, I think I am still trying to figure out how I can bring my culture into my work more. However, being a minority and a Muslim has made me very conscious of shooting and championing people who are generally looked over in the fashion industry – whether that's Black and Brown people or hijabis. 

Your CV is extensive! What’s been your proudest moment?

One of my first backstage shows was a Dior pre-fall show in London. It was just post-COVID, so access was incredibly exclusive which meant there were only four or five photographers, including myself. I felt so blessed to be there and that show in particular really sparked my drive to shoot more backstage shows. 

Hey Naailah! How did you celebrate Eid this year?

The same as every year – with both immediate and extended family. And if I’m lucky and my friends are in town, they’ll come down and spend time with me too.

Do you have any family traditions? 

I'll wake up super early to pray and help my mum prepare breakfast in time for when my dad and brother come back from the mosque and cemetery. We all eat together and make our international ‘Eid Mubarak’ phone calls, send out WhatsApp messages and exchange gifts – it’s always money. Lunch is followed with a rice dish of some sort, usually biryani, and then a traditional afternoon nap. And after that we all get dressed to either visit family or have family round ours, always super wholesome and entertaining. 

Sounds like the dream. Who is your style inspo?

This is an easy one for me, it would have to be my mum. She calls herself my personal stylist and I’d have to give her that credit. I'd also say all my modest Muslim sisters have been getting the spotlight they deserve recently – it's always so lovely to refer back to them. And lastly, queen Bella Hadid.

Always have fun! There’s no fashion if it isn’t fun. Be playful with textures and colours and be clever with proportions. Be considerate of your purchases and how versatile they can be, there’s no point buying something if you’re only going to wear it once or you can only wear it one way.

We hear that. As well as being a stylist, you're also a florist. How did you first get into it?

I signed up to do the FutureFlowers workshop with Sage Flowers post-COVID, and a few months later I saw someone was looking for a freelance florist. At that point I’d never done any floristry to an industry level before, but this became my first proper floristry gig.

Hey Siham! Tell us some of your favourite Eid memories.

Receiving Eid letters from my family has to be my sweetest memory – very wholesome!

How would you describe your style?

Streetwear girlie but East-African coded. That often means baggy silhouettes contrasted with something more feminine. I love to wear a garbasaar [a draped scarf or shawl worn by Somali women] over my outfits sometimes.

Who do you look to for style inspiration?

I look to my mum – the blueprint. She would always heavily accessorise her outfits and I remember I would always want to copy her. I also look to my friends. I’m at a point where I want to experiment with my personal style. so I love to people watch, and see what aspects of someone’s style I can adapt it to my own taste.

<3 that. What fashion trend are you loving right now?

Layering skirts over my trousers or jeans. I feel like the Muslim girls curated this trend to find more innovative ways to be modest. 

You blend contemporary Western trends with traditional elements in your styling work. Is it important that your style reflects your cultural heritage?