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With a 570K strong Instagram following and 38K Twitter fans, Amena Khan is an influencer of note.
Recently chosen as one of the models to be featured in L’Oréal Paris's new Elvive hair campaign that include men and women with a variety of hair textures, styles and colours, it becomes abundantly clear immediately that Khan stands out, even among this diverse group.
Clad in hijab, Khan is the only model whose hair is not visible.
Image: L'Oreal Paris
Speaking to Vogue, she says “…why is it presumed that women that don’t show their hair don’t look after it?”
READ MORE: Apple has finally included Hijab-wearing women in their new range of emojis
Yes, her hair is an expression of her femininity and of who she is, she says. That doesn't mean that when her hair is greasy and she's having a bad hair day that she feels okay because her hair is covered.
Wearing a headscarf doesn’t mean she has a vastly different approach to hair care. Believing that means it’s presumed that one’s hair is only really there for others to be appreciated - and if not shown or exposed, it becomes less valued.
READ MORE: Wearing a burqa is not the same as being a clown, obviously
In the last few years we've seen more diversity in beauty campaigns and on covers of magazines where Hijab-wearing models feature front-and-centre.
Hijab-wearing beauty blogger Nura Afia was recently chosen as a new brand ambassador of CoverGirl and last year 19-year-old Somali fashion star Halima Aden made history as the first-ever hijab-wearing model to be on the cover of American women’s beauty magazine, Allure.
Meet @Kinglimaa. Muslim. Model. Destroyer of Stereotypes. And our July 2017 Cover Star ? Read her full intv here: https://t.co/MnRhtwg50z pic.twitter.com/jA2lWKri2a
— Allure (@Allure_magazine) June 20, 2017
It's ultimately about creating more images, content and experiences that people can identify with.
READ MORE: Barbie has a new sister, and she's (almost literally) slaying in that hijab
For too long have hijab-wearers been left out of realms where their inclusion was just as warranted as those featured.
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