Sports brand Nike is set to launch the Pro Hijab for female Muslim athletes
New Delhi:
Sports brand Nike has taken a step towards inclusivity. The company launched the Pro Hijab for female Muslim athletes. The Pro Hijab took a year to be developed and was tested by athletes like Zahra Lari, UAE's first Hijab-wearing international figure skater, said Nike in a statement.
The Pro Hijab is made of breathable, lightweight, sport-ready fabric that will stay cool and dry. It gives an alternative to the many Muslim athletes who had no option but to wear Hijab in traditional materials.
The athlete posted photos of herself in the new product
Manal Rostom was another athlete who tried on the Hijab. "I still cry looking at this and how far we've come to change the perception of the world about us Arab , covered women as we deal with the struggle of wearing it every day", wrote in a post on Instagram.
People on Twitter had mixed reactions to the idea
The Pro Hijab is likely to hit markets early 2018.
Muslim consumers are estimated to spend about $327 billion on clothing by 2020, according to a 2016 report by Thomson Reuters. Many brands have now made a beeline for Arabic countries to tap the lucrative market.
The introduction of the product follows an ad campaign last month that featured 5 successful Arabic athletes. The video that went viral asked athletes to rise above the rhetorical question 'what will they say about you' and inspire others to pursue their dreams.
What do you think about the product? Smart business move or a step to include everyone? Let us know in the comments below.
The Pro Hijab is made of breathable, lightweight, sport-ready fabric that will stay cool and dry. It gives an alternative to the many Muslim athletes who had no option but to wear Hijab in traditional materials.
The athlete posted photos of herself in the new product
Manal Rostom was another athlete who tried on the Hijab. "I still cry looking at this and how far we've come to change the perception of the world about us Arab , covered women as we deal with the struggle of wearing it every day", wrote in a post on Instagram.
People on Twitter had mixed reactions to the idea
shout out to @Nike for the plus size clothing and #NikeProHijab
— naji (@westsideDai) March 8, 2017
Slightly torn- Sport hijabs have been around 4 awhile & I can't see anything special (expect the nike tick) about the design #NikeProHijab
— Fardousa (@Fardousie) March 7, 2017
So proud of @Nike for helping the world of athletics and athletes progress. #NikeProHijab
— Natalie Haddad (@nataliehaddad_) March 8, 2017
I love that @Nike will have #Hijabs but Muslim women have been participating w/o the for a while. They do need aslot tho #NikeProHijab pic.twitter.com/J9qi6XYUP4
— Mohamed Alyajouri (@Alyajouri) March 8, 2017
The Pro Hijab is likely to hit markets early 2018.
Muslim consumers are estimated to spend about $327 billion on clothing by 2020, according to a 2016 report by Thomson Reuters. Many brands have now made a beeline for Arabic countries to tap the lucrative market.
The introduction of the product follows an ad campaign last month that featured 5 successful Arabic athletes. The video that went viral asked athletes to rise above the rhetorical question 'what will they say about you' and inspire others to pursue their dreams.
What do you think about the product? Smart business move or a step to include everyone? Let us know in the comments below.
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