AIDIJUMA COLOURS BUYS kEY STAkE IN HAUTE ELAN
Headscarf producer and HIJUP acquire majority stake in UK-based Haute Elan
MALAYSIA’S popular headscarf and shawl producer, Aidijuma Colours Group, together with modest wear e-commerce site HIJUP, have spread their wings into the global market by acquiring a majority stake in Haute Elan, the United Kingdom-based modest fashion and e-commerce company.
Haute Elan is also the organiser of the London Modest Fashion Week (LMFW).
The acquisition by the company which owns the popular Malaysian “Bawal” hijab range under the Aidijuma label, was jointly announced by Aidijuma Colours Group chief executive and founder Datin Norjuma Habib Mohamed, Haute Elan chief executive officer Romanna Abubaker and Dian Pelangi representing Hijup.com at the 2nd edition of the LMFW on Saturday.
“We are so proud to be working to- gether with Haute Elan because we believe that Haute Elan is a platform that truly represents modest fashion, while Hijup.com in Jakarta is one of the top modest portals in the world. This teamwork, this acquisition, means that modest fashion is going to go mainstream,” said Norjuma to an audience of members of the international media and fashion influencers.
“Today we can say that the largest platform for modest fashion now consists of three women, led by three women. It is real and it is here. Thank God that we have been blessed to find each other, the friendship has blossomed and nurtured to what we see today,” said Haute Elan founder Romanna.
Haute Elan is an innovative marketplace platform which houses the largest collection of luxury modest fashion designers from around the world.
“None of us are perfect individually, but with our experience in the UK market, with Hijup’s absolute best practices, their ecommerce experience, product development experience and with what Norjuma brings to us, her advice and financial support, this will mean that we truly achieve the goals that all of us have.
“We will be a better platform for you, a better platform for hiring more women,” said Romanna.
Dian Pelangi, of Jakarta-based Hijup.com, said the three parties share the same passion and ambition to give a good impression on modest fashion and the hijab to the world.
“This is our job together. Now is the era of collaboration, and that is why we collaborate,” she added.
Hijup.com was acquired by Aidijuma Colours Group in March last year.
“With Hijup.com as a strategic partner, it facilitates the process to participate in any fashion show or have collaborations with designers.
“With Haute Elan here (at the LMFW), it facilitated all parties; Aidijuma provided the basic collection of T-shirt dress and cardigan but with much stylised head scarves. Other designers showcased their collections from head to toe,” Norjuma told Malaysian reporters, referring to the way forward for collaborations after the acquisition.
“With this acquisition, we will announce the portal Hijup UK, with Haute Elan as the strategic partner to Hijup Group,” she said.
Norjuma added that the group looked forward to build business partnerships around the world to expand this business model for business fashion globally.
We are so proud to be working together with Haute Elan because we believe that Haute Elan is a platform that truly represents modest fashion, while Hijup.com in Jakarta is one of the top modest portals in the world. DATIN NORJUMA HABIB MOHAMED Aidijuma Colours Group chief executive and founder
“We would like the Hijup portal to be something like the Amazon for modest fashion, which will bring together all brands of modest fashion from around the world.
“Our target is to have 500 labels per portal. Indonesia has the biggest Muslim population, in the UK Muslims is the fastest growing population, so if we can strategise the business and make use of the acquisition to be the real strategic partner for Hijup.com, Hijup UK will merge with Hijup Jakarta and we will collaborate in fashion shows.
“We can bring the Modest Fashion Week from UK to Jakarta, to Turkey and Dubai, Moscow and America. We will move together. That is the dream of Aidijuma Colours Group — to be the main player in the modest fashion industry.
“We will restructure and strategise the whole organisation to ensure that Haute Elan and Hijup will create a win-win situation,” said a jubilant Norjuma before the start of her first showcase at the LMFW.
The latest investment in Haute Elan brings Aidijuma’s Colours Group total venture capital investment amount to date to US$20 million (RM77.87 million), which includes stakes in Brunei’s event organising company and retailer, BIFASH, Singapore’s eretailer MODESTyle, Malaysian cosmetic and skincare brand Simplysiti and Zawara as well as Indonesia’s HIJUP.com.