Patented, pinless hijab delivers style in an instant.
IN the fashion industry, innovation and invention are the keys to staying relevant. The industry is highly competitive with a short cycle as new creations and designs continue to flood the market.
It is also important to become a trend setter and be different from others, especially in fashionwear that has a huge demand, such as the hijab. The hijab’s trend has evolved from square to shawl and, in recent years, to instant, to meet demands from busy women who want easy-to-wear hijab that is fashionable and stylish.
Nine years ago, a family from Beirut, Lebanon came up with an innovative hijab that many Muslim women were hoping for — instant pinless wrapped hijab. The design caught the world by storm, when the first collection was introduced under the brand Bokitta.
The business is headed by Mubde Absi and wife Wafa with their five children, Nadra, Mona, Hala, Mohammad and Abdallah.
Nadra, Bokitta International’s marketing director, says the birth of the instant pinless wrapped hijab is driven by the need to eliminate the hassle of styling and wrapping. Women who like wrapped hijab often have to use brroches or pins to ensure it stays in place.
She says modern active women need stylish and trendy hijab which they can style in an instant. However, for many years the instant hijab has been a one piece style that is out of style.
Through hours of research and countless nights on the drawing board, they created the pre-stitched wrapped hijab. It is sewn in such a way that women can wear it in seconds and still achieve the wrapped look but without using a single pin, says Nadra.
“Bokitta is a novelty product and it is innovative. We took the initiative to revolutionise the instant hijab and changed the way everyone viewed it. It is time the unfashionable one piece instant hijab evolved in a fast and changing environment.
“Our hijabs are colourful, stylish and trendy. They make women feel good about themselves, especially in an era where Islam and hijab are the centre of controversy and constantly being criticised.
“Bokitta’s wearers include new hijabis who usually consider it a hassle to wrap a scarf. With this hijab, they will find themselves looking good without trying too hard. Our customers also include women who may not know how to wrap their hijab properly, or are not so much into styling but need to keep it neat, as well as those who want to look perfect in a second.”
BEAUTY AND FEMINITY
The family choose the name Bokitta, which comes from the word bouquet, as it represents diversity in texture, and colour and shape, as well as beauty and femininity, says Nadra.
Bokitta’s instant pinless wrapped hijab design was granted a patent by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), recognised in 144 countries including Malaysia. Despite the patented design, other brands have imitated the innovative design and marketed it as their own.
Recently, Bokitta won a patent infringement lawsuit against an unnamed company at the Kuala Lumpur High Court. It was the first time a decision was reached on intellectual property that involved an article of clothing.
Using the argument that instant hijab had existed for years, the unnamed party was selling Bokitta-style instant hijab under its own brand name. However, Bokitta proved that the wrapped-style instant hijab was unique and the first of its kind in the world created by them and any company selling a similar design was infringing on its patent.
Nadra says in addition to being the first to create the looped pinless concept, Bokitta’s hijab also have cotton lining which is similar to having two hijabs in one. It is also renowned for its unique prints and motifs.
Since it launched the first collection Voila, Bokitta has added several more designs which include Chic, Zain and Asas. For those who prefer hijab that fully cover the chest, Bokitta offers maxi designs for Voila and Chic. Each hijab comes with matching inner, which makes the brand more unique.
Another unique concept is that the pre-stitched pinless hijab are suitable for a wide range of face shapes and can be styled in at least five different ways.
Recently, it launched the latest design, Taj, which means “crown” in Arabic, that also comes in maxi size. The plain crepe chiffon light weight fabric hijab comes in six colour variants and has a 100 per cent natural cotton lining.
LONG LASTING
The Bokitta hijab designs, from prints and colours to styles, are by an inhouse team lead by Nadra’s sister, Hala. The manufacturing process is outsourced to other countries including India and Indonesia, which according to Nadra, are fashion industry manufacturing hubs. The manufacturing facilities have dedicated lines for the Bokitta hijab to ensure quality and international standards.
“We use only the lightest fabric such as chiffon, silk, satin and georgette to ensure Bokitta hijab are cooling, low maintenance and ironless for certain designs. Moreover, we only use the best quality fabrics that pass rigorous testing to make sure that our items are durable and last for generations.
“We introduce a set of new prints every two weeks and every collection has a story or a theme. Our customers are of different ages and require a variety of colours and prints that fit their style and age.”
Bokitta hijabs are sold in retail outlets in Lebanon, Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Brunei, Jordan, Singapore and Indonesia. They are also shipped regularly to France, Netherlands, Norway, the United States, Germany, Maldives and Hawaii.
The brand expanded its operations in Malaysia in 2013 following high demand from local customers. Currently there are 17 distributors and franchisees in Malaysia. They operate more than 20 retail and concept stores as well as seven departmental store counters which include Parkson Department Stores, Isetan KLCC and Sogo.
Nadra says Bokitta is the first and only foreign hijab brand in Malaysia. It is now among the top five hijab brands in the country. From the time of its introduction and with the help of social media, distributors and franchisees, Bokitta’s popularity has grown tremendously, says Nadra.
“The market here is growing as Malaysian women love fashionable and stylish hijab. Another unique style is that they always decide on their outfit based on their hijab and not the other way around. This gives us the opportunity to provide them with the most practical yet beautiful hijab.
She adds, “Our plans this year include increasing customer access points through setting up more concept stores in malls and department stores across Malaysia, especially in cities where there are no Bokitta stores yet.
“We also plan to introduce new instant styles that will cater to a larger market segment who still cannot find what they are looking for at Bokitta. We will continue to increase awareness about the brand by taking part in local events and fashion shows.”
EASY WRAP
AN Innovative instant wrapped hijab without the use of a single pin. It is no wonder that since the introduction of its first collection Voila, there are Bokitta lovers around the world, Malaysia included.
One of them is Ayu Roslan, who loves everything about the hijab — the design, colour, texture, simplicity, easy-to-wear and no hassle concept. She started to wear a Bokitta hijab five years ago, after hearing about it through a friend.
Realising that the brand’s popularity and followers are increasing in Malaysia, Ayu decided to take the plunge in 2016 and became one of Bokitta’s distributors. “My sister-in-law asked me to become her partner and co-manage the business. I did not hesitate to join her, knowing that I would get the first look at all the designs, as well as new collections.”
Their company A&A Empire operates seven Bokitta outlets including in Nu Sentral, Alamanda Putrajaya, Parkson and Isetan.
Ayu, who is the managing director, says Bokitta is loved by many as it is an instant wrapped pinless hijab. Even if other brands claim their design is instant, they cannot compete with the design offered by Bokitta.
She says a few brands introduced the pinless hijab but Bokitta is still the leader when it comes to the concept and design. There is minimal to no styling needed with a Bokitta hijab and that is the biggest selling point.
Ayu says another factor that sets Bokitta apart from other hijab brands is that you would not see repeated prints in the collections, all are considered limited pieces. The prints are rare, elegant and evergreen.
“The brand is still expanding in Malaysia which means it has a huge customer base. For us as a company, besides ensuring customers have the best experience in our stores, we also have a yearly strategic planning.
“Our marketing and promotion activities are done both online and offline. As long as Bokitta keeps the standard and introduces more innovative products, we believe that we can sustain the business and not worry about competition.
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