Embracing Modesty: A Journey from Runway to Entrepreneurship in Fashion

In this episode, we explore the inspiring journey of a modest fashion model who navigated the complexities of her career in an industry often at odds with her cultural and religious values. From her early beginnings influenced by family ties to her current entrepreneurial endeavors, she sheds light on the evolution of her passion for modest fashion.

Main Themes:

1. Cultural and Familial Influences:

• The episode delves into the model’s initial hesitations stemming from her family’s Islamic beliefs and societal views on modeling in the 1980s.
• Her aunt’s designs became a pivotal factor in her finding her niche within the modest fashion landscape.

2. Navigating Challenges:

• Listeners will hear about the obstacles she faced in securing suitable modeling opportunities and her eventual transition to administrative roles.
• The importance of perseverance is highlighted, especially through her experiences modeling head wraps.

3. Entrepreneurship in Fashion:

• The model shares her journey towards establishing her own fashion business, focusing on professional attire while debunking the stereotype that modest fashion lacks style.
• She discusses her plans for future expansions and the encouragement she receives from her family to launch her clothing line.

4. Mindset and Motivation:

• Insights into handling setbacks as a source of motivation and the significance of identifying one’s niche in the competitive fashion industry.
• The episode offers advice to aspiring entrepreneurs about patience, delegation, and embracing uncertainty.

5. Balancing Passion and Professionalism:

• The transition from modeling to a full-time job supporting her business illustrates the balance between pursuing passion and maintaining professional responsibilities.
• The fear of burnout is acknowledged, with tips on how to manage it effectively.

Takeaways:

• Embrace your unique path and cultural background as assets in your career.
• Understand that modest fashion can be both stylish and empowering.
• Approach entrepreneurship with patience and a willingness to learn from challenges.
• Take actionable steps toward your goals, even in the face of uncertainty.

 
Listen in to discover how one woman’s journey in modest fashion can inspire others to pursue their dreams and redefine industry standards!
 
We want to hear from you! If this episode inspired you in anyway take a screen shot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @designersplantsandcoffee and @khalidathemodel
 

[00:00:00.000] – Zahiyya

Welcome to the Designers’ Plants & Coffee podcast, where we discuss how to succeed as a designer while staying true to yourself, finding peace in the process, and making money doing what we love. Subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast.

 

[00:00:12.870] – Zahiyya

So how did you get started modeling?

 

[00:00:14.570] – Khalida

I had a lot of aunties who were in the designing industry. And because my auntie needed somebody to model their clothes, I was more than happy, get up there on stage and model them for them. I think I can remember when I was about five years old, my mom just had bought I saw some new clothes, my sister and I. I was all in the camera and I was posing, and I was just so excited about the new clothes that I just started modeling. I think that’s how I got in that part. But then as my aunties needed people to model, I just said yes.

 

[00:00:48.340] – Zahiyya

Is that how you stuck to modest fashion?

 

[00:00:51.530] – Khalida

Yeah, because my dad was in the industry, and I remember asking my parents, Can I model? Being of the In the Islamic faith, I should say that we were in, and they saw what modeling was in the ’80s, and they were like, No, you can’t do that. That’s not a place for you to be. So I let it go. At the time, my aunties were doing all of this modest fashion, and it was fashionable. It was in style. I was able to go ahead and just like it. And by the time I got to college, I was like, I can wear this to college. And it was beautiful. So I think that’s how I stuck with the modest fashion.

 

[00:01:31.750] – Zahiyya

Was it difficult finding jobs as a modest model? Yeah.

 

[00:01:36.200] – Khalida

So many doors were slammed in my face and not even accepted. Remember, ’80, they didn’t have anything in the industry that remotely looked like me with something on their heads or even covering with long sleeves and long dresses past their needs. If you want to fast forward to 2018, when I really started getting into it and being in fashion shows internationally rationally, and plenty of designers that said no. But when I was going for managerial positions or administrative positions, when I went in with my suits, this is one of my suits, when I went in with one of my suits that I got from Macy’s or Nordstrom’s or wherever I went and I had my head covering on. They did accept me, but it wasn’t for modeling, it wasn’t for fashion. It was to be in the office or whatever the job I was going for. I looked presentable and I looked professional. That wasn’t difficult for me to get, but modeling gigs, yes.

 

[00:02:33.460] – Zahiyya

What are you doing now? I mean, you said you’re not doing as much modeling as you used to. What are you getting into now?

