While the world has been debating and celebrating highstreet retailer H&M’s use of Moroccan-Pakistani model Mariah Idrissi, who appeared in her hajib for the brand’s Autumn/Winter’15 “Close the Loop” campaign, we at SPICE have also been applauding its feature of Ivorian designer Loza Maleombho, who also plays model for the brand.
The campaign video hit headlines recently for being the first mainstream brand campaign to include traditional Muslim attire and, narrated and also starring music legend Iggy Pop, has launched discussions of whether or not it’s permissible by Islamic rules for Ms Idrissi to be modelling.
The video also sees killer creative and rising designer Ms Maleombho stunning in her mixed prints, including items from her own Autumn/Winter’15 collection, and providing the visual to the rule: “mix prints.”
The “Close the Loop” campaign was created to front the retailer’s mission to encourage the recycling of clothes, with the brand having more already recycled more than £260bn worth of unwanted clothing since it began the initiative in 2013, turning old and unwanted clothes into new creations for its collections.
While debates continue on milestones for Muslim culture, #hijabgoals and the brand’s integration of religious, traditional attire, we at SPICE are also discussing how fly Loza Maleombho’s Kente look is for her cameo in the stylish video, which ends with the tagline “there are no rules to fashion but one: recycle your clothes” – do view it below and let us know what you think to both African models’ feature.
Video & image source: Hm.com
