The hijabs on Sana Mahmood’s website start at $10. The 22-year-old designer launched her company Veiled Beaut last spring and says she wants to make attractive yet affordable clothes for the young Muslim woman. “Young millennials who are in college don’t have $90 to spend on a dress,” she said. “When you’re an intern making $15 an hour, you can’t really afford a $40 hijab.”
Ms. Mahmood first started to wear the hijab last year, and says she became frustrated with the dearth of cute but affordable clothing for the modest woman. “If you go out into your mainstream outlets like Forever 21 or H&M, it’s really difficult to find clothing that isn’t see-through or doesn’t have slits.”
Recently a private Islamic high school in Springfield, Virginia commissioned Ms. Mahmood to design a modest but contemporary uniform for their female students. And last year, Ms. Mahmood traveled to Jordan with Helping Hand, a nonprofit that supports refugee orphans. Veiled Beaut donates 10% of its profits to the organization. “Growing up, my parents really emphasized the importance of giving back to the community,” Ms. Mahmood said. “I wanted to be more than just another company selling products.”
What’s remarkable about all the young designer’s accomplishments is that she’s still in college. She’s in her last year at George Mason University where she is a double major studying Information Systems and Operations Management and Marketing. She has participated in her school’s first Mason Summer Entrepreneurship Accelerator program which helps students learn how to launch their own business.
