“My strong belief is that prejudice is caused by a lack of information and interest. As a designer I want to trigger the interest of others through my projects and give information people otherwise might not be interested in. In this way I can contribute to a better world and that’s what I think my duty, as a Contextual Designer, should be.”

One may wonder at such a politically charged statement on the Web site of an industrial/conceptual designer. However, taking a closer look at the work of innovative Dutch artist Cindy van den Bremen reveals an exciting new perspective on how fashion design can serve as a language of intercultural communication and a means of integration. “Art for art’s sake” surely has no place in Cindy’s creative ethos.

In the mid 1990s-in the context of intensifying debates in the Dutch media, centering around the hypothetical failure of “multiculturalism” and the possible stagnating effect of Islam on integration-the Dutch Commission of Equal Treatment passed a verdict that allowed high schools to prohibit Muslim girls to wear the headscarf in physical education classes if this would compromise safety precautions. Muslim girls were advised to wear a swim cap and a high turtleneck instead. Many girls refused to wear headgear that would not fulfill the Islamic modesty requirements and chose to skip physical education classes altogether.

In 1999 the controversial verdict and the discussions still raging around the headscarf in general caught the attention of Cindy van den Bremen, then a graduate student in the Design Academy of Eindhoven. Seeking inspiration for her graduation project, the socially conscious student was struck by the discriminating character of the Commission’s decision and resolved to design a line of sport headscarves that would conform to safety requirements as well to the Islamic dress code.

Another important motivation was to refute the persistent prejudice that the headscarf is “forced upon” Muslim women by their male relatives. Cindy’s idealistic intentions did not go unchallenged; her supervisors, not unaffected by the common prejudices about the oppressive nature of the headscarf, initially did not see any benefit in such a project. To convince them Cindy compiled a large number of quotes by Muslim girls, confirming the headscarf to be their personal choice.

Under the name of “Capsters,” a collection of four unique and trendy sport headscarves followed, each adapted in shape and material to its particular purpose: tennis, skating, aerobics, and outdoor. To make sure the Capsters would conform to the needs of its target group and Islamic regulations, Cindy spoke to many Muslim girls wearing the headscarf and sought counsel with an imam.

Cindy is acutely aware of the social and political implications, which form an integral part of the concept for her designs, and has tirelessly explained this to the puzzled media, who were fascinated by this Dutch non-Muslim designer taking on the cause of the hijab with such unprecedented creativity. Cindy has since become a familiar face in the Dutch media as a dedicated advocate for the freedom for women to cover or not.

From an orthodox Islamic perspective, the accessory approach may defy part of the headscarf’s function to distinguish. However, Cindy argues, the ultimate important outcome of this strategy will be to liberate the hijab of its political, ideological, and religious stigmas and thus make it more socially acceptable in a non-Muslim society. In this way the negative image of the headscarf will be neutralized and eventually reversed as the headscarf itself becomes a means of integration.

Since the launch of the Capsters and the media attention generated by it, Cindy has embarked on several important projects focusing on intercultural dialogue and elaborating on the theme of the hijab. In 2002 she published a book titled Sharing Motives together with female photographer Giti Entezami, presenting 25 portraits of Muslim women with a great variety of Islamic head coverings accompanied by 25 quotes illustrating their reasons to cover their hair. The presentation of this publication traveled across the Netherlands accompanied by an extensive program of debates and lectures around the theme of the headscarf. The exposition aimed at creating more understanding for Muslim women wearing the hijab and making the Dutch public more familiar with their lives and motivations. This project constituted a unique and important endeavor at a time when ignorance of the hijab and its meaning was regularly displayed by the media in the most unsubtle and disheartening way.

Recently Cindy has been employed to design a safe headscarf for Muslim women working for the Service Judicial Institutions (for example, as security personnel in prisons and other penitential institutions). However, the scarves are still shelved, awaiting a reluctant minister of justice to approve their actual use.

In the meantime Cindy is back in her studio working on a new line of fashionable Capsters to conquer the wardrobes of modern, fashion-conscious Muslim women. Her ultimate goal is to update the collection twice every six months.

In spite of these considerations, there is no doubt that the concept of the Capsters and its underlying intention to de-emphasize the heavy ideological load of the hijab and reclaim the image of the Muslim woman as an independent and involved citizen, has opened up a very important space in the Dutch hijab discourse-a space that, if stretched wide enough by eloquent and socially active Muslim women, may one day define the entire debate.