Drama in a stylish hijab

Naelofar Hijab is taking the tudung industry by storm with one sold-out collection after another, writes

Naelofar Hijab is a family-owned business run by Neelofa and her sister Noor Nabila (third from left). At the centre is their mother, Noor Kartini Noor Mohammed.

The satin square scarf Milky Helena is a cult favourite and the company is reprinting the design to meet the high demand for it.

CHIC TUDUNGS

Coming from a business-oriented family and having a passion for fashion, it’s no suprise that Neelofa, whose real name is Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor, is now a fashion entrepreneur herself.

Naelofar Hijab is a brand under NH Prima International, a company founded by the Kelantanese beauty and her sister Noor Nabila. The move into the hijab business came after Neelofa’s personal transformation and her decision to don the tudung in 2014.

Besides Naelofar Hijab, other muslimah fashion and lifestyle brands under the family-owned business are Naelofar (apparel line), Naelofar Abaya, Naelofar Casual, Naelofar Telekung, Bella Vista (beauty supplement) and Lofalens (contact lenses).

Since its establishment in 2014, Naelofar Hijab has produced more than 80 collections of tudung, most of which were sold out within minutes of their launches.

In line with its tagline, Effortlessly Chic, the brand strives to be different from other homegrown hijab brands by reinventing the image of the hijab to one that is chic, modern, practical and hassle-free for confident women.

“This is not the first time Naelofar Hijab has come out with a drama tie-in product. Last year, we produced the Warda collection which was inspired by the character I played in Due to overwhelming response, we decided to do something similar again and that’s how Helena came about,” says Neelofa.

She says her sister is in charge of product design and production, while she takes care of the marketing side of the business.

STYLES APLENTY

The brand’s instant shawls have been a hit from day one. Besides retailing online and at bazaars, more than 100 stockists have been appointed across Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore to cope with increasing demand.

In 2016, the actress and television host said in an interview that the brand registered RM50 million in sales with the international market accounting for 10 per cent of its revenue — a big achievement, particularly for a company which had just set up business for over a year, but not a surprising feat for Neelofa who has millions of die-hard fans and followers who dream of looking like her; they buy whatever she wears or displays on her social media network.