Nike's stated mission is to "bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world," with the further explanation that, "if you have a body, you're an athlete." In making sure no athletes are omitted from this pursuit, the brand will debut a hijab (the traditional head cover worn by Muslim women) designed specifically for sport.
The Nike Pro Hijab, releasing next spring, was inspired in part by the requests of Amna Al Haddad, an Emirati weightlifter who mentioned the lack of sport hijabs during trips to Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. From there, prototypes were developed and given to women athletes for wear testing. The head cover is already being worn by pro figure skater Zahra Lari of the United Arab Emirates, seen below.
The hijab was developed by the same product team at Nike that works on base layer apparel. The design uses a single-layer Nike Pro power mesh and an elongated back.
The debut of the Pro Hijab comes weeks after Nike's launch of a new ad geared toward women in the Arab world. The spot, narrated in Arabic, challenges the notion that women and girls don't belong in sport.
