When Ayana Ife found out she'd been selected as a contestant on season 16 of Project Runway, her main goal was to win. But now Ife has realized that she's become an icon for her community.
The American Muslim hijabi's appearance on the show has "inspired" and encouraged members of her community, with many saying she's "normalizing Muslims."
"The feedback I’ve been getting came out in a way that I didn’t really expect," Ife told The Salt Lake Tribune.
“My main goal was, obviously, I want to win. And I really, really, really need this exposure. I want to be an acclaimed designer for the modest market. I really want to be branded that way. Not just for Muslim women — for women who love modest fashion," she said.
Since the season launched on Aug. 17, Ife has fast become an icon for other Muslim and hijab-wearing women.
"Of course, I want to inspire my little sisters and tell them, ‘Yay! Live your dreams,’" she said. "But this kind of ended up being a little bigger than maybe I had initially planned."
"But at the same time, I think it’s such a positive thing that I’m going to do my best to continue representing in the best light," she said.
Back in 2014, designer Nzinga Knight became the first hijabi to appear on Project Runway. Although Ife may not be the first, her presence definitely still works to normalize Muslims in a time of growing Islamophobia in the United States.
Anti-Muslim hate groups and anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise in the U.S., with many activists linking the problem to the campaign and election of U.S. President Donald Trump. The president's fiery anti-Muslim rhetoric has been seen to embolden hate groups and xenophobic feelings within American society.
With blatant misconceptions and stereotypes circulating in the mainstream, the visibility of Ife and other Muslims on television goes a long way in countering the hate.
"Most people just don’t know a Muslim," Ife said, also saying people sometimes are even surprised to discover she can speak English.
"People sometimes think I’m from the Middle East or I’m supposed to be Arab or something like that just because I am Muslim," Ife said. "My family is from Trinidad and Tobago. We’re from the Caribbean. We’re not from Saudi Arabia."
Despite the growing visibility of anti-Muslim sentiments throughout America and Europe, the fashion industry overall has been quick to embrace Muslim designers, models, and modest fashion.
Just as Project Runway is promoting Muslim designers, New York Fashion Week has featured Muslim's showcasing their modest fashion lines. Major high-end labels such as Dolce & Gabbana have also released collections featuring hijabs and abayas.
Other fashion giants such as DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, and Mango have all launched products to cater to the modest fashion consumer. From H&M, to Gap and American Eagle, hijabi models have also been featured in major ad campaigns as well.
Of course, this is also smart business as modest-fashion purchasing women are expected to spend nearly $500 billion on clothing and footwear by 2019.
Ife is positioned squarely in the center of this growing fashion trend, and right now, she's just beyond excited to be where she is.
"It really was the craziest, most surreal experience," Ife said. "When Heidi [Klum, the host of the show] said, 'Oh, hello designers' — in that moment, I was, like, 'Oh my gosh, I’m in the show! I’m in the TV screen!'"