It’s that time of year again! EID TIME!!!!

Now ladies, we know you are going to be decked out for Eid!   We want to see you in hijabs, turbans, sky-high wraps, geles, drapes and more!

Submission Procedure: The contest is simple: To enter, post your picture on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/headwraps).   Include your name, short sentence description and location.   The photo with the most “likes” will win a copy of our 2013 Beautifully Wrapped Wall Calendar, AND possibly, just possibly a coveted spot in our 2014 calendar!

Timeline:
August 18: Contest begins.
August 24: Last day for submission of entries.
September 5: Last day for voting.
September 7: Winner announced!!

Voting Procedure:
If your entry is selected as one of the top submissions, you will be informed.

Guidelines:

• A “like” is counted as one vote. A comment is not.
• Each person is allowed to vote for multiple entries.
• You are required to have a Facebook account to enter the contest.
• The winners will be contacted by email. Please ensure that your email address is valid and in use.
• Votes from fake Facebook profiles that have been created to increase vote tallies will not be counted.

Terms and conditions of the competition:

• Participants must send entries as required in the contest announcement and in accordance with the theme in order to be eligible.
• Entries received after the deadline set forth in the contest announcement are ineligible.
• By submitting materials to Beautifully Wrapped, you represent and warrant that the materials do not infringe any copyright, trademark, property rights, rights of privacy or publicity of any person, or any other right of any third party and that you have the full and unrestricted right to transfer the materials to Beautifully Wrapped and Niyah  free and clear of any claims or encumbrances.
• Niyah/Beautifully Wrapped reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to alter any contest rules at any time.
• By entering the contest, you conclusively are deemed to have agreed to be bound by these contest rules and terms and conditions as well as by any rules specific to such contest. This is an irrevocable condition of entry.

From Amanda: “I took this picture of myself because the combination of two individually strong messages is impossible to ignore. As evidenced by the Civil Rights movement and current hijab rights movements in Europe, visible Black American and Muslim American identities are dangerous by themselves. The t-shirt and keffiyeh hijab, therefore, combine to create a very dangerous image for audiences that may be threatened by them.”

Thanks for entering Amanda!

(c) Nama Khalil

Nama Khalil received her Bachelor in Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Khalil’s Thesis Exhibition was derived from her personal experience, exploring instances of silenced and suppressed voice in post 9/11 society. She explores the notion of ‘Otherness” in her work while attempting to speak for herself as an Other, or acting as a mediator between her subjects and her viewers. She will be receiving her Masters in Middle East Studies from University of Michigan as she will continue to explore current issues prevalent to United States and Middle East, in her academic and art career.

Thank you for entering!

Tons of Fabric! Photography by Alvyn Maranan and Mohammed Langston

When wrapping, your final look is dependent on the materials you use.  Are you looking for a tall crown like Erykah Badu look?  Don’t expect to achieve that with a silk scarf unless you have a LOT of hair underneath to support it!  The weight of fabrics has a lot to do with the look.  Experiment with creating the same style using different fabrics. You’ll learn quickly what goes with what.   Look out for a more detailed post later.  Meanwhile, take our poll!:

African-American Muslims

(c) Maurice Koop

Dzao lady - According to the photographer:" All Dzao ladies shave the forehead to make sure the headscarf stays at the head, furthermore most of them have golden theeth (Sapa)."

The Yao, or Dzao People

The Dzao (pronounced "Zao") ethnic minority is incredibly diverse in all aspects of life: social and religious practices, architecture, agriculture and dress.

Small, localized groups settled in the northern border region of Vietnam after leaving China some 200 years ago.

Dzao people now number some 500,000 in Vietnam, with related groups in Laos, Thailand and China.

Long ago the Dao adopted the Chinese writing system and have a substantial literary tradition.

One popular legend records the origin of the 12 Dao clans: Ban Ho, a powerful dog of five colours, killed an enemy general and was granted the hand of a princess in marriage, who gave birth to twelve children.

Ban Ho is worshipped by the Dao and the five colours of Dao embroidery represent their ancestor.

The Dao boast a particularly striking traditional dress, characterized by a rectangular patch of embroidery sewn onto the back of their jackets, and both men and women sport silver or copper jewellery and tasselled shoulder bags.

Dao women wear elaborate headgear, usually a triangular-shaped turban, either embroidered or decorated with silver coins, beads and coloured tassels.

It's also common for Dao women to shave their eyebrows and sometimes the whole head, coating the skull with wax.

Dao people live at all altitudes, their house style and agricultural techniques varying accordingly.

While groups living at lower levels are relatively prosperous, growing rice and raising livestock, those in the high, rocky mountains live in considerable poverty.

© C Jan Dodd - The Rough Guide to Vietnam