 

[00:02:40.680] – Khalida

I want to say the last official fashion show that I really did was in December. Not I don’t need to say that I’m not modeling. I do model when people ask. I’m not going out as much looking for the positions or looking for fashion shows, because now, two things. I have a full-time job, and I got this full-time job so that I can fund my business and make sure my business had the funds that it needed to keep moving. And I don’t have that much time. But I also have been told by several people, You should have your own mind. A lot of people say, Why don’t you get a scarf line out? And I felt like that’s saturated. Not that what I’m doing is not saturated, it’s saturated too. But it was brought to my attention by my sister that she says, Kalida, every time you go out or every time you dress up, you always put a suit on or you always try to look professional. That’s just your look. I feel like I’m the most powerful and, I guess, confident when I’m in a suit and I just decided to go ahead and make my own line.

 

[00:03:40.750] – Zahiyya

What is your business exactly? What do you sell? Just suits, right?

 

[00:03:45.160] – Khalida

Blazers, trousers. I can sell them separately. I can sell them as a combination. Eventually, I want to have trousers and shirts, anything that’s more professional, that a suit jacket can go I’m wrong with that.

 

[00:04:00.480] – Naima

Remember we were talking about modest fashion. What do you say to people who are like, Oh, modest fashion equals boring fashion. Nobody’s going to want to wear that. It’s just long dresses, long black dresses.

 

[00:04:11.680] – Khalida

I just feel like you want boring and black all the time. Yeah, you can get that, but not over here.

 

[00:04:17.870] – Zahiyya

I love black, but it still doesn’t have to be boring. If it looks good on you and you feel confident in it, it projects itself. So how do you stay motivated?

 

[00:04:25.920] – Khalida

Knowing that I can help somebody. I think that that’s what motivates me. Knowing I’ve always liked to dress and had an eye for it and stuff, but I didn’t think maybe that other people liked it, but I just did me.

 

[00:04:38.070] – Zahiyya

I know you said when you were modeling, there was a lot of notes. How do you handle the setbacks?

 

[00:04:44.060] – Khalida

I use those get back as fuel, and it motivates me to get back up.

 

[00:04:48.200] – LaTisha

What advice would you give to aspiring models, especially, or entrepreneurs, especially since you mentioned that you actually have found a few other modest models?

 

[00:04:58.140] – Khalida

I want to tell them to pick the niche niche that they want. So when I first started out doing this, I was looking on Google, and lo and behold, didn’t even know that this one designer that I reached out to was doing head wraps. She wasn’t Muslim or anything. She was doing head wraps. So she and I were communicating back and forth. I didn’t know what she had or anything. And when I wrote back, I said, yes, I would love to model for you because she saw my look. I sent her pictures and everything. And I said, I would love to model for you. And I said, but I just have to let you know that I’m a modest model, and I do cover my arms and my legs, and I do have something on my head. She wrote back. She said, Well, we’re in love because that’s all I designed, our head wrap. I was like, Well, this is a perfect match. Look at there. And loved it. Loved it, loved it. I feel like if this is what they want to do, go for it, Get yourself out there. You’re going to get knocked down.

 

[00:05:47.510] – Khalida

But if this is really what you want to do, keep building, keep moving, you’re going to really develop a thick skin.

 

[00:05:53.630] – Zahiyya

What do you think is your greatest fear in the business aspect?

 

[00:05:56.720] – Khalida

Not doing them or getting them zoned. I’m one of those people that I want everything done yesterday. So I feel like, yeah, I want to take on everything. I want to do it all. I want to stay up all hours of the night, make sure it’s done. I just want everything perfect, and I know it’s not going to be perfect. Nothing is perfect, and I’m still learning that. This is 2024, and I’m still learning that. But I feel like that is my biggest fear, to try to do it all and get burnt out or overwhelmed because I didn’t delegate or I didn’t wait and be patient, and it doesn’t all have to be done yesterday. It’s going to come time. From what I’m hearing, three to five years for your business to really get off the ground, be where it’s supposed to be, and you fail to succeed. You lose money to make it. So I’m learning all of this. And those were always all my fears because I’m like, I’m putting all this money on my credit cards, and I don’t have a job or not a full-time one anyway. And I’m doing all of this, and what if I’m going to pick the wrong stuff?

 

[00:06:56.460] – Khalida

Let that fear go. Let that fear go and do it anyway. Do it anyway.

 

[00:07:01.070] – Zahiyya

Thank you for coming on. We appreciate it. I’m Zahia from Region Design Lab, and we have…

 

[00:07:06.860] – Naima

Naima from Fearless Threads.

 

[00:07:09.240] – LaTisha

And LaTisha Winston of Keeping Your Stitches.

 

[00:07:12.220] – Khalida

Khalida the Model.

 

[00:07:13.790] – Zahiyya

All right, guys. See you next time.