“Always interested in identity and self-definition, I’ve been driven to fashion design as a form of creative self-expression.”
Hijabi Couture founder and CEO, Francesca Najea Lujan is an American clothing designer, spoken word artist, poet, educator, wife and mother of African American, Cherokee and European decent, currently residing in Morocco.
Ms. Lujan was raised in Mexico and in New York City’s South Bronx during the fabulous hip-hop era of the 1980’s. Before converting to Islam, Lujan studied screen writing and worked in the TV and film industry with countless talents such as film director Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Mary J. Blige, and Grand Puba.
After obtaining her Masters in the late nineties. Lujan became a professor and internationally known multi-lingual spoken-word poet, a style of performance poetry categorized in the hip-hop genre and was published in the Yale Anthology of Poetry, Azizah Magazine and other distinguished publications. She published a book of poetry and released a cd, both titled “Jewels for your Soul”, under the pen name “Eloquence”. She said : “As a poet and teacher, I used my knowledge of hip-hop to bridge the gap between what my students knew: hip-hop - and what I wanted them to learn: poetry and literacy.” Ms. Lujan brings that same creative genius to her clothing line, which runs the gamut from urban cool, polished professional all the way to elegant sophistication.
Now living in Morocco, where she oversees her “Hijabi Couture” boutique and online store, Ms. Lujan unites her love of design, art, poetry, education and people. She splits her time as an Educational Director and the CEO of her dream venture, Hijabi Couture, a clothing company that meets the needs of today’s women., living up to it’s tag line “modern, modest and marvelous”. Ms. Lujan strives to bring her international experiences into how Hijabi Couture is packaged and presented. To learn more about how you can support Hijabi Couture’s “Commerce with a Conscience” education program, please visit: www.hijabicouture.blogspot.com.
Written by Kauthar Umar
