What’s underneath your wedding day ensemble is equally as important, according to London-based fashion designer Aneesa Sabrina Qureshi, who recently launched her bridal lingerie label Hasaria, designed specifically with Muslim women in mind. The 25-year-old founded her label in 2020 to make women feel more confident and empowered during their nikkah, or Islamic marriage ceremony.
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Qureshi, who graduated with a bachelors in Fashion Contour (which specializes in lingerie) from the London College of Fashion, came up with the idea for Hasaria as her final project at university. “As a teenager, I was always inspired by Victoria’s Secret and its designs, however, I knew I couldn’t wear certain (pieces) until I’m married,” she shared with Mille. “I always had a dream of creating my own lingerie and nightwear brand and thought of creating bridal lingerie and nightwear for nikkahs, honeymoons, and anniversaries,” she explained.
The result is a lineup of regal, lace robes that are perfect to wear while you’re sitting in hair and makeup, silk night gowns in jewel tones that will hold comfort-wise against even your softest pair of pajamas, and delicate sets you’ll want to wear beyond your wedding night.
Qureshi, who is of Pakistani descent and spent some time in the UAE, decided to add a cultural element to her creations, which is why she called her label Hasaria, meaning “exclusive” in Arabic.
“The overall aim of the brand is to make the woman know that she herself is exclusive and so is what she wears on her special night,” said the 25-year-old.
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Epitomizing luxury, each of the pieces in her collections use rich materials such as silk and lace and are meticulously embroidered with sequins and gems, because the designer believes it’s important for Muslim women to wear comfortable, chic, and luxurious undergarments on their weddings.
“Bridal lingerie is special. It’s not regular lingerie which we wear everyday underneath our clothes. When wearing bridal lingerie, it is a statement to yourself that you are now a married woman. The designs for bridal nightwear are more extravagant and luxurious and are meant to be worn on special nights,” the designer said. “I think it’s important for Muslim women to feel the most beautiful on their wedding nights as they also have to feel the most comfortable within themselves. This is where Hasaria helps; it makes the woman feel confident and beautiful, it is also a symbol of the beginning of being a wife,” she added.
Qureshi also aims to challenge conservative attitudes towards romantic relations between married men and women. “The first night after your nikkah is a special moment between you and your partner, and it is an act of reward in Islam,” Qureshi explains.
Due to the unconventional concept of her brand, Qureshi admits that she wasn’t expecting such a positive reception after launching her label, and she attributes some of Hasaria’s success to the social media platform TikTok.
“I definitely didn’t expect this reaction for the brand,” admits the designer. “So far, so many women love the concept, and love the fact it is lingerie and nightwear catered to ‘halal’ nights. The response on TikTok has been crazy and I feel like I’ve found a community that I’ll always stay connected to. I’ve even had husbands buying Hasaria for their wife as gift which is amazing,” she mused. “Anyone who wants to express themselves and promote themselves or a brand should be on TikTok.”
Whether its due to cultural reasons or stigma, lingerie brands helmed by Muslim POC women are very few and far between, so it’s refreshing to see the positive reaction that Hasaria is getting online. We’re certain that this is just the beginning.
